Got a mini milling machine today!

[billybob_81067]

Bought a mini milling machine from the Cummins tool sale that was in town today. I've been waiting a long damn time to find a decent used bridgeport or similiar larger milling machine to come up for sale from around here for our shop, but nothing ever has. So I decided I'd get myself a benchtop mill for my own garage as well as some other tools I needed to get stocked up on. Ended up spending over $600 total for everything I bought today.

I already partially set it up and made a few cuts with it and it rocks. Seems like its actually a pretty damn decent machine. Luckily we already had quite a few milling cutters stockpiled so I just had to sort through them and get the sizes I could use.

Now I just need to bring my welder over and get some work benches built for the milling machine and my 9x20 Jet mini lathe. I'm gonna have a whole mini machine shop in my 2 car garage! :p And when we first moved here my wife actually thought I'd let her park the car in the garage... :rolleyes: :D

Here's a link to the same machine as I got... http://www.cumminstools.com/browse.cfm/4,1485.html

:headbang:

[maglover728]

Do people go to school to learn how to use these or just OJT? I would love to be able to make my own stuff. Where do you start?

[billybob_81067]

Do people go to school to learn how to use these or just OJT? I would love to be able to make my own stuff. Where do you start?

I messed with some bigger bridgeport mills when I was at a local university. I just kinda stuck around in the machine shop up there after my classes were done for the day and asked the shop guy if he would mind if I messed around with em. Just dove in and started milling a couple cocker bodies and made a frame adapter/mac mount for a rainmaker too. It's pretty easy to get the hang of, just take it slow and make easy cuts to start with until you learn the machines abilities.

It might not hurt to find someone that has done this stuff before to be a sort-of mentor and teach you a few basic things. I asked that shop instructor quite a few questions when I first got started and he showed me how to insert the collets and tighten everything up with the drawbar/etc...

[maglover728]

Cool, I guess that it's off to the local community college and such. Thanks for the info.

[Russ]

Do people go to school to learn how to use these or just OJT? I would love to be able to make my own stuff. Where do you start?

Trade schools have night courses

[Russ]

Sweet little machine, billybob. Have some fun with it :)

[billybob_81067]

Sweet little machine, billybob. Have some fun with it :)

Ohhh I'm planning on it! :D

Since the day I've bought the mini mill I've put up new lights in the garage (increased it from 4 bulbs in the entire garage to 12), and insulated and sheeted a wall with OSB. Also I bought some steel today for my work bench that I'm building... Cost me $275!!! but I'll have 20 linear feet of workbench so it'll be worth it. :)

I'll have to take a pic of the garage once it's all done. :dance:

/I should post up pics of the house since the remodel too, but that would be a lot of pictures... :p

[cyberave68]

A 20' long work bench... :wow: That would be freekin sweet. Alot better than sitting indian style on the garage floor like i do...
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/Cyberave68/DSC01305.jpg

[Papa_Smurf]

^^^is this your work?^^^


What kind of mill do you use cyberave?

[cyberave68]

Yep thas my cocker i was half blocking... I was reading the info on billybob_81067 mini mill and they are pretty much the same. He got a hell of a better deal though. :cry:
Nice find billybob... :clap:
here's mine...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44991

[billybob_81067]

Yep thas my cocker i was half blocking... I was reading the info on billybob_81067 mini mill and they are pretty much the same. He got a hell of a better deal though. :cry:
Nice find billybob... :clap:
here's mine...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44991

Yeah the machine I got and the one that harbor freight sells are exactly the same only different colors. Also I think that there's a few other companies that import the same machine and sell them as their own. Its just like the jet 9X20 lathe I've got, Enco, Grizzly, and Harbor freight all stock the exact same machine.

I've got the work benches all built as of last night. Now I've just got to anchor the legs into the concrete for added stability, and grind the welds on the top smooth.

