Mini mills

M

medannyboyy

Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
36
Hey guy's

I was reading a thread from a day or two ago about mini hf mills and installing a belt drive on them, well I have been wanting to get a small mill for my shop just for milling out guard slots and other simple tasks. Well I wanted to know if I could get a couple reccomendations on what's a good mill to get for this task and where can I get the belt drive kit at, if it was on the other thread I must have missed it. I was thinking about a hf mini mill but like i said i would like to hear from those who know more about these mills than I. That said I know almost nothing about them,:D But Iam a quick learner. LOL!

Thank for your help!

Daniel S.
 
Check out the HF/GRIZZLY mini mill's. they're all the same,only different opaint job's and spindle taper.the HF has an R8 taper which is better (imo).easier to find tools. little machine shop has the belt drive conversion.i ordered one last week,but wont get to hook it up until i replace some of my controller board :(

be asdvised,that you will need to put some work into these before you can achieve any kind of precision work.but hey,it'll be fun!!
 
Yes I have one of the HF Mini Mills. I think for the money its a fine machine for a knife maker, particularly when you install the belt drive which I did do on mine. Just the reduction in noise alone from the belt drive upgrade is well worth the investment but the nylon gears can be problematic so getting those out and having a belt to absorb shock is a very nice upgrade even if there was no significant reduction in noise.

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

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sieg+belt+drive&emb=0&aq=f#

STR
 
I will second Don's advice. I also have a Sherline and it is a fine little mill. Very solid, variable speed, and belt drive. Plus Sherline has a lot of accessories for them. Works great for what I need.
Brion
 
Check out the Taig mill, I've had mine since 2,000 and if it tore up tomorrow, I'd order another the same day. Great machine! Works for knifemaking very well.

Larry Jones
 
I bought this a few months ago and you can find them pretty cheap. Couple of catches is you need to build up the table so you can mill without the drill chuck attachement. I was worried about not having enough power and stability to mill stainless guards and handles. After using this I dont think the smaller machines are powerful enough or will take alot of cuts in stainless, for softer material they may be fine. Maybe an owner of a smaller machine can discuss what materials they mill and how they do it.

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After using this I dont think the smaller machines are powerful enough or will take alot of cuts in stainless, for softer material they may be fine. Maybe an owner of a smaller machine can discuss what materials they mill and how they do it.
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Pat, my little 28lb Sherline has plenty of power for slotting guards in stainless and damascus. I do mostly big blades so most of my slots are between 3/16" and 5/16". I plunge straight though with holes overlapping, then just run the end mill back down the slot, then open it up to the right size, the dials on the crank handles are dead nuts.
I use solid carbide end mills and run them dry and fast. Works great!
 
L. Jones said:
Check out the Taig mill, I've had mine since 2,000 and if it tore up tomorrow, I'd order another the same day. Great machine! Works for knifemaking very well.

Larry Jones
Click to expand...

Larry, I almost bought one of those. They are also a fine machine and a bit heavier than the Sherline.
 
I bought the Sherline about 3 years ago based on a recommendation by Don. I only use it for slotting guards and cutting slots in mortised handles.

For a small machine, and for what I use it for, I am toatally satisfied. Think USA whenever possible.

Robert
 
Thanks, I was wondering about that. I really like this machine its really heavy and works well once you get use to the configuration. I got it real cheap and its brand new and came with tooling. I figured I could not loose
 
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