# Enlightenment of milling



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I've seen the light.

I always wondered what a milling machine does and how it works. Now I know. 

And now I know what I've been missing!


http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/183-machine-shop-7

This particular machine must have cost a pretty penny.


Anyway, from what I've seen, a milling machine is to metal what a router and drill press are to wood.

You could definitely shape (mill) some nice stuff using some simple techniques.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

A milling machine really adds a whole new dimension to the shop. Basically Round=Lathe, Flat=Mill. A small hobby mill takes a bit more practice to get use to. All the reference material on mills refer to large industrial machines. The best cutting rates and speeds are a matter of learning. I found that slower speeds are better, the bit gets to cut more with less chatter. This is the mill I have:












It is a "mill-drill", basically a heavy drill press head over an X-Y table. It took some time for me to get use to it, but now it does well. For serious milling the vice comes off and work gets clamped directly to the table. The clamp set is on the window sill.

If I had the chance again, I would not get one of these. Get a regular dovetail column machine. They are more rigid than this kind. This kind has absolutely no Z axis control either.

One of the nice features of Sherline and Taig lathes is that they have slotted cross slide tables. You can clamp a work piece on the table and mill it with the cutter in the lathe chuck. Set-up is time consuming, but it works. Many of the old timer UK hobby machinists books show this technique.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

thanks, that would obviate the need to purchase a milling machine for a novice and dabbler like me and make it seem all the more reason to get a Taig and Sherline. Thanks. 

Edit: on second thought, some of the bits I saw in that video I posted look like they'd have trouble fitting in a Taig, along with your project, even considering most of what we do is small, unless one uses smaller mill bits, assuming they make small ones.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I have done quite a bit of milling on the lathe. It works fine. The only hard part is if you have to make many cuts, you have to set-up the work piece for each cut. It is a lot of packing and shimming. But for occasional "one offs" it works. My guess is that the cross slide table on a Sherline or Taig is reasonably rigid. With smaller bits, higher speed, light feed and some oil, they should do fine. 


You will need some hold down clamps. Make your own. They are so easy. Here are some I made:












These are 1/4" x 20 TPI carriage bolts with the heads ground until they fit the T slots. The clamping bars are 3/8" square key stock from Home Depot. Put some shim/packing behind the bolt and the work piece in front. Tighten up just a bit and they hold tight. If these are too big for Sherline /Taig, use #10 machine screws with 5/16" square stock. #10 is about 3/16" dia. Custom make your own and in no time you have a drawer full of this stuff.


A lot of the old timer UK modelers used their lathes as mills with great success. I have a lot of respect for those guys because they really knew how to wring capabilities out of there limited machinery.


Another big advantage to a mill is for precision drilling. If you have laid out holes to drill, just clamp down the work, pick up an edge with a slip of cigarette paper and zip around with the graduated hand wheels.


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