Thread: milling machine stand

Originally Posted by Ueee

Hi,
As a cabinetmaker i guess i am privy to many things the general public are not. I use this style runner Full Extension Drawer Runner - MAXISALE (i get mine from Lincoln Sentry Group) for all my workshop storage. They take up 25mm like most runners but are full extension and very under-rated at 45kg.
The bottom drawer under my lathe holds a mill vice, 200mm chuck, face plate etc and runs fine. I have some on my "power tools" drawer, which is 800wide by 300 high or so and is filled to the brim-no problems.
The true test is the bin cupboard i made in a local florist shops fitout. I decided to use 2 sets in tandem here, as the drawer holds a 60l bin, which i have seen the staff stand in to squash the rubbish down, and after 4 years of everyday use they are still going strong!

Ewan

Hi Ewan,

Just had a look at your link. Those drawer runners are on special. The 500mm ones are $13.00 + $11.00 postage to my part of the world. That's what I would call a bargain! If I was to start my project now, I would probably save myself the trouble and by a couple of sets of them.

Maybe some other people will benefit from the link.

Cheers!

Simon

Your stand is coming along nicely and looks like it will turn out great. Be good when it's all finished and the mill is in place. The mill will be an extra pleasure to use on your own home made stand. It sure will beat those original tin boxes.
My HM30 is still on it's tin box, has been for years, it works though, so a home built stand is back there on one of the many "back burners". Your build is giving me a bit of a nudge, I should make time and extract the digit

Cheers.

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

Originally Posted by Log

Your stand is coming along nicely and looks like it will turn out great. Be good when it's all finished and the mill is in place. The mill will be an extra pleasure to use on your own home made stand. It sure will beat those original tin boxes.
My HM30 is still on it's tin box, has been for years, it works though, so a home built stand is back there on one of the many "back burners". Your build is giving me a bit of a nudge, I should make time and extract the digit

Cheers.

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

Thanks Log I need all the encouragement I can get!

As much as I'm happy so far with the way it's coming along, it's taking way too long to make but I only have so much time in the shed a week and I want to be happy with the end product.

I know if I rush it or take short cuts it will really annoy me each time I use the mill. I want it to be a pleasure to use, not a chore. I'm nearly over it though. I just want to start making stuff!

Simon

One thing that I have been thinking of, in regards to the coolant and the chip tray and drainage...

When you level the stand, is it advantageous to set the stand with an ever so slight tilt toward the coolant drain point?

Also, I am yet to cut and fit the plumbing for the coolant drainage, should I do that at the front, rear, middle or on the side? I can't see any real benefits for any particular way other than what best suites the individuals liking. Then again some of the ideas that people come up with on here are so practical and elegant, they could only come from people who have years of practical experience, something that I don't have. With next to no milling experience I couldn't possibly think of every conceivable design consideration, no matter how much thought I put into it!

An aluminium chip tray, so that the swarf wand only picks up the swarf..... Now that's ingenious. I would never have thought to do that! Yea I know it's a few posts back but I just thought it was a great idea...

Cheers,

Simon

If the coolant pump is located under the table I would suggest either bringing the return in from either side or the rear,you wouldnt want it at the front if there was a dooorway or axis point.
If the pump was accessed from the side you would probably have the return on the opposite side or rear.
Where were you going to locate the pipe fitting for the table drain?
Were you going to have 2 return lines or were you going to join the table and tray drain?

Originally Posted by pipeclay

If the coolant pump is located under the table I would suggest either bringing the return in from either side or the rear,you wouldnt want it at the front if there was a dooorway or axis point.
If the pump was accessed from the side you would probably have the return on the opposite side or rear.
Where were you going to locate the pipe fitting for the table drain?
Were you going to have 2 return lines or were you going to join the table and tray drain?

Hi Pipeclay,

I was intending to have to return lines direct to the coolant tank, one for the table and one for the tray. Was hoping that the majority of the coolant will find it's way directly from the table, with only a splash or two being captured by the tray. However, as I said earlier I have no experience with using coolant or how messy it can get. I guess I'm assuming that as long as I don't really push the machine or cutters to their max then a trickle of coolant will do most of the time?

The coolant tank will be located underneath the stand at the rear where the drawers finish. The drawers do not go the full depth, allowing about 300mm for the tank and pump at the rear.

