milling machine?

Evan Miner

Evan Miner

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Good afternoon
Right now I'm current looking into getting a milling machine and was wondering if any one had any advise on what I should get. At the moment I'm looking at using it for milling guards and some surface milling. So far I haven't found anything local so I'm looking at new. My current searches have me looking into the grizzly G0759 but I'm having a hard time thinking 1900 after shipping is the right price for what I want to do with it. Any advise would be appreciated
Thank you
 
Evan Miner said:
Good afternoon
Right now I'm current looking into getting a milling machine and was wondering if any one had any advise on what I should get. At the moment I'm looking at using it for milling guards and some surface milling. So far I haven't found anything local so I'm looking at new. My current searches have me looking into the grizzly G0759 but I'm having a hard time thinking 1900 after shipping is the right price for what I want to do with it. Any advise would be appreciated
Thank you
Click to expand...

https://www.grizzly.com/products/G0759

http://www.dropros.com/DRO_PROS_Milling_Machine_Digital_Readouts.htm

Of that, 700$ or so is the DRO

You could do without it, but DRO is a beautiful thing.

For just guards, you could lose the DRO and go cheaper.
 
There will be as many suggestions as there are folks with milling machines I'm sure. There are a couple of points that made a lot of sense to me while doing my searching decision making for a milling machine. First, you just "think" guards are the main thing you'll use it for. You have no idea how useful the milling machine will turn out to be. Things you never even considered.

1. Go for weight - and most important (I'm told) is the square post - NOT a round post.

2. Figure your budget, factor in some tooling, get the best machine you can get for the budget. Don't spend on fancy DRO and stuff like that. That can always be added later, but if you include that in original purchase, you'll wind up getting a cheaper machine that can't be added to later.

I wound up going with the Grizzly G0619 - I think it's around $2K delivered. Someone else in the group purchased a milling machine later and I do think it's the better buy - of course it's almost $1K extra, but boy is it nice. Nope, can't remember a link to it.

One thing that factored into my choice was how much weight could I handle without hiring extra equip to move and setup. The 400# 619 has been a good fit for that.

That $3K machine sure would have been nice, but it was around 800# or so.

edit: here it is: http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM45MMill.html and it's actually 1100 lbs! and around $3K

Ken H>
 
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You really don't want a ZX 7045 type chinese mill...

I have this and I hate it...
 
Thanks every one for the input I appreciate the help. Don the milling machine you have do you do much surface milling on it if so how well does it handle the task?

As for budget I'm set around 2200 to get the machine and what I need to get started on it I could go a little bit more but that would mean I'd have to hold off on the 9" disc sander for a little longer.
 
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Evan, I cut guard slots, nail nicks and relieve the back of bolsters on liner locks, but no surface milling. The LMS does all I need Very well. I have also used a Sherline mill for many years, all 26 lbs of it and it does the same stuff just fine...:cool:
 
For what it's worth... I sold an old Bridgeport with collets and vise, DRO and phase converter a month ago for $800. I threw in a bunch of quality new cobalt HSS cutters and a mint Albrecht drill chuck for another ~$150

Tools like this don't get used in proper machine shops and manufacturing facilities much anymore and are getting phased out or scrapped. Industrial waste...

If you have the space, I can't see sinking over $1,000 for a chicom toy when there are good deals for heavy iron out there.
 
It really boils down to what one gets used too and how much time one spends on a mill. I myself spend very little time on a mill. Hell, I hardly know how to use one. :)
 
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I'm with Nathan on this one. Look around for an older American made machine rather than a cheap modern Chinese hunk. They tend to be very reasonable. Just looking on ebay it looks like you can get a decent Browne & Sharpe 2A universal for just north of 1000, and that will out-mill any affordable modern machine.

My first mill (which still inst in my shop, but it's a block around the corner still waiting for snow to go away so I can get it out of the shop it's in currently) is an old flat belt Garvin No. 13 plain mill with a period vertical head by Crossley Surecut (another turn of the century maker), and I got it for under 500$ WITH all the tooling, arbors, cutters, 8 inch rotary table, vise, etc. This will do everything you want for a knife and then some. The previous owner used it to restore his 1930s vintage Browne & Sharpe mill that replaced this. No power vertical feed, but really... you dont need it for knives anyways, as long as you've got power horizontal you're good.

mill.jpg
 
I agree a big old American mill is a hell of a lot better than a chicom. I hate chicom junk! But I've looked off & on for a mid size American mill for 20 years and haven't found one within 200 miles of here... But one day I will find one. :cool:
 
Thank you all again for the info. Iv been looking local for a while but had no luck getting a good steal, but after looking some more pricing and reading I just ordered the hi torque mini mill Don pointed out. I got a packaged deal with all the start up tools I would need with it and tossed in the power feed set up for it since I was still saving money on my set budget. Thanks again for all the help next on to ordering an even heat oven :-) and disc sander.
 
