On 18 Oct 2003 11:35:05 -0700, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Harold & Susan Vordos says...

Yes, extremely annoying, especially if you've learned to use a "drop
spindle" type vertical mill (Bridgeport type). Horizontal mills are rather
limited in function, but do a much better job at certain functions than the
Bridgeport types do. If you had but one choice, you'd not want it to be a
horizontal. Way too limiting.

OK, I'll bite here. Harold I've gotten you know your style
to some degree here, and your peculiar approach to iron oxide.
I've even come to dislike rust a tiny bit myself.

But this horizontal-bashing has got to stop. :^)

There's one thing that a horizontal mill does not have,
and that's a quill. (granted certain deckel machines
do a pretty good imitation, but we're going to leave
out the top end stuff)

Other than that, a horizontal will do nearly everything
a b'port or clone can do, and better. In most cases
it's simply a matter of having the correct tooling,
or being able to turn the job sideways in the mind.

Advantages of horizontal machines:

1) cheaper. Because nobody understands them or appreciates
them, they sell way much cheaper than the similar vertical machine.

2) more rigid. The absence of a sliding quill, and the
size limitation that the quill puts on the spindle and bearings,
means the horizontal has a far much stronger spindle and far
larger bearings. This translates directly into metal removal
ability.

3) shorter height. For the hsm-type with limited headroom
(that's me, with my basement shop) the shorter horizontal
means the machine can fit, where a b'port simply cannot.

4) smaller footprint. There are many smaller horizontal
machines like a hardinge, benchmaster, atlas, nichols, etc
that provide orders of magnitude better performance than
a milling attachment for a lathe, and a factor of two or
three smaller floor footprint.

I personally decided on a hardinge UM mill, because of the
quality of the manufacture, the fact that it takes 5C
tooling, and size fit for my shop. I've since found that
it makes a *great* gap bed lathe for turning stuff that
does not fit in my lathe. Not a good try on a bridgeport.

Sure it's strange. Sure I have to stand sideways on my
head when running it. But with the correct cutter
installed, it will eat a bridgeport for lunch, from a
metal removal standpoint.

For those rare jobs where only a vertical will do, I
did purchase an M head as an acessory. But gets
attached very rarely. Maybe once in 50 jobs or so.

Jim

I agree with Jim. Its only when inside cuts must be made, that a
vertical is handier.

Damn...Im agreeing with Jim again...this madness MUST stop!!!

the horror..the horror..the horror......


Gunner

"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle
behind each blade of grass." --Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto