What is a small milling machine to look for?
 

On Monday, June 8, 2009 2:15:50 AM UTC-4, Bill Noble wrote:
I am told by those in the know that mill drills require lots of extra
alignment work due to the cylindrical column

I have had a mill drill for many years and have found that almost everything can be done without having to do any alignment. You do have to think about what you want to do and then set the head an a height so that all the milling can be done without having to change the height of the head.

Dan

What is a small milling machine to look for?
 

wrote in message
...
On Monday, June 8, 2009 2:15:50 AM UTC-4, Bill Noble wrote:
I am told by those in the know that mill drills require lots of extra
alignment work due to the cylindrical column

I have had a mill drill for many years and have found that almost
everything can be done without having to do any alignment. You do have to
think about what you want to do and then set the head an a height so that
all the milling can be done without having to change the height of the
head.

Dan


If you get the column (and the mill hopefully by default) perfectly level
you can put a laser pointer on the head of the mill and then paint a line on
the far wall of your shop. When you raise and lower the head you point the
laser pointer at the line and lock it down. The farther the line and the
narrower the focus of your pointer the more accurate this is. As I
mentioned in my other posts a lot of guys are going with the G0704 or BF20
square column mill drill instead so they don't have to fight with that.

And... yes if you think through a job you often do not have to raise or
lower the head for that job... but not never.

What is a small milling machine to look for?
 

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On Monday, June 8, 2009 2:15:50 AM UTC-4, Bill Noble wrote:
I am told by those in the know that mill drills require lots of extra
alignment work due to the cylindrical column

I have had a mill drill for many years and have found that almost
everything can be done without having to do any alignment. You do have
to think about what you want to do and then set the head an a height so
that all the milling can be done without having to change the height of
the head.

Dan


If you get the column (and the mill hopefully by default) perfectly level
you can put a laser pointer on the head of the mill and then paint a line
on the far wall of your shop. When you raise and lower the head you point
the laser pointer at the line and lock it down. The farther the line and
the narrower the focus of your pointer the more accurate this is. As I
mentioned in my other posts a lot of guys are going with the G0704 or BF20
square column mill drill instead so they don't have to fight with that.

And... yes if you think through a job you often do not have to raise or
lower the head for that job... but not never.

P.S. I happen to have two round column mill drills in my shop. One I just
use as a drill press, but it is technically a mill drill.

What is a small milling machine to look for?
 

On Nov 28, 3:26*pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in ...





wrote in message
...
On Monday, June 8, 2009 2:15:50 AM UTC-4, Bill Noble wrote:
I am told by those in the know that mill drills require lots of extra
alignment work due to the cylindrical column

I have had a mill drill for many years and have found that almost
everything can be done without having to do any alignment. *You do have
to think about what you want to do and then set the head an a height so
that all the milling can be done without having to change the height of
the head.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Dan

If you get the column (and the mill hopefully by default) perfectly level
you can put a laser pointer on the head of the mill and then paint a line
on the far wall of your shop. *When you raise and lower the head you point
the laser pointer at the line and lock it down. *The farther the line and
the narrower the focus of your pointer the more accurate this is. *As I
mentioned in my other posts a lot of guys are going with the G0704 or BF20
square column mill drill instead so they don't have to fight with that.

And... yes if you think through a job you often do not have to raise or
lower the head for that job... but not never.

P.S. *I happen to have two round column mill drills in my shop. *One I just
use as a drill press, but it is technically a mill drill.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Mill drills work great as drill presses.

And FWIW I came across an ENCO mill drill from the early 80s...made in
Taiwan...that is very well made...so the blanket statement of mill
drills being junk is untrue.

It also makes the current Chinese mill drill offerings look like
crap...so as usual the devil is in the details.

TMT

What is a small milling machine to look for?
 

wrote in message
...
On Monday, June 8, 2009 2:15:50 AM UTC-4, Bill Noble wrote:
I am told by those in the know that mill drills require lots of
extra
alignment work due to the cylindrical column

I have had a mill drill for many years and have found that almost
everything can be done without having to do any alignment. You do
have to think about what you want to do and then set the head an a
height so that all the milling can be done without having to change
the height of the head.

Dan

It helps to buy stub and screw machine length drill bits so the point
height is close to that of an end mill. Larger bits can go in collets,
but reduced-shank bits may slip.

jsw