Mini Mill Upgrades

[Mal Paso]

I spent the last 2 days adding DROs and replacing the spring lift with a counterweight, an idea someone here suggested. I made a stand for the mill a few months ago from 1/4 inch steel with space for the counterweight inside. There is also space for a mast stiffener when I get to it. It's been good so far but .062.5" per turn was weird and the stock Z calibration is difficult.

[Green Frog]

Great project. Many of my friends who are “real” machinists look down on bench top mills as too weak and wobbly for “serious” work. Those of us with normal aspirations must learn to make what we have and have room for do what we need. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would enjoy more pictures and info. Thanks for posting it.

Froggie

[country gent]

I have worked on many different mills from small mini and light weights to the big cincinattis and milwalkees. vertical and horizontals. WHile the minis arnt as heavy and solid you can do the job with lighter passes and more time. The bigger heavier machines will do the same job faster with heavier cuts and may have power feeds and other pluses. It is really neat to see a big cutter pulling 1/2" off a part LOL. The thing to remember is the bridgeport mill every one touts as the best was never advertised as being the solidest, it was made so popular because it was universal it would do any job. Another plus to the mini mills is the cutters are a lot cheaper for them than the cutters for the big mills are. Its the same with tooling a vise for the mini os a couple hundred dollars one for a big heavy mill may be over 1000.00 Then you get into the power needs. That mini mill is 110 or 220 single pahse runs about anywhere. The big industrial machine is 220 three phase if your lucky it may be 440 3 phase. these require inverters and more power requirements.

The last is moving the minis can be carried in and set up by 1 or 2 guys, that big heavy mill is going to be 3-4 require rollers and heavy pinch bars

Those little mills are a great asset to the hobbyist.

[godzilla]

I have a little INDEX 40 mill, this post inspires me to get it up and running.

[Scrounge]

I spent the last 2 days adding DROs and replacing the spring lift with a counterweight, an idea someone here suggested. I made a stand for the mill a few months ago from 1/4 inch steel with space for the counterweight inside. There is also space for a mast stiffener when I get to it. It's been good so far but .062.5" per turn was weird and the stock Z calibration is difficult.

I'd be interested in more info. I picked up a very used mini-mill for $350 or so a while back, and haven't so much as powered it up yet. Trying to get my workshop put together so I can find everything, and get to everything. I've also got an Atlas MF horizontal mill. I've been doing all the milling I need to do at school on their Clausing-Kondia and Super-Max mills, this past few years, but I've got some projects I'd like to get on with. And the DRO's on the school's machines have spoiled me. ;)

Bill

[Mal Paso]

I bought three IGaging Easy View Remote Readouts. Two 12 inch and one 6 inch from Taylor Tools on ebay for $137 taxed and shipped. I drilled and tapped the cast iron where necessary using 5 mm bolts. I'll post some pictures in the next day. I had to remove the spring lift to put the DRO sender on the right side but I have wanted to get rid of it anyway. I used one of it's old 5mm mounting holes to mount the displays. My counterweight is about 20 pounds, too light, going up to a full 30 pound ingot once I get heavier cable.

I got lost hogging out the center of this project, I could not see the bit. The vise came lose and the inside finish shows it but it's a perfectly usable fixture and I learned a few things.

[Baltimoreed]

Looks good. I did the double pistons and cable. Also had a stand and stiffener built by my local weld shop. Don’t have any auto feed on mine. Usually cut on aluminum but I have used it to cut grasping grooves on two sporterized ‘03 Springfield rifles that I rebuilt back to military and a Winchester .22 stock. A neat machine.

[Mal Paso]

The stand is an old gate operator frame based on 1/4" 3x12 U channel. The casters are 3" 600 lb I think. Table and brace are 1/4" plate steel. The pulley is mounted on tapped 1/4" steel strap. I had to take the X axis sensor out past the column with aluminum angle so it would not hit the column when Y is all the way back. The mounting bolt (shown) is high to miss the screws on the back of the sensor. Z sensor is tight to the frame and the locking leavers clear easily. I intend to add a mast stiffener from the top of the mast, under the back bolt, to the bottom of the table frame.

