"Karl Townsend" remove .NOT to reply wrote
in message ink.net...

Right idea. Wrong machine. I've never used one of these Rong Fus so I
don't know for certain, but I don't see how they would be anywhere near
rigid enough.

Well, that's the only mill I have available (unless we farm the job out to a
professional shop). In which case, my part in the whole problem is finished.

But actually, there is one advantage mill-drills have over their larger
brethren for jobs like this: you can swing the head on the column. Normally,
that is considered a disadvantage (and I agree) because you can't make
z-axis changes without losing your zero. But for this job, I have to get to
the holes from the bottom of the plate because they are too close
(horizontally) to the post to get to them from the top. I don't know of many
home-shop mills out there that can fit a 48" post under the mill head. But
with the mill-drill, I can clamp this part upside down, with base on the
edge of the milling table and the post off the side (hanging towards the
ground), and then swing the head over to get to the holes.


Personally, I'd use 2 flute HSS here.

Why two-flute instead of four-flute?


Thanks,
Michael