First Milling Machine

[Toolguy]

It's most likely that a manual mill will do all you want to do, without the possible downside of the electronics making it a giant boat anchor. Only you can decide.

[Mopar_Mudder]

I think you should decide what you'd like to use a mill for then shop.

Well that is hard to say. Just for my own personal making stuff once and a while. I really probably don't even need it but once and awhile it would sure make life easier. Just like I have South Bend lathe that I don't use but a couple of times a year, but when you need one it save a lot of work and time.

[BCRider]

Well that is hard to say. Just for my own personal making stuff once and a while. I really probably don't even need it but once and awhile it would sure make life easier. Just like I have South Bend lathe that I don't use but a couple of times a year, but when you need one it save a lot of work and time.

Unless you have a rather large size South Bend the mills you are looking at so far are all rather bulky. They'd be a much better "fit" with your lathe if it's at LEAST one of the 12" models. If it's a 9 inch swing then the mills you're looking at are going to tower over the lathe. Especially for three or four times a year sort of occasional use.

Working with proper hand wheels on the movements is also a lot more intuitive than working with coordinates. Oh sure, E-wheels could be added as noted earlier if they can be poked into the ports in some manner. But that's another bit of a project that would benefit highly from a good background in electronics. Otherwise you may be sitting there like the newb with side cutters hovering over the bomb in the movie wondering which wire to cut and knowing that your purchase price is hovering mere seconds away from destruction.

The machines you showed us ARE attractive. I especially love the fact that the Bridgeport comes with the 3ph converter included with the deal. And a little light corrosion shown in the pictures isn't a deal breaker at all. It would clean up just fine with the resulting surface still having some "patina" but being quite well and very serviceable. But both are a LOT of machine if your lathe is of a size that sits perched on a bench top.

[Mopar_Mudder]

I believe my lathe is an 8". it is not a bench top, it is on a regular stand. That two is something I would like to upgrade down the road. I hate to buy a mill that I decide some day is too small, I realize it is going to take up a lot of space.

[BCRider]

I believe my lathe is an 8". it is not a bench top, it is on a regular stand. That two is something I would like to upgrade down the road. I hate to buy a mill that I decide some day is too small, I realize it is going to take up a lot of space.

If you're already planning on growth due to enjoying the ability the lathe gives you then that's great. And in that case the size of the mill you're looking at is good. You won't ever need bigger. It'll cost you more now for both the mill and tooling that is suitable for that size of mill. But the good news is that it would be a life long investment since you'll never outgrow it.... at least not unless you start running a job shop like Keith Fenner or Abom79 that does BIG items.

So that just leaves the situation of how you move the table. Handwheels or servos. And what will happen if the parts in the boxes go kablooey..... I've got nothing against electronics. But you'd want to have both the books and any schematic prints and some ability with electronics to be able to service or select replacements. Up to and including total replacement of the controlling system that run the feed motors with something else. A project that could become VERY pricey if you have to get someone else to do that sort of thing. But something that would be highly interesting and rewarding if you can do yourself provided you have a good grounding () in electronics and computer control systems.

There's always the option that you could pull the covers off the servos and add on hand cranks to either supplement or replace the servos. That sort of work would very likely be a good home shop project. And while you would not have dial indexes on the hand wheels with this option you really don't need them when the DRO is right there. I daresay that those with DRO panels likely have not looked at their handwheel number dials in a month of sundays since getting the DRO. So this is certainly a workable option if all hell breaks loose and the drive boards to the servos puke themselves. As long as the DRO still works all would be well.

[true temper]

I would run from the CNC mill. I like hand cranks to feel the work.

[ezduzit]

...If it's a 9 inch swing then the mills you're looking at are going to tower over the lathe...

A milling machine, by its very nature and aspect ratio, will tower over a lathe, which is low and wide. This is meaningless in choosing the right one.

Photo shows my mill "towering over" my lathe.

[gambler]

pick up a cheap mill drill with r-8 spindle and play a bit. then decide if you need the big one. or one at all. the r-8 stuff will be useful if you get a bigger mill. look for a used jet or grizzly.

[gambler]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/t...810123742.html like this.

[gambler]

https://appleton.craigslist.org/tls/...805323947.html this looks nice.

[Mopar_Mudder]

Any thoughts on this one. https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/a...794848988.html

[BCRider]

Any thoughts on this one. https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/a...794848988.html

I'd say that this looks pretty cherry. The slightest of wear on the dovetails judging by the light wear of the frosting bodes well for a lifetime of happy use.

Some will consider the price high though. And in the old industrial heartland areas this may be the case. But out here in the rest of the continent that would be a price that I'd happily pay given the evidence of the pictures.

Of course you're going to add to that a 220v single to 3 phase VFD but that's just part of the $1500 you'll be spending pretty quickly on tooling to use with the machine.....

[BCRider]

https://appleton.craigslist.org/tls/...805323947.html this looks nice.

That's the mini size knee mill same as I've got. It comes in two sizes where everything is the same but one has a slightly longer travel vertical range. I've got the longer travel version. And really that's pretty much new price if you look at the same machine at Grizzly. So unless it comes with lots of extra goodies it's not really that great a price. I'd buy the $3K B'port before I got this one.

[BCRider]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/t...810123742.html like this.

With the vise and tooling it's not a bad price. But it's clearly been allowed to rust a bit. And on top of that it's a round column mill/drill. So not as flexible in use as the B'port options. Would make for a nice "mostly drill press with some milling ability" option though.

[Mopar_Mudder]

I'd say that this looks pretty cherry. The slightest of wear on the dovetails judging by the light wear of the frosting bodes well for a lifetime of happy use.

Some will consider the price high though. And in the old industrial heartland areas this may be the case. But out here in the rest of the continent that would be a price that I'd happily pay given the evidence of the pictures.

Of course you're going to add to that a 220v single to 3 phase VFD but that's just part of the $1500 you'll be spending pretty quickly on tooling to use with the machine.....

Are you saying the 3 phase converter alone is $1500, I didn't think they were that much.