Help IDing coworkers tabletop mill

[mercracing]

Hey guys,
I was at a coworkers house last night and he was showing me a tabletop mill he acquired recently. It looks like it’s been painted, and there are no identifying marks or labels. Is there anyone that can ID this or tell us what to look for in IDing it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cvairwerks]

Looks more like a drill press head kludged to an Asian cheapo mill base.

 

[mercracing]

Looks more like a drill press head kludged to an Asian cheapo mill base.

It’s entirely possible. We’re just trying to figure out what it is and if we can find any manuals for it.

 

[cvairwerks]

Prolly not. Be aware that side loading the Morse taper holding that chuck in, can be hazardous to your health and safety.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Made in China and branded under dozens of different names. Search for an old Harbor Freight catalog and you'll find a name. Central Machinery comes to mind. I may be going out on a limb, but I don't think the switch is OEM.

 

[neophyte]

Technically, that’s a “Mill Drill” not an actual “Milling Machine”
Machines like that are a step between a regular drill press and an actual milling machine, since they allow more precision etc. than a regular drill press, but nowhere near the accuracy or sturdiness of an actual milling machine.
No clue on manufacturer.
Mill Drills have been manufactured for decades though.

 

[Toold_up]

Prolly not. Be aware that side loading the Morse taper holding that chuck in, can be hazardous to your health and safety.

Morse taper can handle side load. Tons of old lathes were morse taper. My old Clausing mill was morse taper (with a drawbar).

 

[cvairwerks]

Morse taper can handle side load. Tons of old lathes were morse taper. My old Clausing mill was morse taper (with a drawbar).

Morse taper in a headstock or a mill quill has a drawbar. It does not rely on the taper to hold fast, the drawbar holds it tight. Big difference.... As I pointed out, the chuck in the photo is retained only by the taper, and not a drawbar.

 

[Toold_up]

Morse taper in a headstock or a mill quill has a drawbar. It does not rely on the taper to hold fast, the drawbar holds it tight. Big difference.... As I pointed out, the chuck in the photo is retained only by the taper, and not a drawbar.

There are tons of drill presses that utilize taper drills too. As long as the tapers mate and you have force applied to the drill they hold very well. It's poorly mating taper and vibration that causes them to loosen and drop. A drawbar solves that issue. A drawbar keeps pressure on the tool and quill.

I've seen big rockwell drill presses that utilize MT drills and they have been in production for decades. The drill press doesn't have a drawbar.

 

[56Willys]

It's a Harbor Freight #42976. Red is the original color. It does have a drawbar to retain the chuck or mill holders. I use mine mostly as a drill press but it will handle small milling jobs although it's obviously not very rigid. The switch has been replaced (mine failed also) and the motor doesn't look original. For $300 when a real mill started at $1,000 , it has given me decades of use in my cramped shop.

 

[cvairwerks]

A drill press applies force in line with the quill and not perpendicular to the quill. Slap a cutter in a standard drill press chuck with only the taper holding the chuck in and see how long you can cut before it yanks the taper out.

I'm well aware how the taper works, and have run taper bits all the way up to 3 1/2" diameter in radial arm drill presses over the years......

 

[Toold_up]

A drill press applies force in line with the quill and not perpendicular to the quill. Slap a cutter in a standard drill press chuck with only the taper holding the chuck in and see how long you can cut before it yanks the taper out.

I'm well aware how the taper works, and have run taper bits all the way up to 3 1/2" diameter in radial arm drill presses over the years......

Absolutely! If you put a taper shank drill in a standard jacobs chuck you are going to have a bad day.


The point I was trying to make is that a taper shank quill and taper shank tool can have side load (assuming the tapers are a good fit and the headstock bearings aren't complete ****).