So I'd like to know....Lets say you see a nice bridgeport mill on craigslist you go and look at it and its perfect! so now how do you get it home? what do you need?(and I'm guessing whereever you put it it can't go through a doorway if were talking a full size mill)

DR...
 
Daniel Rohde said:
So I'd like to know....Lets say you see a nice bridgeport mill on craigslist you go and look at it and its perfect! so now

how do you get it home?


I'm guessing wherever you put it it can't go through a doorway if were talking a full size mill
Click to expand...

Lower the knee and put it's head between it's knees, to make it lower and lower it's center of gravity so it's not as tippy.


rent a drop deck trailer
http://www.flaman.com/trailers//ima...railers/images/products/Airtow_RS8_35_med.jpg
Then go Egyptian with pipe rollers and levers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLD5_sm93zE


or call a flat bed tow truck
Schedule this ahead of time so you can find the careful operator, not the sloppy one.




If you take off the table, they fit through a man door.
The base is maybe two feet wide, the door 30 inches.
 
Evan Miner said:
Thank you all again for the info. Iv been looking local for a while but had no luck getting a good steal, but after looking some more pricing and reading I just ordered the hi torque mini mill Don pointed out. I got a packaged deal with all the start up tools I would need with it and tossed in the power feed set up for it since I was still saving money on my set budget. Thanks again for all the help next on to ordering an even heat oven :-) and disc sander.
Click to expand...

Evan, it will serve you well. Congrats!
 
Daniel Rohde said:
So I'd like to know....Lets say you see a nice bridgeport mill on craigslist you go and look at it and its perfect! so now how do you get it home? what do you need?(and I'm guessing whereever you put it it can't go through a doorway if were talking a full size mill)

DR...
Click to expand...

Personally I would put an ad on craigslist asking for heavy equipment movers and you will find guys that will move them for pretty cheap, $200-$500 depending on where you are at, in my experience. Do question them and make sure they have insurance and experience moving mills and lathes and such.

A 1 horse Bridgeport weights about a ton and has an awkward center of gravity, if you have no experience doing this your perfect bridgeport may be a box of parts before it gets into your shop or worse could injure you. I've used professional services to move my large tools before and it was more money than a craigslist guy but only about 250$ per machine with a $1000 minimum.
 
*snicker*

...to the little girls bemoaning moving heavy things... :D

I snapped this picture a few weeks ago while moving a bunch of machinery at my shop.

move.jpg~original


We moved:

2,000 lbs Bridgeport knee mill
4,000 lbs Gorton knee mill
4,700 lbs Yang lathe
5,100 lbs Vectrax CNC knee mill
6,200 lbs Romi minimill
7,700 lbs Kia machining center
8,800 lbs Bridgeport machining center

The three of us did this, Jo, Ray and I, with a rented off road forklift, pry bar and some skates we whipped up.

We're not particularly skilled at this. We didn't spend a lot of money. I've done this many times before, I'm not insured, and I own the outcome. And I'm comfortable saying, moving heavy things, if you're slow, thoughtful and careful, isn't particularly difficult. Assume things will go wrong, plan for it, and stay safe.

I understand people's hesitation to move heavy things, that's wisdom. And until you've done it a few times, it's scary. But don't let the need to move something heavy stop you from doing it. People built the pyramids without Sunbelt rental, you can move a little Bridgeport into your garage.

The scary and dangerous part is driving a truck down a public road with a mill on/behind it. Be responsible and secure your load thoroughly.

The Kia weighs almost 4 tons, it stands over 8 feet high and it is only 29 1/2" wide at the base. I drove that through Friday rush hour traffic through the middle of Charlotte and up I77 to Mooresville. But it was bolted, strapped and chained down (redundant) so I was safe.

... sorry ... had to add my .02... :D
 
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