Micro Milling Machines.

[simon84]

I've been making so many bits and pieces for myself that I've decided to treat myself to a Micro Milling Machine. Most of what I make is either out of ali or delrin so am considering this, MICRO miller MF 70

which can take upto a 3.2mm cutter so more than capable as a hobbiest machine, I may add a lathe to the home workshop aswell so that I can be out there all day

Has anyone else got a micro mill that they use at home and if so what sort of money did you pay and how do you get on with it?

I'd rather a big ol' CNC Bridgeport but I dont think I'd be allowed.

[keith5700]

Just my take on it.....

I have a Bridgeport miller, and I make telescope and model bits on it, mainly out of ally. It has a 1500watt motor on it.

Most of the time I wish I'd got the next size miller up because a lot of my time is spent just hogging material away, before getting onto the interesting finishing cuts.

If you're making miniature items, jewellery, curcuit boards, airfix kits etc. then that miller may be slightly useable, but for anything else you will be very dissapointed.

The smallest miller I've seen which looks like it might be useable is the type Axminster Tool sell, among others. I was considering this before the Bridgeport came along for £500.

[dlp]

I had the same conundrum buying a lathe a while back. I bought one of the many Chinese miniatures and upgraded to a Myford ML7 within a very short space of time. Chalk & Cheese!

[Paxo]

I'm with Keith on this one, you'll be spending more time eating material away, you'll be very dissapointed with a seriously underpowered machine.

Steve..

[Bizibilder]

That Proxon is a modellers machine - really for wood and plastic - trains 'n boats and planes stuff. If you want to be able to machine metal for full size telescope parts you really need something much bigger and more rigid. You will also find that with a miller the additional fixtures and fittings, not to mention the cutters and necessary cutter sharpening facilities willl doon see the price rise sharply. I know - I've owned a "small" chinese miller for around fifteen years.

This is the one I have:

Warco : Economy milling drilling machine buy on line from Warco

And I would say this is about the smallest that you can get away with for making full size telescope parts as opposed to model parts.

For years before I had it all my milling was done on the trusty Myford series 7 lathe.

[johninderby]

Check out Chester Machine Tools. I've had a couple of small lathes off them. While I could have bought similar ones locally Chester upgraded theirs by replacing the Chinese made control boards with American made ones and a few other improvements. And their prices aren't bad either. They also do a lot of bigger more serious equipment as well that you can drool over.

http://www.chesteruk.net/

John

[black5f]

This is going to sound negative so sorry but I'd get as big as you can afford. The smaller mills do a job but you will find you always want to build something a little bigger! They will also get hot if used continuously. I got an old (but refurbished) myford rodney mill for £400, On a stand with a swarf tray, and will take upto 1/2" cutters. New bearings / belts etc. You need to look around though. My ML7 was 55 years old and I replaced that with a chester DB11V, cracking lathe! This is a good mill for the money. For small lathes and mills look at the shereline range, they are realy good and don't mind being pushed hard. I have a sherline lathe and it'll easily turn 45mm cast iron.

What are you planning to make? CNC is nice but a project on their own, desgn software etc, I rarely use mine. Don't forget to ad a workshop heater to the list ;-)

[barkis]

I bought Chesteruk's Model B-Super 3-in-1.

Quite pleased with it too, except the guards were a bit flimsy.

Ron.

[MG1]

Wow...you guys do have some great kit! What have you made with these tools?

Michzr

[Gweedo]

I've got a sherline mill and lathe. I use them to make precison parts for models that I'm sometimes comissioned to make, though I've used them to make steam engines and parts around the house/car as well. My chioce was dictated by the space I have available in my workshop and the size of the components that I make.

The sherlines are a precision tools and I've used them on plastics, aluminium, steel, stainless and cast iron without problems - it's just a case of using the right tool, a sharp tool, and bearing in mind the capabilities of the machine. I'm with the other posters above though if you're considering making larger parts - you need a bigger lathe/miller.

All the sherline tooling is compatable with either lathe or mill which is an advantage for me.

Mine are still perfect after 10 years of use and I've no complaints with them at all

SHERLINE Dealer Listing

[black5f]

Sherline are great tools and very accurate as well. Got a power hack saw too, you soon get fed up with sawing up stock! I make models, steam engines but you'll soon find you can't do without them, even making bits to punch land rover bushes out or I even made some little ali bushes to make the cable holes in the kitchen worksurface neater! For telescopes, camera adapters, mostly I buy old M42 teleconverters for pounds, throw away the elements and turn the rest to fit! Thumb screws, spacers, bushes, knobs etc. Next on my list once the marine engines done is a dual crayford! But don't forget to go outside when the syks clear!

