# Turning with a Mill



## modamag (Nov 13, 2008)

Have anyone here have experience turning small pieces (< 3/4") with your mill.

Basically putting the stock in the R8 collet and tool holder mounted somewhere on your mill bed.

I have to turn several very small pieces with many curve.
I was thinking of going this route instead of using my lathe.

Is there anything I should look for? Suggestions?

Thanks.
Jonathan


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## precisionworks (Nov 13, 2008)

I've done small, round stock, held in the collet. The toolholder is clamped in a Kurt vise. It's OK for one or two parts, but is really slow if you need more than that.



> I have to turn several very small pieces with many curves.


Your best bet is to grind a form tool that is used to exactly finish the part to final dimension. HSS flat stock works well for this, W1 is the least expensive but anything will do. You'll need to rough out the part so the form tool acts to join the steps left by roughing.


Finished part is GREEN, form tool is BLUE


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## KowShak (Nov 13, 2008)

If you have a lathe, why do you want to use your mill as a lathe?

I'd bet that it will be difficult to get results as good on a mill as you could on a lathe since the lathe is designed to be a lathe and the mill isnt.


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## modamag (Nov 13, 2008)

I have a cnc mill and just a regular lathe.

I can go out and purchase form tool but I like to find a universal solution with what I have at hand. (part of the fun)


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## VanIsleDSM (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm no expert at all, but I've always figured that using your mill as a lathe for a large quantity of small parts is a great way to go if you're set up for CNC. This way you can have many different tool bits clamped onto the bed.. and then you can automatically switch bits while machining without physically having to do anything.


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## PEU (Nov 14, 2008)

Jonathan, you will find this link very interesting (if you missed it at cnczone)

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59630

Video from that link: http://www.sdmfabricating.com/Tormach/Tormach_Vertical_Lathe.wmv

With an ER40 collet set you can chuck 1" pieces 


Pablo


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## NovaNath (Nov 16, 2008)

modamag said:


> I have a cnc mill and just a regular lathe.
> 
> I can go out and purchase form tool but I like to find a universal solution with what I have at hand. (part of the fun)


 
Can you use the cnc to cut the profile in some gauge plate, then harden and temper this and grind on the rake angles. I've done this in the past with success (machining ali)


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## wquiles (Nov 16, 2008)

PEU;2699432Video from that link: [url said:


> http://www.sdmfabricating.com/Tormach/Tormach_Vertical_Lathe.wmv[/url]



Linkie to video not working :mecry:

Will


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## PEU (Nov 16, 2008)

Uploaded it to google video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4526615793478647986&hl=en


Pablo


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## wquiles (Nov 16, 2008)

PEU said:


> Uploaded it to google video:
> 
> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4526615793478647986&hl=en
> 
> ...



Muchas gracias amigo - muy interesante este video 

Will


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## gadget_lover (Nov 16, 2008)

wquiles said:


> Muchas gracias amigo - muy interesante este video
> 
> Will



Yeah, and the video was very interesting too!


It's amazing how many ways there are to do things. I liked the "push the work onto the stationary drill bits" trick.

Realistically, that would be easier to do (if one time) using a lathe. It took a lot of time to create that fixture that held the lathe tools, drill and reamer. But maybe it's easier than it looks. 

Dan


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## outdoorslight (Nov 17, 2008)

it is very difficult to turning a piece with mill.choose cnc is a good advise


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## wquiles (Nov 17, 2008)

gadget_lover said:


> It's amazing how many ways there are to do things. I liked the "push the work onto the stationary drill bits" trick.


Yep, that was very cool!




gadget_lover said:


> Realistically, that would be easier to do (if one time) using a lathe. It took a lot of time to create that fixture that held the lathe tools, drill and reamer. But maybe it's easier than it looks.


That is what I though as well - how long just to do the fixture?

Maybe he does not have a lathe, or only the mill was CNC controlled?


Will


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## KowShak (Nov 17, 2008)

I think he's trying to turn his mill into a VMC (vertical machining center).

There are videos of them on youtube, pretty impressive when you see the complex parts they can be making, especially when they're feeding themselves bar stock automatically.


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