Milling Cutouts

**NCArcher** · 21st August 2021, 12:51 AM

I've been doing a bit of prototyping and development with electronics lately and I find it very time consuming and annoying to get accurate cutouts, in boxes, by hand.
This XY table arrived today.
XY Table.jpg

I went for a slightly better quality unit as the aluminium ones looked a bit flimsy. This was not that expensive, I paid $170 delivered.
It's all cast iron and weighs 18kG. Really happy with the quality. Very smooth movement. I haven't adjusted the gibs as it seems to be pretty good out of the box.
The T slots are nicely machined and designed for a standard mill table hold down, which I don't have so my test setup is whatever I had laying around.
Temp Setup.jpg

I'm going to make up custom hold downs to suit the boxes I use a lot.

I found a 1mm milling bit and gave it a go. I worked ok but I was afraid of breaking the bit.
I then found a 2mm bit, which was a bit better, and milled a switch cutout.
Worked well. The big hole was the one I did with the smaller bit.
Switch 1.jpg Switch 2.jpg

Then I found where I had put the 4mm bit and gave it a go.
Milled another switch cutout and extended a GPO mounting cutout on another box.
4mm is the way to go. Took no time at all. The longest time was marking out
GPO.jpg 4mm.jpg
The cutouts on these boxes are done on the CNC in China. I just extended one.
Really happy with this purchase. It will get a lot of use.
There is a very small amount of runout in the chuck but it is about 80 years old. If I can work out how to get it off I will replace it with a new keyless chuck.

Link to the cross slide table VEVOR Cross Slide Table Milling Drilling Machine Worktable 300 x 140 mm X Y Axis | eBay

**BobL** · 21st August 2021, 11:30 AM

They look really good.
I've make quite a few enclosure cut outs like yours on my small Hercus mill, plus also have used Dremel mini-router templates for a few non-square holes.

If its just 1-2 holes and the edges of the holes end up covered, I sometimes use a medical vibro saw (similar to a multitool) used to remove plaster casts ie, doesn't cut skin. It has a 50 mm circular blade that sort of vibes its way into the plastic. Drill small holes in corners and cut up to the hole. This leaves a substantial burr so some cleaning up with a file is needed,. They method is not suitable for smaller holes which I drill using a stepped drill bit and file out.

Ultimately I'm planning to be 3D printing most of my enclosures so I will be looking to program the holes into the enclosure designs.

**Bernmc** · 21st August 2021, 02:04 PM

If you need a lot of these done, I could probably set them up on the CNC for you. No measuring required after the initial setup.

**NCArcher** · 21st August 2021, 06:52 PM

Thanks Bernard, I actually buy the boxes direct from China with the cutouts I need already milled. It's only for the new boxes that I am developing or modifying.
I made some T nuts today.

T nuts.jpg

Then I tried to take the chuck off. Not happening with the tools I have. It appears to be pressed onto the quill shaft but I couldn't move it with a bearing puller. Will leave it for another day.

**NCArcher** · 29th August 2021, 06:40 PM

Made a couple of box hold downs today. With the box sitting flat it is rock solid.
Hold downs.jpg

With the box on its side it's not so tight.
Hold downs 2.jpg

So I added some horizontal clamps. It's ok but I need to glue some grippy rubber on the pads to make it hold tighter.
Hold downs 3.jpg

Not really happy with this bit. Will look at a different approach for milling the side.
I having fun with my "milling machine". Milled a marking out template for switches out of clear acrylic today. Worked pretty good.

**NCArcher** · 2nd September 2021, 04:17 PM

I may have accidently clicked on buy now for a small 2 axis DRO for the milling table. Oops

**NCArcher** · 3rd October 2021, 07:05 PM

The DRO scales are installed and I made up a display holder that clamps onto the drill post.
Works really good and makes cutting out accurate holes much easier.
DRO1.jpg DRO2.jpg DRO3.jpg

**Doc58** · 9th October 2021, 04:24 PM

Very nice work there

Doc

**Old Croc** · 13th October 2021, 09:46 AM

You mentioned that you can't get the chuck off? Normally those mill/drills have a slot that's exposed when the quill is wound down and a tapered drift is used to dislodge the tapered arbor.
Rgds,
Crocy.

**NCArcher** · 13th October 2021, 12:50 PM

No, this is a 1920s or 1930s drill press. No morse taper, no slot. Pretty sure it's a jacobs taper or a straight shaft that the chuck is pressed onto.
The chuck is a CE Johansson CEJ 80-3, made in Sweden. Pretty sure it's original to the drill press but I can't find any info on it.
Stubley Drill Press

**Old Croc** · 13th October 2021, 01:45 PM

Well in that case, make sure it's not threaded on and check inside to make sure there is no locking screw as well. Some old machines have different ideas.
Rgds,
Crocy.
P.S. one of dad's old drill presses had a screwed chuck, it was WW2 American surplus from memory.

**NCArcher** · 27th November 2021, 09:45 PM

I made a new hold down bracket for the electronic boxes today.
Works really well. I can change and secure a box in seconds and they're all in the same place.
I don't even have to re-zero the DRO.

Hold down1.jpg Hold down2.jpg Hold down3.jpg

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