Milling machine training

[Rt jam]

We have a new manual milling machine at my place of work. We are not a machine shop, we are a robot repair shop.

Most any job we can successfully complete with hand and power tools. My manager thought it would be a good idea to buy milling machine to accompany our sandblaster, horizontal band saw, chop saw, welders and grinders.

I've figured out how to use it like a drill press and make a few horizontal cuts with the endmills but I'd like some real training.

Where to find someone who can spend a day with us for a crash course in safety, speeds and feeds?

I've tried Google but most of my results are pointed to colleges and night courses. Just looking for a quick tutorial and I need some ideas on where to look. Thanks.

 

[afazz]

If there is a TechShop nearby, they offer very basic courses for nonmembers. My company sent a few young engineers to the mill and lathe class just for a basic overview. I don't know where you're located, but TechShops and Robots seem to occupy many of the same cities in the US.

http://www.techshop.ws/

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Rt,

I learned by experience and reading (pre-internet days). I'm sure that there is a lot of experience here. I would suggest that you look up some YouTube videos. Otherwise, start with some simple jobs like drilling, facing off end pieces of end stock, cut some slots in a piece of scrap, or hollow out a piece of scrap wood.

The safety part is just common sense: If you know how to use a drill press safely, you can use a mill. Just don't crash it.

I would recommend that you get a mill speed & feed rate chart. You can download those off the net.


If your boss will allow you, practice off shift, on your own time, when you don't have anyone standing over your shoulder.


After you have mastered your milling machine, ask your boss to buy a lathe, then a surface grinder.

 

[Davefr]

I'd start with Darrell Holland Milling Machine and Tubal Cain videos.

 

[A_Pmech]

Where are you located?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Location? Might be able to hire a local trade school teacher to come for a crash course.

To start with, Google videos on tramming the head and squaring a vise.

Also just curious, when you said you machined a slot with an end mill, how were you holding the end mill? In a collet or in the drill chuck.

 

[Adam.C]

What model of milling machine? Learning to use a mill takes more than a single day crash course. You can ruin good hardware pretty quickly if you don't know what you are doing. That includes your own personal hardware!

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I presume the same is true for a lathe?

 

[LXCam]

All that and buy inexpensive cutters. Don't waste your money during the learning curve of how much and how fast. Once you've figured out the basics, then buy decent stuff that is dedicated to certain applications. Once you've checked out some vids, go get some aluminum and practice, it's the cheapest and most forgiving to learn on.

 

[RonnieC]

I can't believe all the constructive advice this guy got and no one asked "you work in a freakin' robot repair shop?" What are you, on Futurama?

 

[Ign]

All that and buy inexpensive cutters. Don't waste your money during the learning curve of how much and how fast. Once you've figured out the basics, then buy decent stuff that is dedicated to certain applications. Once you've checked out some vids, go get some aluminum and practice, it's the cheapest and most forgiving to learn on.

Or UHMW (loves to burr corners tho) or Delrin/acetal. Super forgiving, but the problem might be you can break all the rules, like huge DOC, ridiculous feeds etc

 

[Techie1961]

I can't believe all the constructive advice this guy got and no one asked "you work in a freakin' robot repair shop?" What are you, on Futurama?

I know eh, I was imagining Terminators and such but knew all too well that it is "just" industrial robots.

 

[Zeke]

Seriously, the MIT University Tech TV videos are some of the best I've ever seen and I've watched everyone from the idiots to Mr. Pete and Keith Fenner.
The milling training starts at Machine Shop-4 and goes through 7. I would recommend watching all 10 segments. It will give you the basics from safety to layout and tools to using all the machines found in a typical small but well equipped shop. They call their shop a prototyping shop which is basically what you are building up.

Anyone who finds these videos as great as I think they are, speak up.

I think I'll spend a day and watch them all again myself.

 

[Davefr]

Seriously, the MIT University Tech TV videos are some of the best I've ever seen.

Anyone who finds these videos as great as I think they are, speak up.

I think I'll spend a day and watch them all again myself.

I forgot about that series but I agree 100%. It's excellent.

 

[Farmall450]

I'd start with Darrell Holland Milling Machine and Tubal Cain videos.

Especially the latter.

 

[My Old Tools]

Seriously, the MIT University Tech TV videos are some of the best I've ever seen and I've watched everyone from the idiots to Mr. Pete and Keith Fenner.
The milling training starts at Machine Shop-4 and goes through 7. I would recommend watching all 10 segments. It will give you the basics from safety to layout and tools to using all the machines found in a typical small but well equipped shop. They call their shop a prototyping shop which is basically what you are building up.

Anyone who finds these videos as great as I think they are, speak up.

I think I'll spend a day and watch them all again myself.

+1. Really good videos.

 

[Rt jam]

We are in Southern Ontario Canada. There is a lot of manufacturing in this area.

I appreciate the you tube and be careful advice but it's not actually ME trying to learn. I'm mechanically minded enough to learn the machine but I work in the world of certifications, training and licenses. Jim J, the end mills were held in the appropriate collet.

