DoN. Nichols wrote:
According to Don Foreman :
On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:21:37 +0000, (DoN.
Nichols) wrote:
Yes -- it is *possible* to redesign and manufacture a drill
press for use as a milling machine -- and this is exactly what you will
get if you purchase a "mill drill". And -- it will be to heavy to get
up your stairs. (And -- it will still not have the workpiece size
ability of a milling machine so designed from scratch.
A small mill-drill would be no problem to disassemble and move up a
residential staircase. No part of those is as bulky or heavy as,
say, a refrigerator.
But he has multiple floors of narrow staircases, and he has
suggested that an appliance dolly will not be practical on those stairs.
But -- he has also said that he has managed to move some pinball
games up those stairs, so I don't really know.
A really small mill drill, like a Sherline or Taig, could be carried
up intact by one person.
Sure -- but I would consider those to be miniature milling
machines, not small mill drills. Same for the little mills which
Harbour Freight (among others) seems to offer.
But since he wants to do a lot of work with stainless steels,
I'm not at all sure that any of these would prove satisfactory. I
really think that he needs a place at ground floor level for his
machines -- perhaps one of the garages which can be rented.
A small mill would at least let him get some experience, which
would enable him to make a somewhat better choice next time around.
Perhaps even to choose to find somewhere else to live which would adapt
to the machine tools which he really needs. (But then again -- living
in New York (Staten Island) is a different kind of life -- and one not
well fitted to hobby metalworking.
I was going to pick up a hand truck, but realized that it would add to
the dimensional size of the video games I wanted to get up the stairs
and around the corners. These machines are as wide as 25 inches, as
deep as 34 inches, and over 6 feet tall and 350lbs.(These are maximum
numbers).
Ok, so perhaps what I need is a universal base that would perhaps
amount to three 100-150lbs sections before being bolted together, and
an attachable/detacheable dovetail column which may add another 150lbs.
To this would be added the swappable heavy duty "Mill head"(motor
housing and all containments). All this would ad up to attain the
needed ridgidity.(I can dream, can't I?).
I guess you're right about me getting a small mill for now. The most
extreme thing that I will have to do that would be beyond the
capability of the Rotabroach I just won on eBay is carve out a 4"
diameter hole that is 1/16" deep in stainless steel.(Not all the way
through).
If I can establish that I could get that done with something like a
Micro-Mark Mini-Mill, then I'd be set for now.(I'd of course need to
also get a machine for straight cutting 1/4" thick S.S.).
*** BTW, as far as a drill presses short-comings as a mill, if we apply
what was said to a lathe instead of a drill press? Would most of the
same issues apply?
Thanks a lot.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.