# going to buy a minimill...



## Rothrandir (May 22, 2005)

i've been wanting one for a long time, and i've finally decided to go ahead and get one.

i'm having a hard time making up my mind on which mill i want, and what acessories i need for it.
i've decided that i need:
endmills (of various types)
parallels
vise
clamping kit
rotary table
collets
but the main problem i'm having is deciding on which brand of each to get, and where to get it.  with so many suppliers and brands out there, deciding which one is kind of frustrating.
is there anything from the above list i've missed?

i've been doing the lathe thing for quite a while now, but i'm still pretty new to mills, and a little bit of help getting started would be much appreciated /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif


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## gadget_lover (May 22, 2005)

Congrats Roth. Glad to see another succumb to the dark side.

There is a mini mill discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mini-mill/ where they discuss the differences.

You will often find the mills are almost identical except for minor details. One might use and R-8 taper for the spindle while another uses mt2 or mt3. If you use MT3 taper collets in your lathe, you might want to consider a mill that can use the same parts. On the other hand, that might limit your choices un-necessarily.

Part of my decision to buy the micro mill was that I could use the MT-2 collets and end mill holders I'd already bought for my lathe tail stock. You may find R-8 taper tools and holders are easier to locate.

In addition to the above list, you might add a collet holder, indexing jig, sine bars and tilting vice. V blocks are handy when hold down round parts.

One or more book on machining is a great idea. The concepts behind cutting metal are not always obvious or intuitive.

You'll need chip brushes, a light, test indicators, magnetic indicator stands, and set-up marking dyes. I've dedicated a couple electronic calipers to the mill and a couple to the lathe.

I create 3 times as much mess with the mill as I do with the lathe. I frequently try to control the mess by holding the vacuum cleaner hose next to the cutter. Even so, an astroturf style mat at the door leading into the house helps stop the swarf that gets tracked about.

Daniel


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## Rothrandir (May 22, 2005)

i've got most of the measuring tools already, being a professional machinist by trade (i set up, program, and operate mazak lathes at a local machine shop), and have had a minilathe for a few years now.
i'm pretty familiar with cutting metal, the main problem i'm having right now is just figuring out what brands and types work best in the mini-mill world.
as with anything else, you can get a tool that does something for $200, or you can buy one for $50 somewhere else. i'm hoping to maybe learn from some of the mistakes you minimill owners have made about what to get and what not to get.

are there any specific brands and models of accessories and tools you could recommend?


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## gadget_lover (May 22, 2005)

All I can contribute is what I've read from reading 11060 messages in the mini-lathe yahoo group and my personal experience with the HF micro mill.

It seems all the $700 and lower mini mills are fairly well made. Most people really like the variable speed control that you get with the Grizzly and HF models. All of them require that you clean and possibly lap the dovetails or gibs. The Grizzley has the reputation for better pre delivery inspection. It seems that it's necessary to check each one carefully before signing for the delivery and before using it. You will find loose screws and things, so the common suggestion is to re-tighten and adjust before using.

I buy 1/2 of my tools and things through HF and the other half through Enco. Occasionally I'll find something on E-bay for a price that can't be resisted. I frequently buy from the sales circulars of HF, MSC and Enco. I have the Enco "precision toolmaker's screwless" vice. It've been quite happy with it, even though it took a little getting used to. It was on sale for only a bit over $50.

Daniel


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## 1331 (May 22, 2005)

I got my mini vertical miill/drill from Harbor Freight and i am generally pleased with it. it was the demo unit and last one in stock at that price (they forgot and left the sale price on too long so I got it at about $100 off) and several thing were loose but in good order. One thing that I would like to change is the leadscrews that have a 1/16" pitch so handwheel divisions are an odd 62.5 .Replacement leadscrews are available from Micro-Mark for about $50. Their mini-mill I believe is the only one with 50 division handwheels. You might want to check out Littlemachines on the web,they have a number of replacement parts and a good overview of different manufacturers of mini-mills and some accessories. I usually buy from MSC and have never had a problem.


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## tvodrd (May 22, 2005)

Hey Roth,

You could keep your eyes open for a used _Bridgeport._ /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

On the serious side, I'd recommend something with an R8 spindle. Its kinda the "standard-of-the-industry."

Larry


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## Rothrandir (May 22, 2005)

larry, believe me i'd love to, but more than anything else right now, space is a consideration /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

the r8 is one of the reasons i'm leaning towards the homier. $100 less doesn't hurt either though...


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## OddOne (May 24, 2005)

First you (among a myriad of others) inspire me to go spend a grand on a MiniMark 7x14 lathe and the associated tooling, and now you threaten to buy a MILL? 

Are you conspiring to force me to spend ALL my income? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Christo_pull_hair.gif

Not that I don't already WANT a mill, hehehe... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

oO


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## gadget_lover (May 24, 2005)

So, Roth,

What mills have made it to your short list? I looked at the homier but was astounded by the $350 delivery charge. That's not chicken feed.


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## Rothrandir (May 24, 2005)

$350 delivery charge?!
i didn't see that...are you sure? almost as much as the mill itself!

if that's the case, i'll probably go with hf, since they offer free shipping on all orders over $50, and i need a few things from there anyway.

anyone have any suggestions on particular model numbers and/or brands for tooling/accessories?