None of the supplied brackets were useful and I made the sensor attaching pieces from sheet steel.

Thanks for the input, I'm learning.

[bangerjim]

Best addition I have ever did to one of those tiny little mills was to add the direct drive DC motor drive and eliminating those stupid plastic gears in the head.

LittleMachineShop.com has the Kit. Worth the $$.

banger

[Mal Paso]

OK, VERY COOL! I didn't know what I would get for $40 each DROs but X axis just caught an .0025" down shift when I locked the head up. Something not shown on the machine's dial. Over 4 and 8 inch travels they match the scales. I took a few passes and squared an aluminum block. Very Nice!

[alfadan]

Looks like you're having fun! I stiffened mine with a 1/2" plate and 3 inch channel welded to it that bolts to the column. That reduced flex to "only" 5 thou.
I also made a handle that screws to the fine feed wheel that allows a much finer, smoother down feed. Ive been playing with boring and actually got good smooth bores for manual feeding.

[redneck1]

I have the same dro's on both my g0704 mill and shaper , been very happy with them , over 12 inches on the x axis mine repeat within .002 at their worse with batteries getting low .

[Mal Paso]

I have the same dro's on both my g0704 mill and shaper , been very happy with them , over 12 inches on the x axis mine repeat within .002 at their worse with batteries getting low .

That's good to hear! I was hoping to get some feedback on that. Thank You.

[Baltimoreed]

I managed to break the stupid super duper indestructible stupid plastic gear on my HF mill the last time I used it so I’ve just ordered a belt drive unit from the Little Machine Shop for it. A definite upgrade at 155.00 bucks. Also ordered a couple spare arbors.

[Mal Paso]

I managed to break the stupid super duper indestructible stupid plastic gear on my HF mill the last time I used it so I’ve just ordered a belt drive unit from the Little Machine Shop for it. A definite upgrade at 155.00 bucks. Also ordered a couple spare arbors.

Does that one replace all the gears? I thought I read they leave 2 gears as a safety that breaks under excessive load. I'll check it again. I currently wear my shooting ear protectors when I run the mill.

I found a full set of R8 collets at a very good price and there is no runnout on the ones I checked. I have a good selection of HSS end mills and a couple dovetails. I also got a chucking dial indicator to speed up squaring the vise.

Just checked. The safety gear is part of the metal gear kit, the belt kit is gearless. More money to spend. LOL

[Baltimoreed]

My shop warmed up today so I was able to install the Little Machine Shop belt drive unit to replace my busted gear. Very nicely made unit, aluminum pulleys and bases. Everything went together without a problem. Used a block of wood and brass hammer to seat the pulleys on the shafts. Had to remove the motor mount and turn the motor 1/4 turn as the power cord was in a bind. Duh. Tomorrow I’ll use it to drill some holes in a Marlin magazine tube that I’m shortening and mill a Krag rifle stock mortise for a repair.

[Mal Paso]

Thanks for the update! I'll watch the motor cord when I do mine. I will replace the spindle at the same time as the original has .002 runout. I shimmed it and put it on "The List" some time ago.

I do more drilling on the machine than I expected. I can do much tighter work than using the drillpress. My first wood working project was a light holder for my casting pot. I wasn't thinking wood when I got it.

[Baltimoreed]

My bud gave me a Krag cut down rifle to put back together and one of the issues was a funky homemade lower sling swivel. I built a jig to hold the stock and used my 1/2 inch mill to cut out the old mortise so it was square. Then I used a piece of old stock and cut a squared up block out of it. Made it a little proud and sanded until it fit. Got my Marlin mag tube drilled correctly. Can’t seem to be able to post pictures.