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Another homemade milling machine

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shipto:
Since I have allowed this to get in the way of other stuff I should be doing I thought I would start the thread.
I have wanted a mill for a long time and despite following searches for one close to to me I havent been able to find one thats the right size, the right money or combination of those.
pic 1) Is a bit of 150mm X 100mm x 5mm wall box section that was left over from a one off job at work which I have held onto for years with bits for my origional idea for knee slide welded on.
pic 2) It needs some holes for mounting it on the lathe for facing etc. These will probably be no use other than increasing the rigidity after it has been machined so I will just put some caps over them.
pic 3) I want to be able to move the head up and down to allow drilling operations so this pad will have the dovetail for that bolted to it. If all goes to plan I will be able to get rid of the terrible drill press I have.
pic 4) Finally for now the discussed (in the design shop) bit to allow future use as a horizontal mill and a extra clamping hole.

shipto:
So first post was all pics taken at work and after I had finished trying to work out if I needed anything else on it I took it home and mounted it on my lathe so I could face of the bits that matter flat pic 1 and 2.
Another item I have been hoarding was aquired when our company brought out a failing competitor many years ago (missed out on a arbour press which was chucked while I was in between factories  :doh: ) Anyway it was a old solid cast iron bender capable of bending probably 8mm X 100mm flat with a big enough tube to pull it round. I used it a few times but it needed a permanent solid base and it wasnt useful enough to warrant the space. Now it may seem like sacrilege but I cut it up for this project and pic 3 shows a bit of it being turned into a dovetail guide for the head of the mill while pic 4 shows it in place.
As you can see the bandsaw at work struggled a little to cut it up but the mark will have no effect on the operation of the mill.
Not sure if theres a better way to check but pics 5 and 6 tell me its not bad at all for straightness.

shipto:
After much tedious machining with my lathe during which time I often thought really need a mill to do this  :doh: I have 3 of the bits for the knee slide sorted out the pic shows them in place but not yet fixed I am still mulling over how to ensure they are fixed on straight.

ieezitin:
Interesting... Very nice work, you will be rewarded well when its finished..

Anthony.

sparky961:

--- Quote from: shipto on March 19, 2017, 04:12:01 PM ---After much tedious machining with my lathe during which time I often thought really need a mill to do this  :doh: I have 3 of the bits for the knee slide sorted out the pic shows them in place but not yet fixed I am still mulling over how to ensure they are fixed on straight.

--- End quote ---

Are you trying to attach them by welding and have them come out straight/flat enough to use as ways?  I hate to sound like a doubter, but that's not likely to happen without some work post-welding.  Bolting, maybe... but not welding.

Maybe you should build a lathe.  It is said that's the only machine tool that can replicate itself.  :bang:

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