am i crazy for wanting a mini mill??

Cushing H. said:
Just out of curiosity, why? Torque (or lack thereof), or maybe rigidity?
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You may be ok using a super sharp hss cutter on wood. But I'd not use it on steel

But the machine is so small and light, the fly cutter is one large dia edge and it takes quite a stressful whacking every time it goes around.

Plus as noted above, sometimes endmills just work better.
 
Cushing H. said:
Lovely - more equipment to buy
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Yeah...Knifemaking is not an inexpensive hobby. The Milling machine might be the least expensive item once you add up all the Tooling required to make a "CUT".
Flycutter vs End Mill...For your use stick with the End Mill you will get a better finish. The flycutter can create "Chatter" not friendly to those light machines and plastic gears.
 
Busto said:
Yeah...Knifemaking is not an inexpensive hobby. The Milling machine might be the least expensive item once you add up all the Tooling required to make a "CUT".
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Looks like it ... and it seems to sneak up on you. First “I have this HF 1x30”, then “all I need is a used bandsaw”, then “oh, I need a used drill press”, then “seems like a 2x70 will make a big difference (it does!), then “a portaband and swag table would make things mich easier (I use it all the time), then “seems like a disk sander would make a big difference for flattening” (still don’t have that), then is “I should start doing my own HT (still need to build that), now its “a mini mill would really help with Wa handles and stable drilling “( and it is clear what a rabbit hole that is). I would ask “does it ever end“, but I strongly suspect I know the answer to that one......
 
I've used a fly cutter on some softer aluminum and it leaves a roughing cut finish at best. I don't even wanna try to cut steel with it after seeing the struggle with just aluminum. Might be ok with wood, it would be something I would try. I'll come clean and say I'm not a knife maker but a wanna be hobby machinist. I don't play with tree carcass much. When I got my mill years ago most of my work was cutting on paintball markers. All the custom stuff we were doing back then you can just buy now so I got out of it so now just toy around making chips.
 
Cushing H. said:
Looks like it ... and it seems to sneak up on you. First “I have this HF 1x30”, then “all I need is a used bandsaw”, then “oh, I need a used drill press”, then “seems like a 2x70 will make a big difference (it does!), then “a portaband and swag table would make things mich easier (I use it all the time), then “seems like a disk sander would make a big difference for flattening” (still don’t have that), then is “I should start doing my own HT (still need to build that), now its “a mini mill would really help with Wa handles and stable drilling “( and it is clear what a rabbit hole that is). I would ask “does it ever end“, but I strongly suspect I know the answer to that one......
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Oh there is going to be an End...When you declare this the is KNIFE I'm taking to the Grave just in case I need one!

You're barely seeing the top of the iceberg remember how big it is where you can't see....I have 4 Mills in the shop, started 20+ years ago doing side jobs custom firearms mods with a "J Head" Bridgeport, and I have added 3 Republic Lagun Mills 2ea FTV2's and a New MVM4 check out the price on those if you dare?!!! But they are slowly paying for themselves doing Contract Work. Owning the Mill is exciting knowing you can fabricate fixtures as you build your knowledge and advance your knife making skills. Yes there is a RABBIT HOLE!!!
 
For those of you struggling with fly cutters on lower rigidity mills, take a look at the Tormach Superfly with a polished positive rake insert for aluminum. I’ve never tried it on wood but on aluminum, brass, or copper it’s been incredible for me. A near perfect finish no matter how hard I push it. If you’re using a low rake fly cutter on aluminum or wood you’re going to have a miserable time of it, especially if your machine isn’t super rigid. You need a high rake to cut cleanly. Lower rakes are better for hard materials like steels where a sharp, delicate edge wouldn’t survive.
 
The PM mills are good machines. They are really "inch" models, not an adaptation of a metric machine with useless dials, from what I can see. Buy once, cry once.
 
Ok .... it looks like after a lot of procrastination, I am about to pull go ahead and order a mini mill...

QUESTION - the two I had been looking at are the Harbor freight versus the Little Machine Shop Mini Mills .... they look very similar - but I am only looking at photos. Is there an appreciable difference in quality between the two???? (the little machine shop unit is more expensive.....)
 
HF you get whatever, LMS goes over theirs, I went with HF and went over it myself and saved a few bucks.

I regularly use fly cutters on wood blocks and scales.
 
Same mill painted 2 different colors. Grizzly also sells the same unit, northern tool used too but I'm not sure if they even sell one now.
They are all rolling out of the same chinese plant.
 
ok .... so here is another take on the question. The HF mill might be worth it if the coupon discount price ($499 instead of $699) could be had .... BUT it seems like the old coupon has expired, and there are no new ones out there to be had, AND the price now looks to be $799. so.... either way it would look like $799 for the HF machine, or $699 for the little machine shop machine. Either way, I know I would end up buying the pulley conversion kit ($160), which starts putting the price much closer to the LMS "HiTorque mini mill ($995). Direct drive brushless motor, rigid column .... seems like a better more robust unit all the way around (am a little concerned about the weight and added table size, but I will find a way to deal with it....).

Any concerns or "gotchas" regarding the LMS HiTorque mini mill I should be aware of???
 
I have the LMS and can't stand the way the spindle lowers. I believe it is less accurate to drill a hole with it and not a good design. Forget using that dial on knife stuff beyond a few thou too. I'd get a smaller grizzly mill with a spindle dro so you can make folders, etc with it plus it is a way better design.
 
I just looked and I thought there was a Grizzly at a close price with a Z crank... there is not. I'd save and get a PM-25. I have a G0759 and the LMS. Tooling costs so much it hardly matters.

What are you guys using fly cutters for? Folder nail nicks?
 
Blackdirt cowboy said:
Hmmm. I don’t have a drill press and was looking at getting one. Would I be better served with a mini mill?
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I’m looking at a mill for creating flat parallel surfaces(for scales and especially components for wa handles). It’s supposed to supply a more rigid and precise version of a drill press ... but I have yet to try / experience it... as DFK just said ... it seems a pretty universal observation that the dials are junk for positioning ... and plan on needing a DRO. I’m ok with that, as the alternative higher cost machine is expensive, and just plain too big for my space :-)
 
Any good 9" disc sander will make flat wood surfaces. They are also far more useful that a mini-mill for a new maker.
 
Cushing H. said:
I’m looking at a mill for creating flat parallel surfaces(for scales and especially components for wa handles). It’s supposed to supply a more rigid and precise version of a drill press ... but I have yet to try / experience it... as DFK just said ... it seems a pretty universal observation that the dials are junk for positioning ... and plan on needing a DRO. I’m ok with that, as the alternative higher cost machine is expensive, and just plain too big for my space :)
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What kind of precision you look for ???? 0.000001 on wood ? You will spend two hours on mill to flatten three piece of wood ? Come on :) Get disc sander and learn to use it :thumbsup:
 
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Flat AND parallel for WA handle components. Harder to do either by hand or with a disk sander. Also, I just don’t have room on my bench to add an additional disk sander in addition to my drill press. Also, dust collection with a disk sander is a real problem, and I have a small (10 x 10) enclosed space to work within. I’ve looked at disk sanders a number of times ... but for the above reasons, I don’t think one is in the cards.

you know ... we litigated this months ago ... and a number of people reported that they used a mini mill for creating scales and wa components and were pleased with it for that. Also, I have been wanting to have more capability to machine bolsters, including slotting them. My most recent question was not WHETHER to get a mill, but rather specific concerns with specific models....
 
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