Just got a mill/drill!

Salem Straub

Salem Straub

Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
5,547
I've been working on a trade deal with a neighbor for a long term loan of this machine. I saw it one day, sitting in the middle of a stack of clutter in his warehouse, long unused. Well, we worked it out. Maybe an option to buy too, he's just a bit sentimental about it as it was his dad's.

The result: I shoehorned this thing through my shop door today. Ran a 220V extension cord over to it from the welder outlet, and it runs fine. I spent a couple hours today going over the table and ways with PB Blaster and fine steel wool, then rubbed a coat of oil on all the moving parts. It moves pretty smooth now.

Some clamping stuff came with it, studs, t-nuts and risers. I already have some end mills and a slotting saw and arbor to use with it, just need to get a set of R8 collets. I threw a decent South Bend drill press vise I had on it for now.

I'm looking forward to making some folders soon, and milling my guard slots, etc. Woohoo!

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oh yeah !! that's the way to go right there, looks like a solid score !!!:thumbup:

it's been years since I was in metal shop, and this would require a refresher course or something :)
 
Slot guards. Face mill billets. (More applicable to a full size mill, perhaps.) Use a slitting saw to cut the lock bar on frame and liner lock folders. Rout out tang cavities for rabbet-tang knives. Reduce thickness of stock and flatten surfaces on handle materials. Drill pivot holes nice and square. Mill lock bar reliefs for frame locks. Thickness sizing on G10 or micarta backspacers for folders. Some people use a mill to cut grooves for ladder damascus. Mill out bowie handle frames.

A million other little shop projects that need small amounts of metal removal, or slotting.
 
Nice Salem! I remember you saying last week that you were close to scoring this. Very cool, hope you have lots of fun with it!!:thumbup:
 
Sure dores look like a guy who knows will get a lot of use out of that one !!! I'm pleased to see that you were able to at least get use of it. Frank
 
Man, I hate you, in a nice way. lol
Good score, I can't wait to see pics of some folders from you.
 
Thanks for commenting, guys. Good point, Ryanol. I did forget about that- I just don't know that I feel a big urge to try balis. Yet, anyway. Erin Burke brought one over that he'd milled from TI, it was really nice but I kind of hate milling TI personally.

Patrice, I've been planning to get this thing for a bit, so I've been window shopping already for milling accessories in all the MSC fliers I get sent. I think with just the collet set I'm good for now, I just went back over there and got an angle milling vise that went with it.

Ray, now that I have a mill perhaps I can crank some folders out as nice as you do without one... we'll see. I wish you luck finding your own soon.
 
that table looks like it shakes a bit :D

I think if you want to push that machine a little harder, heavier cuts, harder metals, etc. pouring a concrete pad for it and having the bolts for the base in the pour would provide you the extra mass to take on vibrations.

Of course you may want to own it before pouring a few hundred pounds of concrete in the garage :D

Nice machine. The Mill and Table saw are next for me.
 
Congratulations Salem! You will put it to good work and enjoy it for many years. Now let's see some work come off that thing!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Whoa Salem,

If you don't slow down we might think your taking this knife making thing seriously.

Great score, I'd be lost with out my milling machine. You'll find yourself using this daily.

Dave from Diller
 
Good Score - I got a high torque mini mill recently. It is outstanding. Yours will have a lot more power but a little less stability. You will love it.

I don't know how much milling experience you have. If you don't have a lot or if you want some good info, google MIT Machine Shop Videos. There are 11 and 3 are about milling machine use.

have fun. I love them.
 
Salem, I never add much luck with the angle milling vise but the one that came with the mill was not really a milling vise. I like my big milling vise, even if it's an import. I made some aluminum jaws for it to replace the less than prefect stock ones as well as a speed handle, very useful. I am sure that I don't have to tell you but carbide tooling is the cat's meow! I thought at first that it would be a good idea to get cheap HSS to start out, and it may be a good idea for the first week or 2 using the mill, but you quickly realize that there is a world of difference between the two. Oh and a set of fly cutters is a relatively inexpensive thing and very useful as well. You probably know all this but hey, I like to hear myself type. ;)

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. :thumbup:
 
No no no guys, if you've got milling tips I like to hear them. Milling is one of those areas where I have some experience, but much of that is hack self-taught experience and stuff I've gotten from books and the web. I do really prefer to have carbide mills. Whenever I've needed to use a mill over the past year, I drive to my friend's shop to use his Bridgeport. It's got powerfeed and DRO, nice Kurt vise and big aluminum jaws. He takes a light pass down his replaceable vise jaws before clamping anything new in, but I prefer to use parallels to achieve similar clamping.

Thanks for the link Kevin, I'll check it out when I get to some high speed.
 
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