So after a sales person hurts himself on this machine. My manager will have covered his bases and claim that we were trained by a certified instructor.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

We are in Southern Ontario Canada. There is a lot of manufacturing in this area.

I appreciate the you tube and be careful advice but it's not actually ME trying to learn. I'm mechanically minded enough to learn the machine but I work in the world of certifications, training and licenses. Jim J, the end mills were held in the appropriate collet.

So after a sales person hurts himself on this machine. My manager will have covered his bases and claim that we were trained by a certified instructor.

Where specifically in southern ontario? I'm in southern ontario as well and just finishing my last week of my tool and die apprenticeship. If you're near me I could put you in touch with the head of the apprenticeship department at the trade school I attend.

 

[Rt jam]

Where specifically in southern ontario? I'm in southern ontario as well and just finishing my last week of my tool and die apprenticeship. If you're near me I could put you in touch with the head of the apprenticeship department at the trade school I attend.

Jim J. We are in Mississauga. Dundas and 403 area. My e mail address at work is [[email protected]]

Thank you

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'm not an expert but have spent several months running a variety of machine tools in a few different places.
When learning I find it works well to go slow and make shallow passes, especially on the last pass. Coolant is more important than a lot of people think. Listen to the tools and pay attention to the surfaces you create. Over time you will learn when you are pushing the equipment too hard and when you can push harder.

 

[OkRider]

Try not to mill or drill through the workpiece and into the table please.

 

[rodm1]

Learn to use the table locks and how to take up the lead screw play and conventional milling is a must in order to making heavy cuts with out crashing.

 

[Rt jam]

I really appreciate all the tips and replies but I'm actually looking for training to teach a group of people.

The group will be taught by a certified or at least an experienced instructor. Not by me, taught by you.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Jim J. We are in Mississauga. Dundas and 403 area. My e mail address at work is [[email protected]]

Thank you

Start by calling seneca college in Toronto. They are the closest college teaching industrial trades to you. I did all my trade school at conestoga college in kitchener, they may be willing to do a course if it was a few days, but seneca may be more likely to since they are closer.

They may also want to have you send a group to them for a few days and use ther facilities since they will have all the appropriate tooling setup and available.

If seneca is not helpful, send me a pm and I will give you the name and number of the tool and die and machinist program director at conestoga.

 

[Rt jam]

Jim I want to say, thanks for your advice. I got in touch with Seneca College. They hook us up with an instructor.

He spend a day with us. Covered some safety, best practices, machine care, squaring the vice, techniques, speeds and feeds,learned the machine and we made a few things. Gave us all who attended a participation certificate. Had some pizza and pop, made some chips fly and felt more comfortable using the milling machine.

 

[royesses]

Where specifically in southern ontario? I'm in southern ontario as well and just finishing my last week of my tool and die apprenticeship. If you're near me I could put you in touch with the head of the apprenticeship department at the trade school I attend.

Yes that is a good way to go. The vo-tech I used to teach at would set up evening or weekend classes for local business training. I used to do high reliability soldering and circuit board repair classes for local businesses on their schedules. usually 1 - 8 hour or 2 - 4 hour classes at night or on Saturdays. Just a call to the school got the ball rolling. I used to contract to the school. Cost was very reasonable.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Jim I want to say, thanks for your advice. I got in touch with Seneca College. They hook us up with an instructor.

He spend a day with us. Covered some safety, best practices, machine care, squaring the vice, techniques, speeds and feeds,learned the machine and we made a few things. Gave us all who attended a participation certificate. Had some pizza and pop, made some chips fly and felt more comfortable using the milling machine.

Excellent! I'm glad to hear it worked out. Did he come to your business or did you send a group to seneca?

 

[zkling]

What machine do you have?

 

[JJThrasher]

You can learn a lot from Youtube. Check out Abom79 (third generation professional machinist), Metal Tips and Tricks (pretty simply posts videos about certain topics. Very informative and usually discuses the easiest way to do the job), and oxtooloc (long winded rambling guy, but does good work). There are many others out there.

You can also look for a local machinist that might be looking to make a little cash. Get your boss to offer him some money to come by and show you the basics.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

You can learn a lot from Youtube. Check out Abom79 (third generation professional machinist), Metal Tips and Tricks (pretty simply posts videos about certain topics. Very informative and usually discuses the easiest way to do the job), and oxtooloc (long winded rambling guy, but does good work). There are many others out there.

You can also look for a local machinist that might be looking to make a little cash. Get your boss to offer him some money to come by and show you the basics.

He already had someone come and do some training.

 

[Rt jam]

Seneca sent the instructor to our facility. Training in our boardroom and practical on the very machine we will be using. It's a King PDM 30.

Just out of respect I sent the invite to all in our company and so many responded with interest. Not only the service technicians but sales people, engineers and some managers attended too.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Seneca sent the instructor to our facility. Training in our boardroom and practical on the very machine we will be using. It's a King PDM 30.

Just out of respect I sent the invite to all in our company and so many responded with interest. Not only the service technicians but sales people, engineers and some managers attended too.

That's cool, glad to hear people were showing an interest.

 

[pepi]

I forgot about that series but I agree 100%. It's excellent.

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