The most direct path for the coolant to drain from the tray would be at the rear under the base of the mill itself. The coolant would almost run directly in the tank even without a hose although a hose will be fitted. Would this cause issues, having the drain for the coolant under the mill base? Under normal conditions it would make the drain inaccessible other than through about a 25mm gap between the base and the tray. The only thing I can think of is if swarf was washed underneath because of the coolant flow could become a real hassle to clean out...

Cheers,

Simon

Simon,
In my experience a decent stream of coolant is best as it washes the swarf away from the cut. You do tend to end up with coolant everywhere sometimes, mostly when drilling and a long shaving gets caught around the drill. Vices also tend to spread coolant everywhere especially if some of the vice overhangs the table.

Ewan

Originally Posted by Ueee

Simon,
In my experience a decent stream of coolant is best as it washes the swarf away from the cut. You do tend to end up with coolant everywhere sometimes, mostly when drilling and a long shaving gets caught around the drill. Vices also tend to spread coolant everywhere especially if some of the vice overhangs the table.

Ewan

Thanks Ewan,

Now that I know your a cabinet maker I will have to be very careful about my joinery and any pictures I post. I'm certainly no cabinet maker that's for sure! What I would consider to be a good timber join would probably make you cringe!

Hey, no one has answered the question about levelling the stand or placing some bias towards the coolant drain. This may influence the location of the coolant drain in the tray. The coolant drain for the table is on the RHS facing rear. Having the coolant drain at the front of the tray and then placing a slight tilt towards the front would mean more coolant pooling in the table....

Does coolant pool in the table anyway?
Sorry, so many questions....

Simon

Just out of interest and while I think of it. Here is a picture of the drain attachment for the tray. It came with the stand I got with the mill. I have since sold the stand but kept the fitting in case I wanted to use it...

The other picture as you can see is of the coolant drain on the table. It seems about 5mm above the bottom of the table so coolant will tend to pool there anyway. I don't know why they don't drill and tap the hole as close to the bottom as possible.

Cheers,

Simon

Draining your machine table means that there mostly won't be a lot of coolant ending up in the tray. It would be ideal if the tray was tilted a bit but tilting might just make the leveling of your mill table more problematic.
You can just push little puddles in the tray towards the drain hole when the job is finished and the machine is cleaned .

Big trap is, bugger it, the tray usually becomes another horizontal storage area

Of course you don't have to have the mill table level but it is handy if you wish to set jobs on angles using a protractor head and its built in bubble, you can though of course make compensation for a table that is not level but that then makes it more involved and prone to error.

Cheers.

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

The other picture as you can see is of the coolant drain on the table. It seems about 5mm above the bottom of the table so coolant will tend to pool there anyway. I don't know why they don't drill and tap the hole as close to the bottom as possible.

Cheers,

Simon

My Hm30 hasn't got any table drain holes in it though the tin box stand tray has a drain hole, so you are lucky yours has. . I just use oil or spread a bit of Trefolex or Rocol cutting compound on the job.

Cheers.

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

I was going to suggest 2 folds diagonally in your tray, but thought it would upset you mill bolting down.
With your table drain, a lot of companies are now putting that fitting in the end to allow for a DRO scale on the back so it doesn't get in the way. Mine is a bit different than yours as the table is thicker. I really don't think it will bother you much because it will pool in the other end as well.

I am not sure what part of your mill touches the stand, but could you machine packers so the stand and mill are level, but the tray is tilted?
Coolant will fly around, I suggested to Stuart a while back about using a baking tray under his vise to help with coolant etc, and it works fine.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

I was going to suggest 2 folds diagonally in your tray, but thought it would upset you mill bolting down.
With your table drain, a lot of companies are now putting that fitting in the end to allow for a DRO scale on the back so it doesn't get in the way. Mine is a bit different than yours as the table is thicker. I really don't think it will bother you much because it will pool in the other end as well.

I am not sure what part of your mill touches the stand, but could you machine packers so the stand and mill are level, but the tray is tilted?
Coolant will fly around, I suggested to Stuart a while back about using a baking tray under his vise to help with coolant etc, and it works fine.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I was thinking of a way to have the tray tilted but the mill level. It may end up being more trouble than it's worth. I will have a think about it on night shift tonight....

Cheers

Simon

What part and shaper of you mill touches the base? It would be good to have it running to the back.

Dave