decent mill under 1 grand?

docdredd

docdredd

Joined
May 25, 2006
Messages
587
hey guys
i didnt want to hijack the other mill related thread so i started my own:D
i have tax returns coming in and would like to get a decent mill to add to my shop. doesent have to have NASA tolerances but somthing that will hold up and be dependable. never having owned one (used one for a year at voc school) i am not sure of decent brands. any one with experiance please pitch in your opinions. thanks
peace
jon
 
I have the MicroMark mini-mill/drill press. It's decent and about $400 (www.micromark.com). It does all the basic milling for guards, drilling the tang, etc. It does bog down milling steel (0-1 makes the bench shake!). If you take steel slow, it does a nice operation though. Make sure if you get one that you order the milling chuck. It doesn't come with it. The down side of it is that it is a MT-3 shank as opposed to R8 although I've heard there is a conversion kit to make it R8. I'm pretty happy with it overall though.

Erik
 
haha thanks can you break that down into non machinist terms. MT_-3 and R8? im assuming that r8 is the standerd size used for big boy mills? and that mt3 is used just on your smaller mill? thanks for the link!!!!
 
Sorry, I'm just learning too! MT (Morse Taper) is a common "low end" shank taper. Basically, from what I understand is that R8 (don't know what the R stands for) is more common in high end mills, so if you plan on upgrading later on, you would have to re-fit all your supplies from the MT3 to the R8. I don't plan on having anything larger, so the mini works great for me. The MicroMark version is similar to the Harbor Freight or Grizzly mini mills, but in my research I think it was a slight step up for a small dollar amount more.
 
Check around your area for used bridgeports and such. Acer is another decent brand. There are a bunch of good mills out there. Ask someone from your tech school to see what they know. Your best bet would be local for a large knee mill. The only problem with purchasing on ebay or something is the shipping. Access to a forklift helps alot.

Good luck.
 
For a small, extremely accurate mill, Sherline...
For a little stronger, seemingly, Taig's Micro Mill. I have had good experience with both....
but lets don't get into lathes...my Sherlines are extremely accurate. I have a concern with my Taig lathe.....and someday may get the parts needed to make it as precise as the Sherline(s) again.....

I don't have anything bigger, but do drool over a Bridgeport when I see it...but don't think I need something like that...so what is want vs. need????
 
I'd stay away from the combos. I had one years ago and literally dismantled it and threw it away piece by piece in the trash. It was not rigid enough anywhere. OK for cutting plastic, I suppose, but even then....

No matter what you get it should be rigid and accurate. It doesn't matter what your making.:)
 
yeah i just took a closer look at it and i dont think i would have been happy with it. the lathe looked ok but the mill looked like a shoddy drill press
 
Doc, one thing to bear in mind as you make your selection is that there are probably several hundred dollars of "hidden" costs involved in things like collets, a quality chuck, a good vise, squares, cutting tools like endmills and flycutter, clamps, 1-2-3 blocks, yaddablah.... then you want DRO (digital read out) and other expensive things. :D

I found that a good intro for someone with no experience with machine tools was to invest in the book "Tabletop Machining" by Joe Martin and read it first. While a total sales pitch for Sherline Tools (Martin's company) it's also packed with info for the uninitiated. I would recommend reading it before leaping.

I am not advocating any specific mill, BTW, as there are pros and cons for any of them....
 
Also, read here:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Main/mini-mill.htm to see what they say about the "mini-mill" (Micro-Mark, HF, Griz, etc.), and

www.littlemachineshop.com to see a line of discount import, but usually adequate accessories.

PS...come to think of it, I'd seriously recommend you ask Kit about this. He's into machine tools and could probably help you find a high quality used mill down in your area that would be better than buying new at the same price. If you can get your hands on an 8530 Clausing in your budget and in good shape you'd have a helluva machine.
 
Not to hijack this thread but are the above mentioned mills in the $500 range adequate for folder making? Or is it better to save up for a more expensive one if you plan to machine frame locks and such?
 
hey Fitzo
thanks man i appreciate the honest advice. next time i talk to kit ill bring it up. i had forgotten he has more tools than god :>
 
YW, Doc! I can't think of any knifemaker who's advice I would be more willing to seek on this topic than Kit.

Good luck with your selection. I will say this, though: no matter what you get, like other things in life you will soon wish it was just one size larger. ;)
 
I have a Grizzly mini-mill. It's okay, but it certainly has it's limitations. My biggest complaint is that it only has one bolt to secure the column in the upright position (it can be tilted). Several times while milling I have had the thing jump out of alignment, which is a major pain because you have to stop everything, tram the mill square, then start all over again.

I thought about getting one of the larger benchtop mills, but then I learned that they lose alignment if you raise the head of the mill up on the column. They make square column mills that don't have this problem but they are quite expensive.

I also learned rather quickly that the tooling; collets, mills, etc., can easily add up to more than you spent on the machine itself.

What I plan to do, and I would suggest that you do if you have the room, is buy a used Bridgeport Mill. You shouldn't have much trouble finding an older machine in your price range. Just make sure to have someone who knows about them check it over to make sure it's not trashed. The hard part will be moving the thing, but once you get it home you'll have a mill that's up to just about any task.
 
Yep! Kit would be your man! In fact I called him before I bought my mill. Tell the old coot Mike and Manuela said Howdy!!! If any one is interested, and is near by, I have a MSC Mill/Drill that needs a home, complete with new power feed. I needed a knee mill. Mike
 
there's nothing like it.

I've had Sieg X2 (aka mini-mill) for a number of years and have
upgraded to X3 just a day ago. It is exactly $1000 .

Quality is impeccable, accuracy too, price is right, the work envelope
is huuge, spindle to table and spindle to column are right (@ 15" and
8" respectively). I really like how they designed it.

Size & weight are it's biggest advantage: it is right in
between X3 (120LB) and RF45 clones (800LB). @ 350LB
it the largest mill many of us can have in our workshops, yet
it definitely has the power to take on most serious jobs.

It is probably the easiest mill to CNBC, if you ever want to go
that way.
 
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