Hot Rodding a Mill

[SuperBuickGuy]

Yeah, stock. Suggestions welcome, but I am going to put a power cross feed on the mill and DRO


I may be editing this, but off memory it's a 9x29 (the edit)

that said, I'm researching whether to chinese it up or if there's something that's a better choice....

owner's manual ..... ignore it says Grizzly.... https://cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/g0760_m.pdf

[squirrel]

it's a round column? the pic is a bit....small and fuzzy....

DRO would be nice. Not sure what you would use power feed for, though.

[SuperBuickGuy]

yes, round column

this for powerfeed

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AS-250-150Lbs-Torque-Power-Feed-Milling-Machine-X-Axis-Bridgeport-Mill-Fit/112648502099?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D8df0a38299564fc097c158895a728d4e%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D7%26sd%3D122759601683%26itm%3D112648502099&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

and this for DRO

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-AXIS-DIGITAL-READOUT-DRO-KIT-FOR-MILL-MILLING-MACHINE-WITH-LINEAR-SCALES/192668726732?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D8de0552f35fa4515a039156424b7e1d1%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D192051239840%26itm%3D192668726732&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Ac58c15ef-1fe3-11e9-85e6-74dbd1804a34%7Cparentrq%3A803f8a0e1680ac88e2cff930fffd2b93%7Ciid%3A1

[Loren]

Suggestions welcome

(wink)

'Tis all about how you use it. You -may- find the bench-top machine does everything and more that you wish, or you might run up against it's capacity limits here-and-there (a 3/4" cut in steel as the manual states is probably not gonna happen but then you'll probably never need it either) and want a Bridgeport-type someday, therefore you'd limit how much investment you put into this one. Time and use will tell. One thing for sure, a mill is a wonderful device, once you've got that you can make just about anything.

For me, in my experience (so this is just my experience and not advice):

About all you can do to "hot rod" a mill up is have ball screws in there for table travel, for their zero-lash which is nice to have sometimes. If the (presumably) "stock" acme-screws are tight enough for you, you're good. Of-course you get used to considering cutting directions along w/ that lash, you may break a cutter or two in the meanwhile. Safety glasses!

Accessories such as described in the manual, part 5, heck yeah. But...while the way to screw up on one side is to not have the stuff you need, the way to screw up on the other side is to have a bunch of stuff you bought and never use. A good machine guy does neither.

In all my days I've never had a power feed in my own shop although I've sure wanted one a time or two. For long cuts and any-type production work they save elbow grease but on your machine you may miss having a left-side handwheel if you're ever doing some intricate work where you need to see what you're cutting from both sides. A power feed, if you need one, that leaves both handwheels there and usable would be preferred.

My big bro's neighbor set up a machine possibly identical to yours with a CNC conversion using larger-size stepper motors (steppers are typically best for positioning, not pushing a load such as a mill has to do.) He never found it actually very useful for himself and now the CNC is on my plasma cutter. With all that, the DRO is without a doubt some of the best money I've ever spent. Once you've got that, you are the CNC, you just have a "program" in your head or on paper and follow the numbers. It almost doesn't matter how loose your machine is, the scales are accurate and the position displayed is the position it's at. I don't think I do much work at all without staring at that DRO like a kid on his phone.

Edit: this written before your last post, I see you're looking at the standard-type power feed, not the one in the Grizzly manual. Interesting how stuff that was once $800 is a quarter that now.

[SuperBuickGuy]

DRO.... check

the machine is an RF30 - but I have (now) owner manuals and even the information page for page seems the same..... and confirm 8x29

[Loren]

More: Accessories you will want. You already have the clamp set I see.

1-2-3 blocks for doing setups with those clamps, ideally get maybe four blocks with holes big enough that your clamp studs will fit through. I submit this very crappy video that barely addresses their use at all for the sole reason that it includes a shop dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9esrOhzXN4

Angle plates, best to have a matched pair. Pick a size at-least 6", they'll help you clamp up all kinds of things including spindles etc. https://www.ebay.com/i/331651437656?chn=ps

Now watch CL and keep an ear to the ground for people cleaning out Dad's shop of machinist tools, cutters etc. Some sellers have huge amounts of expensive cutters but keep in mind, a guy with $1,000 worth of carbide end mills in his garage probably worked at Boeing (etc.) and all that stuff which he would otherwise have little use for left the building in his pockets. I hate thieves, and their children and grandchildren. Guys who bought at auction or are selling a few oddball cutters and some well-worn micrometers etc. are probably legit.

[squirrel]

over the years I've found a few old machinist tool chests for dirt cheap, with lots of neat old tools of all sorts...even if you only use a few things out of it, it's worth it (assuming you have a place to store it all).

[SuperBuickGuy]

More: Accessories you will want. You already have the clamp set I see.

1-2-3 blocks for doing setups with those clamps, ideally get maybe four blocks with holes big enough that your clamp studs will fit through. I submit this very crappy video that barely addresses their use at all for the sole reason that it includes a shop dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9esrOhzXN4

Angle plates, best to have a matched pair. Pick a size at-least 6", they'll help you clamp up all kinds of things including spindles etc. https://www.ebay.com/i/331651437656?chn=ps

Now watch CL and keep an ear to the ground for people cleaning out Dad's shop of machinist tools, cutters etc. Some sellers have huge amounts of expensive cutters but keep in mind, a guy with $1,000 worth of carbide end mills in his garage probably worked at Boeing (etc.) and all that stuff which he would otherwise have little use for left the building in his pockets. I hate thieves, and their children and grandchildren. Guys who bought at auction or are selling a few oddball cutters and some well-worn micrometers etc. are probably legit.

Cool... the Boeing thing - yes, theft happens but Boeing Surplus was a thing until 2004 (and oh the deals there!) - so it's also possible that the stuff was bought at surplus or surplused then sold to the employee (which they did a lot).

[SuperBuickGuy]

So what do you think of that, specific, DRO? it gives me pause to see one for $320 the other for roughly 1/2.... what is missing in the cheap one?

[SuperBuickGuy]

over the years I've found a few old machinist tool chests for dirt cheap, with lots of neat old tools of all sorts...even if you only use a few things out of it, it's worth it (assuming you have a place to store it all).

I've been doing this, funny thing is I have a boatload of vises... I'll toss a picture of all of them up tonight.

[squirrel]

So what do you think of that, specific, DRO? it gives me pause to see one for $320 the other for roughly 1/2.... what is missing in the cheap one?

Quality control?

The "DRO" on my mill is a really old Bridgeport optical scale, it's pretty cool. And after fiddling with it for a while, I got it to work pretty well.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Quality control?

The "DRO" on my mill is a really old Bridgeport optical scale, it's pretty cool. And after fiddling with it for a while, I got it to work pretty well.

You mean, "Chinese quality control?" I think they're both Chinese sourced....

[squirrel]

the thing about Chinese quality control, is that the quality of it depends on the spec, and tighter specs cost more. That doesn't imply that higher price always gets you better quality, unfortunately.

[SuperBuickGuy]

the thing about Chinese quality control, is that the quality of it depends on the spec, and tighter specs cost more. That doesn't imply that higher price always gets you better quality, unfortunately.

true.... time to google the sellers and see what the forums are saying about them and their products.....

[studemax]

That thing looks pretty small. Power feed is for long uninterrupted cuts. The table isn't long at all, and the crossfeed is even less. Don't bother, use your arm. Buy a Kurt vise and some good collets (R-8 will fit?). DRO would be nice.