Thread: buying a mill drill. any tips?

im no expert but i would look for a mill with the dove tailed column. the SM MD45 would be great but for what your looking for consider that any of these machines will cut metal the difference is how fast it can do it. ok so say a small machine is like the SM MD12 and a big machine is that SM MD45. a small machine will machine small parts on large objects as long as the machining doesnt exceed maximum travel of the mill. one thing a bigger mill is more expensive but when you need it its there, if you go for a small machine you will have limitations so make sure you know not only what you can do with it and HOW to do it but what it CANT do and what YOU CANT do with it

some dimensions and sizes of the work you do would be very helpfull

Thanks for the reply...
i've considered their full range. the md40 in the steelmaster range is the only one that will do what i want because it rotates onto a 90 degree angle, allowing me to rout rectangular cut holes through the thickness of a 1m diameter disc.

the floor model wont do it because the throat clearence isn't enough.
with the md40, i can at lest make some kind of jig allowing me to mount a wheel sideways off the table, and then cut into it.

the smaller and cheaper models would do what i want if only they could rotate and tilt 90 degrees, so i guess to simplify my question, i wonder if anyone knows of other mill drils priced the same or lower with those pivot features....

Not sure if it will do what you need but the DM15 from Standaco is a quite different yet similar priced machine which also allows the head to swivel around the column.

http://www.standaco.com.au/page.asp?...3&productid=22

hmm that bf 20 might even do the job...

when they list the bf20 are they refering to this brand do you think?
http://www.optimum-machines.com/prod...rio/index.html

they don't have to many specifics on the site

Not sure, they've probably got a similar origin. Asset Plant have a range of that style of machine

http://www.assetplant.com/

but I guess you've already been there.

Also available from Applied Machinery

http://www.appliedmachinery.com.au/s...?grp=1&cat=edm

ok im not sure i understand how you wish to machine these thing but im guessing buy tilting the head 90 degrees you want to sort of "slot" mill these discs but that would also mean you have them sticking up in mid air and unsupported 1mm plate would really love to bend. do you have any pictures of the parts you want to machine or even better the set up you want to use?

sorry dont have any pictures. but these discs are going to be thick, min 50-70mm. I will have to make a jig to support them on the side.

another thing i have to contend with is if the mill looses its z axis when it is tilted 90 degrees.

Originally Posted by acgraham

sorry dont have any pictures. but these discs are going to be thick, min 50-70mm. I will have to make a jig to support them on the side.

another thing i have to contend with is if the mill looses its z axis when it is tilted 90 degrees.

what diameter are they going to be? i sort of see what you mean you don't have enough clearance from the head to the bed for the part but you may end up with the same problem when you tilt the head and the only way you could get away with that is getting a bigger machine but then you wouldn't have to tilt the head at all. my only other suggestion is shop around and see if you cant get a second hand horizontal miller that way you can clamp the work flat to the bed or maybe with some blocks to get more height and use a E-Mill in a collet to cut the slots. i hope that gave you an idea i think you can pick them up for reasonable prices i was offered one last yeah for a good price way less than a new bench mill or heaven for bid a knee mill oh and if you want to use it vertical there are attachments for most machines that allow you to do this so its not a bad idea

I checked out a dm-45 by top-tech yesterday. it looks like it could do it. i might just extend the bed with steel and bolt the mill to the ground. the discs are probably going to be up to 500mm diameter.

I can't find reviews on this top tech dm45 anywhere though. has anyone here used one?

I also want to find some second hand machinery auctions in vic because a lot of businesses are going under. are there any good online sites people could recommend?

half a meter is fairly big by any chance did you look at the second hand machines? the retailer for steel master up here in Bris has heaps of second hand machines and from what i could see at least one horizontal miller. from what you have told me i about these discs a horizontal mill would be so much easier than a tilted vertical much more stable, much easier to set up and the price would be similar if not cheaper than a mid sized bench mill

just sort of browsed that page there are at least 3 mills on that page that will do what you want with less tweaking than that DM-45
http://www.newmac.com.au/mill01.html

thanks for that link, good stuff...

Yes , Don't buy a Chinese made mill , go the extra dollars and get a Tiawan made machine as the electrics are way better .

I really like the lm 45 but i guess its hard to say without actually using it. it is chinese.

the problem with most of the other mills i've seens second hand so far is they are just way too big. at least i can deal with having to move the lm 45. 350kg's or something around there.

the tilting head i like because i will also need to do much work in both orientations.

the size is an issue because I dont have my own house. my dad im sure is more than happy to have one for a bit but if the parents move its up in the air.

a mill can be a bit of a ball and chain, but i can stop thinking about all the awesome things i could do with it!

We all have to buy based on our needs and what we can afford etc.
So in the long run you have to decide which size and kind suits you better.
I would love to have a Cincinatti mill but I had to settle for a Chinese burn.