Pics soon to come :)

[billybob_81067]

Finally got some time to take some pics and upload them.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0001.jpg

There's a pic of the new workbench where it wraps around the corner. It is 15 feet long on the long side and 5 feet long on the short side...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0002.jpg

Shot of the rest of the workbench that was cut off in the previous photo... Vise on the corner.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0004.jpg

Closer shot of the mini milling machine and mini lathe. I still need to get the lathe bolted down on the bench.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0003.jpg

Here's a pic of the workbench that was left here by the previous owner. It was located where the steel bench is now, but I moved it over to the right side wall, put a galvanized steel top on it and added the sink that was previously in the kitchen before our remodel. Luckily that wall is adjacent to the laundry room so I had hot and cold water and a drain right there. :) Don't mind the mess on top of it, I need to clean it off and organize everything still.

And that's basically it. You can see some shelves in the top of all the pics that I put up to hold all our extra crap up and out of the way. They were leftover bifold doors off of all the house's closets. I built the brackets for them out of some scrap that I found at the dump. Theres a total of 7 approximately 8 foot long shelves, so they hold a bunch!


:)

[Papa_Smurf]

Good job! Looks like you have a good place to play now... :clap:

The Cummins Tools Sale is coming to Castle Rock on monday, I think I'll have to mozie on down and see what they have..

[billybob_81067]

Good job! Looks like you have a good place to play now... :clap:

The Cummins Tools Sale is coming to Castle Rock on monday, I think I'll have to mozie on down and see what they have..

They have some decent looking wrenches and socket sets, but they're the higher dollar ones, and then they've got some horrible looking stuff too... I picked up a set of 120 drill bits there that I shouldn't have. They were never even hardened! :( Just check out what you buy closely.

Oh and I picked up a decent looking kitchen knife set there (alot better than the crap we did have) and a hammock too! :D

[Papa_Smurf]

I saw they had some coated bits I was thinking about,

Haha, Hammock? they carry some random stuff!

Is this mill like the one harbor frieght carries?

[Russ]

MANTOWN! :headbang:

looks great! :)

[bentothejam1n]

MANTOWN! :headbang:

looks great! :)
i dont see a toilet or a strip pole... so actually its more like man village
hah it looks awesome billybob
i noticed on the backside of the table it doesnt have any legs. Did you just bolt the table into the wall?

[billybob_81067]

i dont see a toilet or a strip pole... so actually its more like man village
hah it looks awesome billybob
i noticed on the backside of the table it doesnt have any legs. Did you just bolt the table into the wall?


I kid you not, we're having a bachelor party here for my buddy and I was thinking of putting a pole out there!!! Unfortunately his wife said no strippers (actually she said if we had strippers they had to be fat and ugly, :( ) There is however a 4x4 holding up a beam in the middle of the garage. Might give the wimmins splinters though.

As for the bench, it is anchored into the wall using those concrete anchors that you drive the nail into to spread them. I've got like 21 anchors along the wall and then each leg is anchored into the floor as well.

Papa_Smurf, those coated bits might be alright... the ones I got were just plain old black and came in a red drill case. I think they're soft enough to chew on! Oh well you win some and you lose some!

And the mini mill is the exact same thing that Harbor freight carries. Just blue instead of that nasty green that they paint most of their stuff. :p

[billybob_81067]

i dont see a toilet or a strip pole... so actually its more like man village

Hell I might as well give you guys a quick tour of the basement...

There's not much more to see of the garage, but there is a door on the right wall (just outside the view of one of the pics) that opens to a hallway. On the first left is our guest bathroom, the first right is the guest bedroom/kids playroom (no pics of these because I'm sure you all have seen a bathroom and bedroom before) And then the second left in the hallway leads to the laundry/utility room which also has the almighty beer fridge in it.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0005.jpg

Then if you continue down the hallway it opens up into the entertainment/game room featuring this...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0007.jpg

To the left of the pool table in a little nook we've got a couple of leather reclining couches and the entertainment center which features a PS2, N64, Super Nintendo, and original NES gaming systems.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0008.jpg

I have them all hooked up to play on our projector. It is installed in a pre existing drop down ceiling where the duct work runs, so I had to knock a hole, bend a relief in the duct work, build a shelf, and fish A/V cables and electrical wires up there.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0009.jpg

The "screen" is about 8 feet wide. This is a horrible pic, but it kinda shows the proportions.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0010.jpg

And a bit of a better one with the lights off. Still blurry from my crappy camera and the video game motion.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/billybob_81067/DSCF0013.jpg

[olinar]

allthis is in your basement? wow, i wonder what the 1st level looks like.