[Bizibilder]

Would Black5f be making a Black5f by any chance?

[simon84]

Thanks for all the replies chaps. I used to be a miller/turner back in my engineering days and am really hankering for some full sized machinery but I cant get away with that.

I have a few things that I have in mind that I want to start making and will go and have a look at all the links you've given.

That one I linked to was the first one I found, at 3.2mm for the biggest cutter its seriously undersized for what I really want. Something a bit bigger would be nice. I've got a budget of about £1000 and I would love to try and get two machines if possible, its not happening until Feb next year so I have plenty of time for some research. I've seen the old Bridgeports I used to work on years ago but there is not way I'm going to get an 8 foot tall 3 phased machine in my house......lol.

[philj]

Ive got the Chester UK Cobra, well satisfied with it. Made loads of bits on it including dovetails, clamps, adapters.

With 10mm chuck capacity its adequate any smaller is really for modellers. If I were to choose again I would go for the next size up with a longer cross slide so I can do longer Dovetails in one go without having to rejig.

Phil

[simon84]

I've just been looking at that 3 in 1 Cobra on ChesterUK's site. Looks quite impressive. Not sure if I'd prefer a small mill and lathe seperately. Plenty to look at though and I know one thing is for sure. I'll be making my own bits sooner rather than later.

[black5f]

My myford mill, refurbished and like new was £400, the other pic a laser columnater I made one afternoon. Cost, ali free offcut from work, laser £2 off a market and about £2 for three tins of beer!

[Bizibilder]

You can mill on a decent Lathe (with a vertical slide) but you cant turn on a decent (or otherwise) Mill!!!!! - But you knew that already!

Have you thought of second hand? Try G&M machine tools (usual disclaimer) If you can get something ex-school (often Boxford) the chances are that it has been used for less than a couple of hours a year (NOT joking!) and apart from lack of paint will be more or less as new!

[philj]

I've just been looking at that 3 in 1 Cobra on ChesterUK's site. Looks quite impressive. Not sure if I'd prefer a small mill and lathe seperately. Plenty to look at though and I know one thing is for sure. I'll be making my own bits sooner rather than later.

Hi Simon IMHO the separates are better, thats what I have.

The Cobra Mill head is the same on both machines mill but the stand alone mill it has a proper bed and you can fit a tilting vice to it to do Dovetails.

The combos are a bit limiting and the lathe part is not hot for threading. It can be done but its not straightforward.

Philj

[black5f]

With the budget the chester champion 16V is worth a look at. You could get a larger lathe with a vertical cross slide? Depends on what you have planned? I have a vertical slide for mt DB11 and my shereline but there's a lot of setting up, two machines are better. Sherelines will handle their top capacity, not cheap but last forever. Accuracy vs size vs quality... decisions decisiions. You will find though that you will come into contact with people who can do those bits you can't. You might want to look at the smaller models in te DB range at chester, variable speed, power feed and nice. I had an old myford for years but the DB range are very nice screw cutting lathes and come with 3 and 4 jaw chucks.

[Bizibilder]

Guess what:- A new Myford is now over £10,000!!!!! Yikes!!!!!! I thought getting into Astro photo's was expensive!!

[simon84]

I'm reasonably lucky in that my Dad works for a multi million engineering firm that has untold amounts of CNC machinery. He has always said I can just pop up if I want but there is nothing like having your own machines at home.

Being able to machine threads would be nice so as I have plenty of time I will make sure to do plenty of research. The 16v Champion was the first one I looked at and to be honest am fairly impressed by it. I'd like to explore the 2nd hand market but I'm not too sure where to start looking for that sort of thing.

For now though the Champion Mill with the Conquest Lathe are looking like a nice combination of machines at around my budget.

[saturn5]

Luckily for me i have this to play with on a daily basis.

I only do my homers during my dinner break of course.

[black5f]

I sold a 55 year old one for £450, was still OK if you kept close the the chuck but bed had seen better days (in 1960!). My DB11 was about £1200 new, chinese I know, but it's a very nice lathe. The DB7's a steal at £520, variable speed, thread cutting, chicks aren't too bad, don't think it has the reversable lead screw though.

[simon84]

Haha, nice bit of kit. I do miss being in the workshop everyday. Hopefully my own machines at home will be enough but I am seriously considering going back to engineering when my back is sorted.

So glad you can still pick them all up with English on them, so glad I wont have to change my mic's and verniers.....

[simon84]

Luckily for me i have this to play with on a daily basis.

I only do my homers during my dinner break of course.

I'm guessing you had just cleaned that