Advice on shop equip please. Mill/drill and heat-treating

[Randy Irwin]

I have a few bucks to add to my shop and am looking for advice on a few things.

1.Mill/Drill machine. Guards, bolsters, end caps, fittings, etc are a big problem for me. I spend hours filing and shaping, so mill/drill might be a good addition. What would be good machine $1500 or less? Thinking maybe grizzly combo mill/lathe—this one. http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=G9729 . Advice please

2.Heat-treating device/devices. This is another problem area. Only have coal forge, charcoal pit and home oven, all of which does the job but is imprecise. What can be done here for about $500.00 and get precise temperatures? Would want to do pieces up to 42" X 2" X 1/4" and up to 16" X 24" X 5/8".

Don’t want to add any wiring, so 110/220-volt, single phase for all devices. Also portability an issue because want to move shop out of garage in a year or so.

Thanks.

 

[Mike Hull]

Personally I wouldn't get a 3 in 1 machine. They don't do any function well.
Get a regular mill/drill. If you need a lathe, get one seperately.

The bigger the better with the M/D's. Harbor freight will pay the freight on any purchase of $50.00 and up. That is a considerable savings on a piece of equipment.
All that stuff is made by the same company(s) in Taiwan. They just paint them different colors for the different distributors.

If you get a M/D, get one with about a 2 HP motor. They have a couple in the 1000.00-1200.00 range.
Or a regular knee mill in the link above for about $1500.00.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=37151

The link goes into a bandsaw, but search for mills, mill/drill etc. They showed a neat knee mill for $1500.00, but the link didn't work.

Edited to fix link.

Edited again for link: Here's one that takes you direct to the mill I was talking about.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=40939

They still have less expensive M/D's in the 1000-1200 range, you just have to search for them.

 

[fitzo]

nothing like a dead link..........
did that work for you, mike? goes to an "error" page for me.