Got a Harbor FReight 44991n Mill!

[goingtoarizona]

I have a barely used Delta brand, Chinese made crappy drill press. I got it through an incentive program where I used to work. For a while I thought my drill bits were flexing as they began to wander when they would hit the item to be drilled. It turns out that with about 200 holes drilled, the arbor bearings are loose and the chuck is moving when it hit the surface I want to drill.

I began to look for an old Craftsman or other American drill press without much luck. Last weekend I found a Harbor freight 44991 mill listed under drill press/mill, I read the reviews and they weren't nice. But, for a drill press and a sometime mill I thought I shouldn't pass it up. I picked it up for $400 and it's been used once to mill ONE polymer AR-15 lower. Pretty lightweight use.

So now I'm pretty excited about this addition to my shop. It has a 1/2 bit and I'm think about adding a 1/8 and 1/4 for now, the budget's already been blow.

Now for your input...what other bits show I get, let's talk CNC upgrades and who to use. What machining forums are good (I know they'll beat me up over this rinky-dink unit, but I can't afford a Bridgeport).

 

[jimreed2160]

Congratulations. The first thing to do is develop some thick skin because serious machinists will scorch you and trash your machine. Let them rant and just move on. I have had one of these mills for 10-15 years and it has performed flawlessly. I use it to repair antique handplanes and make cutters for same. The only problems I have had with it were due to my lack of skill.

I have a set of collets, but quickly replaced those with a drill chuck because it is bit changing is quicker. I modified a DP vise and attached it to the sliding table. I also got a set of hold downs.

Most of my work is dry cutting of O-1 steel using carbide cutters. I drill out waste using other drill press and then take light passes on the mill. I have also worked brass. I use HF carbide micro drill bits to drill out screws. The mill is great for that. It is precise and I have drilled out screws as small as 1/8".

So good luck. Get some safety glasses and a good gooseneck lamp.

 

[rsanter]

What you have is a rather low end mill there but you will be surprised and pleased at how much you can get done and how much you can learn using that machine.
The big deal with the lower end machines is that you do not have the precision of the nicer machines. With that said most beginners do not need that type of precision on a machine.

To make a mill useful you need a good set of hold down clamps, a mill vise, and an assortment of end mills.
If I was in your position I would splurge on a basic end mill set that goes from say 3/16 up to 9/16 or perhaps even 3/4".
You can buy more specific bits as you need them.
You also should get one fly cutter for basic surfacing.

Get some measuring tools, a good set of calipers to start with.

Get a good set of drill bits and mark them MILL and only use them on the mill. As they wear a little you can replace them and down grade the old one for use in hand drills

Get some scrap aluminum to practice on and start making some little trinkets that you can give away in order to get some practice.
There are also some little tools you can make yourself for the mill so you don't have to buy them


WARNING.....this stuff is addictive. If you go down this road you may end up with a big mill and lathe in just a few years
You have been warned!

Bob