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## gadget_lover (May 24, 2005)

Ooops. My bad. It was only $319 to my zip code! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?dpt=&cat=&sku=03988

I assume that's the one, since you said it had an R-8 taper and was around $700.

Daniel


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## Rothrandir (May 25, 2005)

i don't recall saying $700, and i was referring to a minimill like hf and the rest have, but dang that looks like a nice one!
it's "only" $300 more, and i wonder if it'd be worth it to step up to something like that?
it would still fit the size constraints i think...

of course i'm not going to pay $800, and then *another* $300... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
*edit* it looks like it would actually be about $170 shipping to here...better, but still way too mutch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif


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## 1331 (May 25, 2005)

If you have the time, (about 5 hrs. round trip), vehicle,and if they have stock,a trip to the D.M. store might work.


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## gadget_lover (May 25, 2005)

Where did you find another model? The homier site had only the bigger one available every time I've looked.

Daniel


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## cy (May 25, 2005)

wish I had a Bridgeport too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif 

just got a 4in rotary table for my chinese mill. I feel so fortunate to have a garage large enough to host a full sized lathe and milling machine.


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## gadget_lover (May 26, 2005)

Wow Cy! It looks like if my micro mill needed work I could just clamp it down on yours without even taking anything apart.

I purchased a 4 inch rotory table too, but mainly chose that size because the height was low enough to fit on the table and still have room for tools. I have
room for a full sized mill in my garage.... if I get rid of everything else!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

With appropriate envy,

Daniel


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## Rothrandir (May 26, 2005)

i read about it on the mill pages of www.mini-lathe.com . it mentioned iffy availability i believe, so maybe that's why you can't find it?
looks like i'll probably get the hf after all....

so which rotary tables do you guys have? are you happy with them?


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## gadget_lover (May 26, 2005)

I have the  little one from Harbor freight. It's a 4 inch and will go horizontal as well as vertical. It seemes well made, and I've used it twice now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif $99

It does not have a hole to accept a taper of any kind. If I did it again I'd see about one that has a taper of some sort for mounting a chuck that is pre-centered.

Daniel


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## tvodrd (May 26, 2005)

Juat a note on milling machine vises. Many years ago Kurt Co's AngleLock vises came out. It was a design that when tightened, forced the moving piece downwards and flatter against the ground base. It greatly-reduced the amount of time spent tapping/hammering your workpiece down against the parallels while tightening the vise. I guess patent protection expired, as lower-priced imports have been available for some time. Consider spending some bucks on a decent vise! It can save you a lot of grief!

Larry


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## wasabe64 (Jun 2, 2005)

I have the Sieg X2 version of the mini mill. It's the HF/Central Machinery version.

Same quality as my mini lathe, so there were no surprises with it.

The configuration is fairly basic right now, I only use a toolmaker's vise and end mills for a majority of the work. My two extravagances were a dovetail cutter and an indexable R8 end mill that is used for face milling.


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## DSpeck (Jun 6, 2005)

When considering the cost of shipping for the mills, don't forget the weight: the larger one in the link above is *700lbs!!* It's not all that surprising that the cost for shipping would be higher. These are not just the run-of-the-mill (ahem) flashlight-sized packages we are talking about here. Freight does cost...unhappily. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Imagine the cost to bring stuff to Ontario Canada from California, and you will feel you are getting a bargain... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Just a little food for thought...


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## wasabe64 (Jun 6, 2005)

There's no avoiding the cost of moving such a beast.

You could buy the 700lb bench-top mill locally for $1200 CAD. You'd still have to rent a vehicle to move it from the local retailer and find several large friends to load/unload that beast.

It is worth the shipping for something that heavy.

It cost me $150 (plus duties and taxes) to land my mill from TN. Still, fewer hassles than buying one locally. Heck, the 700lb bench-top mill is the smallest mill you can source locally. Moving that around would probably kill me.


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## tvodrd (Jun 7, 2005)

Getting my Bridgeport moved 9mi to my garage cost me $500. Same for moving my lathe 10mi from the importer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Machinery movers/riggers make it look real easy,(!) but don't work cheap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Larry


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## DSpeck (Jun 8, 2005)

Even the minimill is about 100lbs in its shipping crate, so that's why it's so expensive to ship. I know, 'cause I have one too... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


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## gadget_lover (Jun 8, 2005)

Yeah, the HF mini-mill is 150 lbs shipping weight, the micro mill is 103 lbs. I went with the micro, since I knew for sure I could move it as needed without help.

For local moving, some folks have good luck hiring a tow truck to move the heavy stuff. It's not always allowed by local ordinances.

Daniel


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## Rothrandir (Jun 11, 2005)

got my mill yesterday! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

on a less positive note though, when i went to the harborfreight site today, i see that it is now $40 cheaper! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif :crap:

hey also sent me the wrong clamping kit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

hf doesn't offer any policy where if the price goes down after so many days, you get a refund do they?


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## gadget_lover (Jun 11, 2005)

Roth, you lucky guy!

They do offer a price match. Call them up and they'll credit you.


Geeze, some guys get all the luck. A price break and an excuse to order new toys at the same time!


Daniel


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## jtice (Jun 11, 2005)

whoa you got your mill already?

Which did you end up getting roth?


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