New way to cut my guard slots

N

nc_cooter

Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
574
and drill holes for pins.
mill-1.jpg


Yeah I know it's small and chinese, but it is way better than my previous method and it's what I could afford.

Here's a pic of my first test piece. 1/4" mild steel with a 1/8" x 1" through slot. It took only 20min and I didn't break anything! :D

pratice-slot.jpg


Today I will make some real guards. (yeah I still make some knives)

A special thanks to Nathan the Machinist for the input and encouragement.

Mike
 
Looks like a fine small mill to me. I like the square column design too.

Come by some time and I'll hook you up with a few good used cutters and coolant oil to get you started.

Your shoulder starting to feel better?

Nathan
 
the good ole mini-mill, the golden standard by which all hobby mills will be measured .
Congrats !
 
I like mine. I even use it with flared grind wheels for a surface grinder.
 
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Im also in the market for a small mill (not a "micro" but something 2 men can move). Ive been looking at a few that Grizzly offers, how much was yours and from what company did you purchase?
 
C'mon Mike dish out the goods :) , what brand, how much, where did you get it? Looks like an awesome tool, congrats I am envious!
 
The mill is a Harbor Freight model 44991.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44991
This size mill, X2, is sold by many companies under different trade names. They all come from the same factory in China. Check out this site for a side by side comparison.
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Info/minimill_compare.php
This company also sells all the parts for these mills plus some must have upgrades.
When I purchased my mill 5wks ago, it was on sale for $489, reg $499, and I had a 15% off coupon for in store at HF. If you special order at HF store there is no shipping charge, but you must pay sales tax. The price went up to $580 last week at HF.

The mill weighs about 150lbs, as shipped. Mine now weighs much more. It is mounted on a 1/2" steel plate and I attached a 9"x7"x6" angle plate to stiffen the Z axis column.(this is a necessity)
mill-2.jpg


Two modifications I highly recommend are to add a belt drive kit(mill comes plastic drive gears) and an air spring kit which will increase the Z axis travel.
Both are available at http://www.littlemachineshop.com/

Expect to spend about an additional $500 on tooling. BTW, make sure you get the mill that accepts R8 tooling. Some will only accept MT3 which is more expensive to purchase.

If you have any more questions, let me know.

Mike
 
About 45 days ago, I purchased the same mill. I love it. It's just the right size for what I do. I got really lucky on mine though. I had seen it back in January, but waited to purchase it. When I went back to get it, they had discontinued it as an in-store model and it could only be purchased by ordering it. I called around to all of the local HF's in my area and found a store that still had a floor model on display. They agreed to let me have the floor display for $350!! As is, with no warranty, of course.

So, if any of you are looking to purchase this machine, before ordering it, call around first. It's worth the extra driving time if you can find a floor display at a huge discount!

You'll love the machine.
 
too cool. I have been wanting one also. I have no experience with mills so all of the numbers are just confusing to me.
 
Biker, I have no experience with mills either. This is my first go round. Search the net and ask questions. Thats what I did.
Mike
 
That's the same one I got from Micro Mark. I need to stiffen the mounting on mine but overall I love it. It's no Bridgeport but for slotting and minor machine work it's a great piece! Although, I did screw up and get the MT3 version, but there's a conversion for it so I may think about that in in the future. Happy milling!
 
Now Tell Me How, When You Come To See Your Daughter In Fairfield
How Your Going To Haul That To Ottumwa.
Well I Guess I Can Store It While You See Your Daughter.lets See That Was Going To Be A Month Visit. <grin>
Vern
 
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