Mini Mill Question

Barker

Barker

Joined
Dec 24, 2005
Messages
1,159
Has anyone used one of the Sherline 5000 series mini mills? I'm looking for a mini mill to use to make folders and guards. Is this little mill strong enough? It looks well built and is made in the USA. Thanks!
-John
 
I would look at or compare to the Harbor Freight mini mill (not the micro mill)for price.The Sherline 5000 appears to be less ridged to me. Plus you can get lots of modification and replacement parts from the little macineshop on line.

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/
 
John, the Sherline actually falls into the category that most people call "micro-mills".

Don Hanson III (Sunfishman) uses a Sherline and seems quite happy with it. His work sort of speaks for itself, neh?

If you'd like a good look at what can be done with a Sherline mill, get the book "Tabletop Machining" by by Joe Martin. he's the owner of Sherline and biased as can be but it's a wonderful little exposition of what the Sherline tools can do.

I have another American micromill made by Taig. It is certainly strong and accurate enough to do guards and liner slots, etc. You just can't take big bites like a big mill. This size range is for a patient person. The scale limitations are obvious.

Rusnok is another American micromill. I know little about them, but they are worth googling just to see the "bitchin' cool" design. :)

Would a Bridgeport be way nice? You betcha. For someone who can't have a big machine, I have no complaints with my Taig. I think the same would stand for a Sherline.

Added: I don't disagree with Jim at all. My comments are based on you mentioning "Made in USA".
 
I've got one with CNC axes. I just use it for light engraving work. It is definitely a toy compared to a real mill, but can handle small cuts OK.
 
btboone said:
....... It is definitely a toy compared to a real mill, but can handle small cuts OK.
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in hearing your defintion of what makes a mill "real", if you would. Is there a certain transition point you could help me identify?

Thank you.
 
Mike,
Thanks for the info. I just don't have a lot of room in my shop. Can you mill Ti, like for a framelock with one of threse micro mills or would you need something bigger?
-John
 
YW. IMO, John, yes. It's all about patience, good cutters, and proper speed and feed. Can you cut a .250 swath .200 deep in one pass? No, not even. But you can do it in multiple passes.

Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with these guys at all that the larger the mill the better off you are. Having a large mill has been a pipedream of mine for years. It'll never happen.

Given my space limitations, I'm not unhappy.

Hopefully Don will see this. His advice about the Sherline would be valuable to help you decide.

If you go with a micromill, get that book. It's a geek-cool read.
 
Mini Mills will work great on small jobs. Back a few years ago I almost purchased one for my shop. But got thinking about doing bigger jobs that would require a larger mill so I purchased a larger mill to do it all. We all know that a mill in a knife shop is greatly appreciated specially in doing folders. Hope this was of help to you. Its something to consider when making a purchase. -----------:)
 
Barker, FYI:

I just got through playing with cutting in a piece of 6Al4V Ti. (I don't normally mess with the stuff, so I have little experience).

I also seem to have mills sized all around 1/4" but none that size. So, I took a 4 flute 3/16" mill (HSS, even. It's not the carbide I would have preferred.) I started whacking at the Ti at the second-lowest RPM on my Taig. A .010 cut was like it was aluminum. By the time I got up to .050 I was slowing the feed just a bit but it was still clean and nice chips. At .075 I noticed a change in the chips starting to string occasionally. At .100 I was getting a mix of wooly strands and powdered chips, and there was a bur on the cut. I was also coloring the cutter a bit so that was too much without coolant anyway. So, the "safest" cut I would have considered was .075. Personally, I'd have stuck with .050 since I don't hurry anymore.

Elapsed time even with the incremental cuts for a 1" length of cut was under 5 minutes. Depth of cut aboout .210. Took me longer to scramble through the drawer pissing myself off I didn't have a 1/4" carbide endmill.

Hope that helps.
 
Sorry, Mike, I didn't specify. I have a full size mill and a machining center, so that's what I meant by "toy". It's all relative, and for the money and for limited space, it's good capability. As one might expect, the smaller machine has more deflection and can't take deep cuts that take the power of a larger mill. Anything can be made with several passes though.
 
I wanted to get a mini mill like you. Then my friend let me use his mini mill for a couple of month. It was very frustrating when you need to cut a little more metal. A simple task of making a hole in a guard becomes very time consuming. I decided to go for a full size. I simply don't have patience to do million micro cuts. I want it done fast.
BTW Instructions to these kind of mill say that it is primary for plastic and soft metals.
 
alexmin said:
.......BTW Instructions to these kind of mill say that it is primary for plastic and soft metals.
Click to expand...

alexmin, I don't know where you read that, but the Sherline owner speaks of steel numerous times in his book, and Taig speaks of cutting mild steel on this page:
http://www.taigtools.com/mmill.html

I don't see any such restriction to plastic or soft metals mentioned in my Taig directions, either. It certainly didn't seem to mind whacking away at titanium and 416SS doesn't pose a problem either.

IIRC, your desire for a larger mill was geared toward making integrals, wasn't it? Your Millrite would certainly be the better choice for that, I agree. Neither the micros or minis are meant for that level of stock removal, no doubt. Guard-sized slots have presented me no problems, however. Fast it ain't, but then neither am I. :)
 
Ever since installing the belt drive conversion on my Harbor Frieght Mini Mill its like a whole new machine much better at plunge cuts than factory. The belt can now absorb the shock of too deep a cut when it happens rather than hearing that aweful sound of nylon teeth stripping off and in my opinion its hard to beat for the price. I ordered the belt drive unit on Friday, had it Monday morning and installed on my mill Monday afternoon as I recall. I think it was like $120. You can buy the mill and the conversion kit and still not spend what you will on the Sherline.

Also, the noise reduction of the belt drive alone is worth the price of the conversion kit.

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Reviews/Belt_drv/belt_drv.htm

STR
 
As a lifelong Tool & Die Maker/Machinist I think fitzo nailed it. As long as you keep your speeds & feeds, depth of cut (especially this one) within reason, I think it would be a fine addition to the shop. I have a full sized mill with a 3 axis control and a column mill/drill. I saw a HF micro mill on ebay in the last day or so (it needed work & a few parts) and I actually considered bidding, just because I thought it "had its place" in my shop.
 
Well, NOT A TOY. Fitzo is right on here. I've been using a Sherline mill for around 10 -12 years (fulltime knife making) and would buy another today if needed. Very accurate and well made in the USA, the Sherline will do any and all of my knife making needs, from bowie guards to auto folders. I use carbide endmills from 1/16" to 1/4" and take agressive cuts at high speeds in steel and ti, I can mill out a bowie guard in less than 5 minutes. I did a auto folder work shop (5 guys making autos :eek:) down in Florida years ago and broke two 1/16" cabide end mills on a large mill, just didn't have the feel that the little Sherline has. I may get a larger mill one day but I will not get rid of my Sherline ever. Oh and it's portable also:D
 
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