Mini lathe mini mill any one

[Whiterabbit]

I can't disagree, but my 10x22 does <1/8" brass beads just fine, but larger work on a mini machine would become a real bear real fast. There's going to be a balance.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

14x40 is a good hobbyist size LOL!

My 10x22 is good for almost everything I do, but when I start looking for a real machine it will be in the 14-16" X 40-60" range.

Space has me constrained to the 10x22.

[bob208]

first you have to make up your mind do I really want a lathe? if yes then get a lathe not some Chinese toy. buy once cry once. for your intent a craftsman 618 would be a start they are good small lathes. yes tooling can get a little costly. but then you only buy it once. look on ebay to get an idea of what lathes cost and the tooling.


I started with a 12" craftsman made in 1941. used it for 20 years the first 12 years I only had a 4 jaw chuck. then I got a deal on a 141/2" south bend. I sold the craftsman for 3x what I paid for it. then I got a good deal on a 9" south bend for small work.

[MaryB]

I really need a mini mill... not for gun project but for some amplifiers I build for ham radio. I need to machine aluminum or brass cavities in 4x4x1" blocks(or smaller for some, half that). Been using my drill press and a cross slide vice but it is a massive pain to setup!

[smokeywolf]

Hi Jeff,

I'm going with dverna and I will go even farther. IMO it's better to have one good machine and NO tooling, than a medium machine plus tooling or two junk machines fully accesorized. The reason being, you can slowly aquire tooling over time, per job.

So I go one step further than dverna. If money is REALLY tight, get a machine you like with a couple pcs of HSS bar, and slowly over time build up your tooling.


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(it took me 2-3 years to buy even my QCTP. I can't live without it now, but still, I found a way to for years. Three years from now, I'll install the scales for a DRO and talk about how I couldn;t live without them.....)

Did you mean QITP? I have a QITP(40) (Dorian QUADRA Indexable toolpost) on my lathe. I too waited until the right deal came along. You're right about the QUADRA toolpost. It's the best!
I've got a DRO on the Bridgeport, but I'm still waiting to put one on the lathe.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Not to mention you will wear out the bearings in your drill press with that cross slide vise. Drill presses aren't designed for side to side loads.

[bstone5]

Some better drill press have tapered bearings, these drill press can take small side loads.
A lot of people use these drill press for light milling work. A lot of the 80 percent aluminum receivers are completed with the taper bearing drill press.

[Whiterabbit]

Did you mean QITP? I have a QITP(40) (Dorian QUADRA Indexable toolpost) on my lathe. I too waited until the right deal came along. You're right about the QUADRA toolpost. It's the best!
I've got a DRO on the Bridgeport, but I'm still waiting to put one on the lathe.

No sir, just a quick change tool post. I was tired of using shims to adjust height on my cutters. Nice that I can go from a parting tool to a profile cutter to a crown cutter. within moments. Takes longer to dial in the barrel than it does to cut it off and re crown it!

Indexing my QCTP still takes a 17mm wrench. I don't mind too much for now. I could always weld a bar to the nut or something and make my own QI.

I am so glad I value being able to make things myself. It seems to be a dying desire as people live their lives digitally. There is something to be said about spending an hour in front of a machine and having a perfectly crafted ... *thing* .... to show for the effort, compared to spending an hour in front of a computer and having nothing but vapor to show for it.

[oldred]

Some better drill press have tapered bearings, these drill press can take small side loads.
A lot of people use these drill press for light milling work. A lot of the 80 percent aluminum receivers are completed with the taper bearing drill press.

Bearings are the least of the problems and has nothing to do whether or not a drill press can take a side load, NONE of them can regardless of the bearings! The fact is trying to mill on a drill press is downright dangerous!!!! The chuck is held only by the taper and as such it can NOT take a side load at all, the effect is cumulative as the chuck spins so even a light load WILL eventually let go! It's not a matter of IF but rather WHEN this WILL happen, when it does it usually results in only a broken end mill and damaged work but all too often it results in a broken or damaged operator! When that chuck falls out while the quill is being lifted it can take off across a shop like a heavy very rapidly spinning top with very sharp teeth, it will cover a lot of area in a hurry!


NEVER, EVER try to mill with a drill press because it's a disaster waiting to happen, I know there are those who will poo-poo what I am saying but a quick search on the net reveals that these accidents are an all too common occurrence and people DO get hurt doing this! Besides trying to mill on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration anyway for obvious reasons, they are way to flimsy so any semblance of accuracy would be hopeless as even the mini-mills are barely up to the task.


I am not trying to be a tool snob, I myself will "make do" whenever I need to but some things should not be attempted and this is one of them it WILL get you hurt eventually. There have been so many accidents from doing this and it is so well known It's surprising that folks still attempt it.


In 1986 a forman at a mine where I was working in Kentucky tried to mill a piece of fiberglass with a drillpress and the chuck let go. This thing went across his left arm and left a gash all the way to the bone! In discussions about this very thing and on different forums I have heard of several similar incidents that have occurred, this can and DOES happen!!!!!

