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Thread: aluminium milling

  1. #21
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    Well good for you Andrew, he ask for advise so I'm giving mine. I've been in his exact shoes so I get where he's coming from. I'm relaying information I wanted to hear when I didn't know better. A knee mill in today's world of machining is about the best entry level machine you can buy. If you're a good shopper you could probably land a great deal on a use Bridgeport with all the tooling and likely a (good) vise in a similar price in range of a fully setup tabletop shop. I see a lot of Bridgeport's listed with phase converters too. Even if it's a few dollars more, you'll get a work envelope that's many, many times better than you'll get out of a fancy drill press with a cross slide table. That's just good advise.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by evil_racecocker View Post
    I would suggest looking to see if your local college has a Manufacturing Program, and take a couple of their mill and lathe classes. Many cost you a few $$, but you will have an idea of the basics of machining, and how to do it safely.


    Classes: $2,000 < Hospital bill for cutting up hand: $5,000
    i live in canada so a cut up hand is free

  3. #23
    Insider AndrewTheWookie's Avatar
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    Sorry, didn't mean to come off as snippy as it sounded, but it's a little annoying to have done research and decide that a smaller benchtop is best for my needs and then see a quote like this:

    Quote Originally Posted by Luke View Post
    Go for it, I think Walmart has that on special this week. Good luck in your quest.
    Basically discounting my decision as a clueless Walmart shopper. I understand that wasn't the intended purpose, and I realize that I am making this an issue out of nothing, but I just find it annoying.
    Last edited by AndrewTheWookie; 09-13-2014 at 11:58 PM.
    I don't know, fly casual

  4. #24
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    It's human nature to defend the choices we make.

    I did a great deal of research too before I purchased my first machine, I was lucky in that I had a machinist that took the time to explain to me the best route to take. He had been a machinist for many years, so I sucked it up and spent more money than I wanted to because I trusted his experience. I'm still kicking myself for not spending an extra few $K for a better machine with more bells and whistles.

    Same thing when I went to CNC, didn't want to spend the big bucks but all the advise was pointing to "spend a few more dollars you wont regret it". I knew it was good advise and had full intention of using it but lucked out and found a used machine with EXTREMELY low hours and couldn't pass it up. It did come with some of the advised upgrades but not all. In hindsight the advise was spot on and I'm wishing like hell I had the machine I originally set out to get.
    Last edited by Luke; 09-14-2014 at 12:29 AM.

  5. #25
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    Just to prove a point I did a single search for a Bridgeport and found this (40 miles from me)>>
    Bridgeport Type I Varispeed, 42" X 9", 1-1/2 HP 220-3, X and Y ball screws, static phase converter, collette and clamp set, 6" vise, many other tools incl. Serial # J248997

    Recently serviced head, new oiler reservoir and oiler hoses replaced. Some scoring on the Y ways, table service a few drill holes and gouges otherwise original table surface. In good working condition. Very clean no grime, no rust. $4500 (I could probably get it for $3500.)

    Arizona pretty much sucks for getting deals on machines like this because AZ is not a big manufacturing state like the east coast and other areas. But this is a turn key deal for under $5k, that's a screaming deal in my opinion, there's deals like this everywhere.

    http://flagstaff.craigslist.org/tls/4627539783.html

  6. #26
    Insider Ydna's Avatar
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    Well let's not sugarcoat things, just buying a mill isn't exactly turnkey. You'll also need this:
    - Rigging the machine or somehow moving it. If you can't do it yourself then you'll need to rent a truck/trailer ($). Even with a vehicle to move it you'll still need to find a way to get it onto the ground ($). Then move it to wherever it needs to be.
    - Where will the machine go? This is all assuming you have an area in your garage or basement or someplace. Even if you have a space to hold it, are the doors big enough to move it in? You can always chop apart a door but then you'll end up replacing it ($). If you live in an apartment then there's no point in even fantasizing. If you live with somebody else that won't let you take their garage then same thing.
    - Power. It supposedly comes with a phase converter, but can you hook it up yourself? Most people could do it, but would they be *willing* to do it themselves? If you want to do it yourself and have everything be up to electrical code, you'll have a rather large amount of research to perform just to figure out the supplies you'll need to buy from the hardware store and elsewhere. You can pay an electrician to do it for you but it won't be free ($). Is the current power supply for the house able to provide for a 15 amp load, if not then nothing can be done.

    Many of these costs can be justified if you're running a business out of it. But that's rather large jump to make, and doesn't apply to this particular situation.

    An alternative. You buy a tabletop mill and make some cute little parts with it. It'll get UPS shipped to your door and needs no assembly. I still have the first machine I ever bought, a 7x14 minilathe....it's currently stuffed under my bed

    The bottomline is there's no single answer to decide the most COST EFFECTIVE purchase. There never will be. A used Bridgeport or Bridgeport-clone is a great thing for some people looking to get their start. But for other situations spending that much money is a HUGE gamble. It all depends on what you're trying to do with it and what type of parts you're trying to make.

  7. #27
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    I've seen guys disassemble knee mills so they can move them down the basement stairs, so really a rigger isn't necessary if you have the ambition to save a few bucks.
    I setup, installed and wired my Haas VF2 and 3 phase converter, it's so basic my 16 year old daughter could do it, but then again he's a smarty pants! LOL. I'm not an electrician but I have always got complements from every inspector that has approved the stuff I did from panels to shops I wired, but then again I got a 10 minute tutorial over the phone from my pops. too easy!

  8. #28
    Insider HipboyScott's Avatar
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    One can do a lot with even a cheap bridgeport or Sherline mill. (And a Taig too, or Seig X3-type or any other benchtop jobbers) I've been making actually some cool little mods using a Sherline. I love it because it's small and I can sit in one position and manipulate all controls and get very good 'feedback' on the parts I'm cutting. A bridgeport requires moving around the machine, and for very small work its rather cumbersome at times.

    But the bridgeports and other 'full size' knee mills will plow through things the Sherlines just can't, and it'll take bigger projects and work them OK.

    For the money, a somewhat worn but serviceable bridgeport is the way to go. Probably get it with tooling and stuff to boot.
    Last edited by HipboyScott; 09-21-2014 at 07:10 PM.

  9. #29
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    Honestly. Your better off buying a set of proper hand-tools.... files, small rotary, etc... I know it sounds kinda cheesy, but unless you have the money to spend, the small bench models really need a ton of work, just to be able to do the smallest things. I've seen some amazing things done with only hand tools... yes it does take alot longer, but you can learn quite a bit... Just my 2 cents..

  10. #30
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    I like to spend the money right the first time so I don't have to spend it a second time to upgrade down the road, that goes for tools and hobbies both but especially tools.
    I ALWAYS wish I would have spent more on better tools after the fact.

    For me a knee mill is more than just making paintball parts, even though I have a Haas (cnc) my knee mill is still used 3 or 4 times a week for one thing or another. I make all sorts of stuff for my shop, cars, trucks, motorcycles and 1000 other jobs. It is arguably the most versatile tool in my shop. I've spun parts on it like a lathe, I have a rotary table fitted with a lathe chuck, not a whole it can't do with the correct tooling.

    In short my life would suck without a knee mill. lol

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