Seeking high-precision milling machine for mild steel, better than Proxxon MF70(!)

[ship69]

Hello

I am looking for a small, high speed, high-precision milling machine not unlike the Proxxon MF70, but better made!
I need to do very precise milling and drilling (e.g. 0.5mm radius) of Mild Steel. I also do larger projects.

- I need a compact machine with a really good build quality, that is designed to do milling.
- Speed range: 600 to at least 10,0000 rpm
- Weight up to 30Kg if necessary, definitely not 50Kg
- A reasonably powerful motor. (e.g. 150+ watts??)
- I don't need CNC yet (but that might be useful later??)

Does such a machine exist?

Background
It is for a small/temporary home workshop. So whatever I have needs to be "liftable" out of the way at the end of each day.
If spending a lot of money, then I would like to be able to mill & drill reasonably wide cuts as well as fine cuts.
I work in new product development and my projects are hard to predict. I work a lot with mild steel but also with lots of other materials e.g. stainless steel, brass, aluminium, plasics and wood.
If pushed I could narrow the milling range down to between say 1.0mm and at least 4 or 5 mm.

I already have a small Proxxon hand drill + stand. It was all very expensive but to be honest, the build quality is pretty average.

J

[Bented]

You will be hard pressed to find anything close to what you are looking for.

[rickyb]

A 70# high precision mill, with the power of a lightbulb and capable of larger cuts? Sounds impossible to me. Every restriction you placed is counter to each of your requirements. Start thinking larger with more power. It will be easier to find a way to move/store a larger machine than find what you are asking.

[Rich Carlstedt]

how about a Sherline ?
Rich

[Paul Alciatore]

I would look at Sherline, Taig, Jet, and even Grizzly. The order in my list does not mean anything. And keep in mind that many imported machines of different brand names will be the same machine with only a few differences. One of those differences can be the level of quality: for instance I personally trust a company like Grizzly or Jet to do a much better job of holding the Chinese factories to a better level of quality control than some internet importer who just takes what they sell. Also a mass seller like Amazon has almost ZERO control over the quality other than the number of machines they must take back under warranty.

Sherline https://www.sherline.com/sherline-ve...ling-machines/

TAIG https://taigtools.com/product-category/micro-mills/

JET JMD-18 https://www.amazon.com/350018-230-Vo...language=en_US

Grizzly/Shop Fox Mill https://www.grizzly.com/products/sho...-machine/m1036



If your budget is large, look here:

McMaster https://www.mcmaster.com/miniature-milling-machines/

I have zero experience with any of the machines that McMaster lists BUT over many DECADES of purchasing things from them, I have NEVER been disappointed with the quality of any item from them.

[Bented]

What part of "600-10,000" rpm spindle speeds do people not understand?

It is quite simple, a highly accurate vertical mill that is manufactured using materials and methods well beyond the typical home shop machine offerings.
That weighs less then 75 lbs (-:

[Dan Dubeau]

LOL Apr 1.

[darryl]

Not more than 50 kg- you'll probably end up with a disappointing machine. Maybe a wheeled stand would be appropriate- something that potentially would fold to some extent so it's compact, and would let you use a bit larger machine. A milling machine is awkward to carry in any case, and it's bulky in all three dimensions, so it will take up space wherever you store it. I'm thinking of something a bit more like the old sewing machines, where the machine folds into the body of the stand. You have to apply some lift to deploy it, but you're not lifting the whole machine.

[Paul Alciatore]

The part that says, "This is what is being made and sold."

Anyone can write and post a list of features that they want. I have done it many times. But in every purchase, and not just those of machine tools, I have had to make some compromises. Face it, that's life.

My Unimat has a spindle speed range that is more or less that, but I am afraid that he would not be happy with it for other reasons. But it does have the spindle speeds.

If you know of a machine that has ALL of his wish-list items, please do share. But all you said was it would be hard to find one that is even close. Perhaps my Unimat head on a Sherline or Taig column and table?

What part of "600-10,000" rpm spindle speeds do people not understand?

[thin-woodsman]

What part of "600-10,000" rpm spindle speeds do people not understand?

The Taig is something like 1K to 1K rpm.

The mini-lathes have 500W brushless DC motors, and those don't seem to have enough torque at low speeds.
So some of the requirements have to give: either the slow speeds, or the underpowered motor. Let's not fool ourselves on the weight either: it's gonna be 80 to a hundred pounds, whatever that is in cocaine-units.
All that is before we even get to 'high precision', which for a mill is something I don't believe even exists in this size range.

[oxford]

For reference here is the specs of the machine the OP is referring to.

100watt motor
5000-20000rpm
15lbs.

[reggie_obe]

Wow! Not quite 16lbs. and less than 6x9x16", I could keep one in the glove box so I can make parts while sitting in traffic using an inverter plugged in the 12vDc power outlet.

[Bented]

If you know of a machine that has ALL of his wish-list items, please do share. But all you said was it would be hard to find one that is even close. Perhaps my Unimat head on a Sherline or Taig column and table?

What industries would have a use for such a machine? This is where to look first.
Medical devices, mechanical timepiece manufacturing, dental implants, PCB manufacturing, EDM electrode milling and plastic injection mold manufacturing for instance. It is unlikely that any such equipment would meet the weight requirements and also work well on multiple materials.

The dental desktop mills can be fairly slick but will still be over weight.
Not one single machine that I have seen in use or in literature has met the requirements, Tormach offers a benchtop machine for under $10,000 that is grossly overweight.

https://tormach.com/media/catalog/product/cache/748b57ae913ad7962bc3b82f31605320/3/7/37236_440_no_enclosure_no_chip_pan-straightimg_2797-m.jpg

[Rich Carlstedt]

The part that says, "This is what is being made and sold." Anyone can write and post a list of features that they want. I have done it many times. But in every purchase, and not just those of machine tools, I have had to make some compromises. Face it, that's life.

Paul is right, Posting one's desires , does not make such a reality !
Its like saying i want a Southbend Lathe that matches the performance of a Monarch 10EE but is can't weigh over 500 pounds...That my friends is ....unreal in expectations

I am not arguing with the Op's post, but he is asking "IF" anyone knows of such a machine--well fellows, Do You ?
The weight of less than 30 kilos ( 66 #) puts it in the jewelry class, and he wants it portable !
The real problem there is finding ANY small Jewelry type mill that does 600 RPM ? and has any torque to run a 4mm (.156") cutter

Like most of us , we list are requirements and then Prioritize them to find a solution.
Frankly, I think the solution lies in a customized mill, A Sherline or equivalent and a second High speed head (ala Dremel) mounted to the quill
but he has to decide that

Rich

[redlee]

What part of "600-10,000" rpm spindle speeds do people not understand?

It is quite simple, a highly accurate vertical mill that is manufactured using materials and methods well beyond the typical home shop machine offerings.
That weighs less then 75 lbs (-:

Cat 40 or 50.