[smokeywolf]

Whiterabbit, you're right about the feeling of satisfaction from being able to turn your ideas into reality on your own machinery.

oldred's telling it like it is. That's why mills have drawbars to secure the tooling that's inserted into the spindle nose. Drill presses don't have that.

[oldred]

[QUOTE=smokeywolf;3614413That's why mills have drawbars to secure the tooling that's inserted into the spindle nose. Drill presses don't have that.[/QUOTE]


And even if they did or some other method is used to lock the arbor in the quill the chuck is still held on the other end by that short Jacobs taper, that one is often the one that let's go first! There are a surprising number of these accidents actually happen with the little table top mini-mills, what happens is that folks will have a drill chuck in the machine and not take the time to use the proper collet opting to just stick the end mill in the drill chuck instead. They may not even have a collet set and use a drill chuck to save money but regardless the end result is eventually the same, this happens often but after the first time a person is chased around the shop by that rapidly spinning steel top with sharp teeth they begin to understand why this is so dangerous!

[bangerjim]

I have big lathes and small lathes. I have big mills and small mills. Buy them with the interchagability of tooling in mind.

And my rule of thumb: figure 20X the the cost of the machine tool for good quality tooling! Or more. I am talking a whole lot more machining than just simple gun stuff here. I can make virtually anything and everything I ever need in my machine shops.

Buy the biggest most expensive machine you can afford.....and then some. You will not regret it!

bangerjim

[country gent]

I really perfer the Aloris quick change tool holders for the lathe. We had a small version we made for the hardringes and little lthes in house. But at times the lantern post and a tool holder is the easiest way to get where you want to be. The X-Y tables for a drill press are great for locating and drilling holes. but most drill presses arnt safe with a end mill in the chuck the flat point wants to swirl. Another task the X-Y tables do well is light jeweling.

[PaulG67]

I disagree with the big machine can do it all. At work we had a lathe that would swing 28" over the carriage and a 10 ft between centers. Doing small work in it was a real issue due to speed ranges, weight of everything, and the fact the big chuck didnt always close down small enough. Just cranking the carriage around was a pain. Some of us had a cable made up to wrap arounf the tail stock and pull it forward easier. Big machines are heavier and harder to work with, the bigger tooling dosnt always fit where its needed to be. Same with mills big mills tooling is heavy a big vise is a pain if you need a chainfall or cherrypicker every time you want to take it on or off. Spindle speeds may be to slow for smaller end mills and cutters.

In the range of machines being discussed here bigger is better. I'm sure the OP is not looking to get a 10 foot lathe to use for making sizing dies. IMO he should be looking for a used South Bend or Clausing/Cholchester machine, a Sheldon or Logan perhaps, in the 13" size range. It gives a machine with quick change threading and multiple feed ranges. Powered feed in two directions. By far easier to learn on.

[country gent]

One of the best lathes Ive ever used has been the hardringe solid bed tool room lathes at work 10" swing 24" between centers 1 1/2" hole thru spindle. dead accurate and most of all repatable. HAd 5c collets with front lever closers 3 jaws, 6 jaw and 4 jaw chucks. These were very solid stable machines variable speed spindles quick change threading box on them. Only drawback is the price they bring. 2 of them had digital readouts X, Y, and tailstock spindle. A real joy to run and use. with the Aloris type tool holder we made up for them and a few tool holders you could do alot of work quick.

[country gent]

I learned in a small job shop on an old white flat belt machine with no half nut for threading. Was asolid old machine. The mills were a round ram bridgport and a medium sized millwalkee horizontal machine, 2 drill pressed one flat belt capable of drilling 3" holes and a 1/2" floor model, a radial arm drill press. Both the big press and this radial had #4 morse tapers in the spindle. several turret lathes and shapers. Started in this shop when I was 15 years old.

[JSH]

PaulG67 hit the nail on the head.
I really appreciate the input from all. But, I am pressed on a place to put one much bigger than I am looking at. I may go the next size bigger, but I doubt it.
Now if three or four of you want to come help tote a big one down my basement stairs I may change my mind,lol. I and a buddy of mine put a big safe down there but I was 20 years younger
then.

[country gent]

Went with a buddy years ago to look at a rifling lathe near here. We got there there were several out buildings garage barn and a machine shed all in good repair with large doors. Guy came out we introduced our selves and talked a few minutes or so. He asked if we wanted to see the machine. and started for the house. We followed really curious. He led us into the basement where there was a sine bar rifling lathe sitting. It was set into the basement and house built on top of it. Would have had to escavate one side away remove wall to get it out then rebuild and landscape.

[MaryB]

I am not doing production levels, I may mill 6 amp cavities a year for high end preamps I build... lately I have been trying bent copper sheet cavities with soldered corners...

And I never take huge cuts, I go very slow and do not load the spindle. I am only milling a 2x2x.75" deep cavity most of the time so it is not a huge job. And yes I have caught the chuck coming loose. It gives a warning! I just shut down and keep the spindle down on the work until it stops.

I would love a proper milling machine but I do not have $2k laying around to get one!

Not to mention you will wear out the bearings in your drill press with that cross slide vise. Drill presses aren't designed for side to side loads.

[FLINTNFIRE]

So here is a micro mill that I ran across online any knowledge on these http://www.taigtools.com/mmill.html