Drill press as a basic end mill?

wow i had no idea the chuck could pop off. thanks for the info. i had noticed cutting through a guard with side motion was not easy for the (cheap home depot) drill press by the sound of it. so i use the tip of the mill like a drill bit and drill out as much as i can then just use the side motion to clean the points left between the holes. i noticed a carbide mill will not try to wander into the next hole like a drill bit, so you can space the holes really close. i am assuming using the end mill like a drill bit is ok, since there is a cutting tip, but i could be wrong.
 
Question: Would a Sherline or other similar mini mill be worth much as a starting point to learn about mills?
If not, what would you recommend? I think I need to research all the possibilities, but I'm one who likes to jump in and start swimming.
Are you so sure about a mill usefulness that one should just go for the one you need?
For me I have no idea what that might be. I don't do folders, and don't have plans to. So I don't know how much value it would be to me.

....don't mean to hijack the thread.
 
Brock47 said:
Question: Would a Sherline or other similar mini mill be worth much as a starting point to learn about mills?
If not, what would you recommend? I think I need to research all the possibilities, but I'm one who likes to jump in and start swimming.
Are you so sure about a mill usefulness that one should just go for the one you need?
For me I have no idea what that might be. I don't do folders, and don't have plans to. So I don't know how much value it would be to me.

....don't mean to hijack the thread.
Click to expand...

You will have to purchase "Tooling" either way you go on a mill purchase. I would consider the amount of space you can allocate for a machine. If you have limited space, but can justify a table top model I would pass on the sherline and jump up a step to a larger model. California is a rich environment for manufacturing and there are lots of excellent manual machines that have been pushed to the corners to make room for CNC equipment with that said I would consider if you have floor space looking at a Bridgeport J-Head mill they are excellent and with just a little clean up (usually) will last a lifetime. Milling machines are not just for making Folders they have many uses making jigs and fixtures. When I purchase a tool that will require additional tooling I only want to buy it once.
 
I've done light milling like you would do with a little dremel on a full size press. Not recommended but it gets you by.

But forget that! Mini mills are awesome! The control you get with even the cheapest mini mill's table is fantastic. Like spinning a piece of stainless rod chucked in the mill at like 10 RPM so I could tweak it with a file. Or milling a piece of stabilized wood perfectly square before shaping it.

Tooling will creep up on you but $100 for a clamp and $200 in end mills and holders will get you started. My Grizzly G0704 came with nearly everything else I needed to get going. Well, except time to set it up.
 
I too haven't used my drill press once since I got a mini-mill. The HF freight can be had new in the low $400 with a coupon. You can add a couple of options down the road like a belt drive and spring or save up and get the LMS version.
 
I must say, I am SO glad to see that nobody has checked into this thread to say "Sure, go ahead, I do it all the time and there's no problem!" I've noticed that FAR too often in the past people (perhaps even including myself) counsel people to do stupid things just because they got away with it for a while.

Alas, contrarians will always exist. Hopefully, people will learn to listen to people who actually know.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
Actually, a drillpress can also be used to stir paint.
Click to expand...

I wanna see that YouTube Video. I bet you could use YOUR wife's Kitchen Aid Mixer to stir paint too. Preferably one with the BIG 7 qt. mixing bowl. As for me, it would be worth MORE then my life to mess with MY wife's Kitchen Aid
 
synthesist said:
I wanna see that YouTube Video. I bet you could use YOUR wife's Kitchen Aid Mixer to stir paint too. Preferably one with the BIG 7 qt. mixing bowl. As for me, it would be worth MORE then my life to mess with MY wife's Kitchen Aid
Click to expand...

Dude you wouldn't need the mixing bowl, just put on the whip attachment and set the gallon of paint on the stand and got to town:D
 
woodster said:
wow i had no idea the chuck could pop off. thanks for the info. i had noticed cutting through a guard with side motion was not easy for the (cheap home depot) drill press by the sound of it. so i use the tip of the mill like a drill bit and drill out as much as i can then just use the side motion to clean the points left between the holes. i noticed a carbide mill will not try to wander into the next hole like a drill bit, so you can space the holes really close. i am assuming using the end mill like a drill bit is ok, since there is a cutting tip, but i could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes, plunge cutting with a drill press is fine.
Using an end mill instead of half-holing a drill will be much better.

Also, you know when you need a slot, so you drill a hole and then lean the drill left, then mean it right, then push sideways and go uppy-downy.....do that with an end mill as well ;)

BTW: An "end mill " is a cutting tool, not a machine, lol.
 
Brock47 said:
Found this today and thought I'd post it up. This is maybe a cheap way to start milling and get your feet wet. I am thinking about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIogUQB6SGo
Click to expand...

time and $ spent making that work is so wasteful that i woudl only do it if i had 0 other options. BTW didnt he say he turned that spindle (if you have a lathe you can set that up for milling )
drill press bearings are not setup for side loads and will be toast in short order
 
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