Thread: milling machine stand

Stand looks great Simon. In fact it may well be better than the mill.

PS: I bought a couple of those cheap hex key sets too, thinking they wouldn't last long but they're holding up pretty well.

Originally Posted by simonl

Oh, sorry. I thought I may have got that wrong as I figured most here would know what an allen key set looks like! Sorry for the insult!

Yes that thing at the back is a drawer stop. When the stand is finished and being used, a bolt is droped in there and it hits a horizontal 25mm RHS to stop it coming out all the way. If I do want to remove the drawer all I do is lift out the bolt. That reminds me, I have to do a similar arrangement for the bottom drawer. It's a very simple method but it works well. Simplicity was part of my design brief for this project!

Simon

Hi Simon,
No need to be sorry and I wasn't insulted. My sets of Allen keys usually look like half sets till I round them all up again.

Simplicity is a good thing, usually that's all I can handle anyway .

Thanks also to Big Shed for the link to reasonably priced handled Allen keys, the brand ones are fairly expensive and a cheaper set would be ample for the lathe.

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

Originally Posted by Bryan

Stand looks great Simon. In fact it may well be better than the mill.

PS: I bought a couple of those cheap hex key sets too, thinking they wouldn't last long but they're holding up pretty well.

Ha! I bet I took more time making it!

Simon

Brilliant work on the stand Simon, looks great. It's good to have all your spanner etc handy without walking to get them.

I used to be able to buy those plastic pouches of Unbrako Allen keys for $7 each. I would go to buy a few bolts and there was a minimum of $20 purchase, so I would buy a wallet to make up the money. All the family members would get one for christmas etc.
They went up to around $10 and now are $14 so I don't buy them any more. I always kept a full set of metric and imperial in the pouch, but over the years my son destroyed the sets.
I now have 2 separate tubs of mixed, and made him buy me 2 new sets to replace what he had lost as a lesson since he is now 20 year old. These I keep hidden away so he can't find them, LOL
The long T handle ones get used the most. Even though they where reasonably cheap they have held up for years.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

Brilliant work on the stand Simon, looks great. It's good to have all your spanner etc handy without walking to get them.

I used to be able to buy those plastic pouches of Unbrako Allen keys for $7 each. I would go to buy a few bolts and there was a minimum of $20 purchase, so I would buy a wallet to make up the money. All the family members would get one for christmas etc.
They went up to around $10 and now are $14 so I don't buy them any more. I always kept a full set of metric and imperial in the pouch, but over the years my son destroyed the sets.
I now have 2 separate tubs of mixed, and made him buy me 2 new sets to replace what he had lost as a lesson since he is now 20 year old. These I keep hidden away so he can't find them, LOL
The long T handle ones get used the most. Even though they where reasonably cheap they have held up for years.

Dave

Thanks Dave!

The long T handled keys seem to be a hit with quite a few people. I'm gunna buy a set! I'm currently working on a slide out tray that will slide out from the rear and will have a fine mesh. It's about 200mm x 200mm x 250mm it will sit just below the drain from the chip tray and it will drain into the coolant tank, directly below it.

In the coolant tank I will have a magnet, vacuum sealed in a food preserver bag, that should take care of any swarf that finds it's way into the tank.

Hopefully I will be able to place the mill on the stand in the next few days. Then I can machine up some proper spacers to sit on top of the chip tray. Any variation in height for the mill table I'm hoping I will be able to do with further face milling or wet stone.

Cheers,

Simon

With your coolant tank, I would put a old round speaker magnet around the drain hole, and is there any way to have a plastic funnel to feed into it the tank?

If you can, you can then put some fly wire in the funnel at the top to catch aluminium etc that is not magnetic, and then a old round speaker magnet at the bottom to catch the swarf before it reaches the tank. Then have the magnet in the zip lock bag as a fail safe for any that gets past.

I have this same set up on my bandsaw and find I get nothing in the tank, and if I am cutting plastic or aluminium I can just take the fly wire out and empty it in the bin.
Even if you are not running coolant when machining plastic or aluminium, there will be bits left in the tray that will get carried down when you do use it.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

With your coolant tank, I would put a old round speaker magnet around the drain hole, and is there any way to have a plastic funnel to feed into it the tank?

If you can, you can then put some fly wire in the funnel at the top to catch aluminium etc that is not magnetic, and then a old round speaker magnet at the bottom to catch the swarf before it reaches the tank. Then have the magnet in the zip lock bag as a fail safe for any that gets past.

I have this same set up on my bandsaw and find I get nothing in the tank, and if I am cutting plastic or aluminium I can just take the fly wire out and empty it in the bin.
Even if you are not running coolant when machining plastic or aluminium, there will be bits left in the tray that will get carried down when you do use it.

Dave

That's a great idea Dave. I have already committed myself to a similar system. Committed by the fact that I have folded up and welded a dedicated swarf catcher that will slide in above the coolant tank. It was the off cut after I cut the steel for the chip tray so it's 2mm and probably heavier than it needed to be but hey it was a left over!

It's 200 x 260 x 200 deep. The bottom is sloped so the coolant will drain and inside is a sheet of aluminium with rows of 1mm holes drilled to act as a filter. It's nearly finished. I'll take a pic of it when it's done. A funnel would have been easier, quicker, cheaper but then I wouldn't have had the fun in folding the steel, welding it, linishing it and checking for leaks would I? Actually it's not that easy welding a sheet metal box together and then linishing it to the point where you nearly remove all the weld again just so it looks flat and neat yet not leak!

I might put the magnet inside the tray underneath the aluminium sheet as there is a small amount of room due to the sloping bottom...

Cheers,

Simon

OK Probably the last post on this thread as there is not much left to talk about and I don't want to bore people to death!

I may take one more pic with the mill sitting proudly on its stand.

Here are some pics of the swarf trap and filtration system I have made. The coolant and swarf wash through the hole on the tray and into a metal box with a aluminium plate with small holels. This box can be slid out and emptied. Even with the box slid out, any coolant will still drain into the coolant tank. Obviously I'm yet to use it but I'm reasonably happy with the set up. Some flyscreen mesh placed on top of the coolant tank with a magnet sitting on it will catch any magnetic swarf that manages to pass through the swarf box.

Cheers,

Simon

Hi Simon,
Looks a $1000000. Now to get the mill on top.

Stuart

Nice job, came up great.
I might use that idea when I make my combined coolant tank to link up my machines.

Dave

I forgot to say, I don't think people are getting board wit it. Often most people don't supply enough pictures of there builds like you have.
I am sure you thread will be looked at many times over the coming to come with people looking for ideas of coolant on a mill drill and stand design.

Dave

Lookin good, great job. Yes a pic with the mill on top , hell yes.

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

He'll yea! Let's get that freakin mill on top and make some swarf! It may have to wait till after easter as im working over easter and then camping for 4 days and then scraping!

Thanks for the positive comments guys!

Simon