/james bond for n64=best multiplayer game evarr!!

[Papa_Smurf]

N64=the s

Thanks for you guidance on those bits, I was looking at the TiN coated ones.

[cyberave68]

WOW and i thought i was the only one who still had a super NES. You still have the NES thats great!!! I do have most of the game stations, I just need to get a PS3...

Nice work table! should be really nice to work on there. That Lathe looks familar too. I have a friend who has the same one in red...lol Guess they all get the same machines and paint them different colors huh? LOL

[Papa_Smurf]

cyberave and billybob; have you guys had any problems relating to quality with that mill?

I would think it wouldn't have the best craftsmanship for that price..

[billybob_81067]

allthis is in your basement? wow, i wonder what the 1st level looks like.

/james bond for n64=best multiplayer game evarr!!

Damn straight it is! It's basically all I've been playing here lately when my buddies come over. I need to pick up a copy of Mario Kart for the 64 too because that one roxors as well.

I'll take a few pics of the upstairs/outside later today.

[billybob_81067]

cyberave and billybob; have you guys had any problems relating to quality with that mill?

I would think it wouldn't have the best craftsmanship for that price..

I haven't had any problems as of yet, but I haven't done a whole lot with it yet either. Did some milling of mild steel last night and you just have to take small cuts. Seems like a decent little machine to me.

There's also yahoo groups and other forums dedicated to these mini mills and lathes and basically they tell you that after you get them you should tear them down, clean up all the cosmoline/red grease crap, get any chips and sand casting material that could possibly be left over out and then put them back together and shim the ways up so that everything is as tight as possible. Also they usually have a few modifications that are necessary/helpful for them as well. They have a pretty big following and if you do have a problem most likely someone else has had the same thing before.

Also it's got a 1 year warranty so if anything major screws up I can call up the Cummins people with a number they have on the reciept and they will bring another down the next time that they come into town.

[Papa_Smurf]

A common error is trying to feed too much material too fast, I see that.

But if you take it slow, it feels okay?

How often do they come into town?

[billybob_81067]

A common error is trying to feed too much material too fast, I see that.

But if you take it slow, it feels okay?

How often do they come into town?

Yeah it feels good, I'm still learning all this stuff about milling as well and from what I've learned by feel is that in mild steel you want to have the spindle turning much slower to keep it from squalling and vibrating. Some of my first cuts were chattering like crazy, but after slowing the spindle speed down it is a lot better. I'm sure I'll learn all kinds of things later on too. I need to look up how to sharpen end mills too because some of the ones we've got are pretty dull.

One thing I learned back in college is that it is best to use a 4 flute (or more on the bigger bits) mill for steel and other harder materials and a 2 flute mill for softer stuff like plastic and aluminum so that it doesn't clog so easily.

The cummins tool sale usually comes to town once a year around here. They said that even if they don't come back in time for the warranty as long as I call that number when it breaks I'll get a replacement.

Are you thinking of getting a mini mill when they stop in up there at Castle Rock? You'll have to pick up some end mills too before you can use it. I'm planning on getting a set of collets and a rotary table for mine some time.

[cyberave68]

Hey Papa,

I dont have to much or any probs with the machine. My only sugestion is to check your tension on your slides often. Any small amout of slop will cause a small amount of chatter...It may not be the best but it works for alot of the things i have done. I always take my time anyways. Slower = cleaner most of the time anyways.

As for mills to be sharpened. The ones i do sharpen i send out to be done. There is a service right down the road from work. I stop by on lunch and pick up the next day... As for bits i get them from ENCO. I get alot of stuff from them... You can even get some deals on Ebay here and there...

[Papa_Smurf]

Well yes, I know what all I need, I can run a manual mill ok, they computerized stuff is way above my head, I'm mainly looking at drill precision holes in sequence.

Thanks for your help!

[cyberave68]

Oh well yea the only thing is the set up. So i'm sure you know that. I spent about 3 hours getting my table vise straight on the slider table. Other than that i havent had any issues. Well breaking down the whole machine here and there for cleaning SUX's bad. It's like starting over again... :tard:

[Papa_Smurf]

what vise do you use?

[cyberave68]

Nothing fancy... I found one on Ebay that still kept a low profile to leave me room to mill cocker body's...