Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
Damn, I gotta have one of those! Time to crack open the random parts bin.
Tue May 19, 2009 7:36 pm
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
Well my tax cheque arrived today, so instead of my usual method of spending it on booze, cars/robots (or both), I thought I'd invest in some workshop equipment.
I've decided I'll buy the
M150
Milling machine from Hare & Forbes.
It comes with no tools or accessories, so I'm now looking for what I need to get started. Not having a lot of knowledge in this area, I don't want to rush out and spend $500 on bits that I don't need, and forget others that I do need. I'm looking at getting the following bits'n'pieces:
Anything else that I need that will stop me getting it home, locking a block of aluminium to the table and milling a trench in it? _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
Thu May 21, 2009 2:15 pm
Glen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
yep definitely need a clamp kit. the endmills are what i have to. there not great but theyve done the job so far.
as for those big face cutters id think there a luxury item if your going for things on the cheap. you need a $60 arbour to go with them as well (thats just the cutters on that kit you dont get the shaft)
the stock machine comes with a drill chuck basically so you need one of these -https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Products?stockCode=C922B
to hold the end mills properly. or an end mill holder or some collets. the chuck is definitely the best way to go about it but the most expensive.
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
The end mills in that 3 way set are crap! I have one and it does a terrible job. The face cutter is good though - just buy it separately.
Clamps are only good for some types of holding, you will definitely need to get a vise. Getting a cheap vice limits your accuracy, so get a mid-range one and it will last for years. once you have a vice, you will find a set of parallels is a must-have. they need to be an appropriate size for the vice.
I wouldn't bother buying a full set of end mills, just get the ones you need, when you need them. you will also need a collet set to hold the end mills - an ER32 collet lets you hold from 2 to 20 mm end mills. You will need the C105 chuck and individual collets to suit the end mills you buy. You can also buy MT3 collets, which are cheaper but very limited in what size endmills they will hold.
Thu May 21, 2009 2:58 pm
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
Found a
3MT 32mm face mill
Would save me having to buy a 3MT face mill shaft. 32mm should be big enough for now.
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
you can put the mills in the drill chuck but its a bit shoddy. its hard to clamp the end mill tight enough and it gets a bit chattery.
with the collet chuck kit i have you can hold from 6mm to some massive diameter i think its about 25mm. so i just bought the missing collet sizes and now it can hold between 2mm and 25mm so i dont even use the drill one full stop now.
the 32mm face mill looks pretty good. i got the 50mm standard one for really cheap on the bargain table at hafco but my machine doesnt like it at all if i try to take a decent chunk of metal off (that high rake one would probably go great though)
its a shame hafco dont sell those corncob style cutters. i got the 25mm one from mcjing and its a beast. i hacked off about 4mm of ali in one pass before i stripped mine down and thats alot for a little machine like that (was only $25 too)
try to hold off on the Tool envy syndrome if you can XD i think ive just nudged the $4000 mark on mine now
oh yeah btw Nick, where can you get those chucks you have in your drill press (and mill), it was like a standard keyless drill chuck but it was metal with a knurled edge and really awesome _________________ www.demon50s.com - Minimoto parts
http://www.youtube.com/user/HyzerGlen - Videoooozzz
Thu May 21, 2009 4:34 pm
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
quote:Originally posted by Glen:
try to hold off on the Tool envy syndrome if you can XD i think ive just nudged the $4000 mark on mine now
I've forbidden myself from looking in the H&F catalog for now and my other failsafe is by not having enough money to go too crazy on tools _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
Thu May 21, 2009 5:28 pm
dyrodium Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 6476
Location: Sydney
That's not a failsafe, that's just your limit and why you have no money. _________________ ( •_•)
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
@ Glen: They are just the standard keyless chucks from H&F. The real pain is finding the right arbours for a mill. H&F only sell un-threaded ones that have to be bashed out with a drift. McJing list the threaded ones that work with a draw bar, but never have them in stock. Little Machine Shop have them, but the postage is more than the part
@ Aaron: rather than the 32mm face cutter, have a look at a fly cutter. They only use HSS bits, but they will face a much wider block in one pass and they are WAY cheaper. You can get them from McJing or most discount web tool stores, probably eBay as well. If you are careful they can be used for boring too. They need an MT3 or ER collet, but you would have to buy collets for end mills anyway.
Thu May 21, 2009 6:44 pm
timmeh Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 2523
Location: Victoria
quote:Originally posted by TDT:
Well my tax cheque arrived today, so instead of my usual method of spending it on booze, cars/robots (or both), I thought I'd invest in some workshop equipment.
I feel good now.
Now when my gf ses "You spend all your money on crap" i can go "Its not crap and other people do it too"
Only for me its booze robots then cars. ..... then whats left gf _________________ Tim Team Reaper.
Thu May 21, 2009 7:31 pm
Spockie-Tech Site Admin
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
heh.. In most cases..
Female defintion of "not crap" = fashion, clothes, makeup, entertaining me.
Male definition of "not crap" = things that are fun to play with or do cool stuff
Not always the case, but often so.. _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
Thu May 21, 2009 8:31 pm
Glen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
the test dial indicator with my lathe finally died. good riddance anyway, the bezel couldnt even move so you couldnt set it to 0 which made it exceedingly hard to use in the first place
no mechanical bits to wear out over time and the accuracy they claim is pretty good. better then my old one anyway. digital display would get rid of the parrallax problems with my bad eyesight too
cant find much literature on them on google or any reviews of them. so if anyones heard anything about them let me know cheeers
Mon May 25, 2009 12:44 am
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
It looks like a good deal, assuming the build quality is OK. You might find another type of indicator is more useful:
I couldn't find a better link in a hurry - the second indicator on the page can be far more versatile as the small measuring lever can reach inside parts and be used at multiple angles. The indicator style you were looking at is fine for many tasks, but has to be at 90 deg. to whatever it is measuring - not always easy. The only down-side to the lever style indicators is the small range of movement, if you really need 1/2" or more of movement, then the plunger style is the go.
Mon May 25, 2009 7:27 am
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
I just received one of those indicator holders from LMS - I was rather suspicious of that eBay ad saying the holders locked with hydraulics, it turns out the holders lock with mundane old wedges . They work very though, way better than my old holder and a perfect size for mini mills. I might have to adapt one for the mill.
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