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  • #55510
    mclark3617
    Participant

      Also remember when using HSS cutters, if the chips are blue your rpm are too fast, lue chips are bad, you will burn up your cutter. Now the rules are different with carbide. But with little parts you wouldnt need carbide.

      #55511
      bernie weishapl
      Participant

        Congrats on the new machine. I agree and found that out that blue chips are not good. I have access to a machine and of course have a mentor to help hence I have never gotten one. I don’t use it often but when needed well you know it is invaluable. Have fun and practice.

        #55512
        david pierce
        Participant

          William,
          if you go to Youtube and watch modern machines in operation notice that almost every machine made today has sliding doors. This is because they run at faster feeds and speeds than the machines designed in previous years and require a flood of coolant to control the cutting process. Your gunsmith mill will function fine at lower speeds and feeds using cheap motor oil and a paint brush to help the cutting operation.
          david

          #55513
          willofiam
          Moderator

            Hey, thanks guys, this mill does have a coolant pump, the guy I bought it from said he never used it, he built small steam engines with this…I went to a mom and pop metal supply shop only a couple of miles from me, he has all kinds of scraps of brass, steel, aluminum, problem is he wasnt there because of a family medical issue and not sure when he will be back, hope all goes well for them, I would rather spend money at a small family business than some large corporation. Currently setting everything up, went thru the machine with a fine tooth comb (almost looks new), made some way covers out of a truck tire innertube, making a space for it in the shop and hopefully will roll it in today. I am imagining late nights this week doing some practice milling :D I have not even looked at all the cutting bits yet, I would say 100 or more, many shapes and sizes most unused, trying to figure out how I will organize all this stuff so I can find and learn what I need when I need it. William

            #55514
            chris mabbott
            Participant

              Photos William please, you’re keeping us in suspense 😯

              Now I know who to ask if I need a spare gear or two churning out, possibly a new case, made of silver?

              Chris

              #55515
              mclark3617
              Participant

                You will almost never have to use a coolant pump with just light cutting, a spray bottle will work fine if needed.
                If you plan on really working a chunk of tool steal or high carbon steel then it may come in handy, like with a turbo mill.
                Also with stainless, remember with stainless heat is not good, it will make the metAl warp and bend all over the place. Keep stainless as cool as possible.
                They have books on what coolants work best with what steels, but that is only a consern with high production

                #55516
                willofiam
                Moderator

                  Thanks guys, Mclark3617 I never thought about the spray bottle, great idea….I bought some chunks of 6061 aluminum, brass, cold rolled steel, tempered steel at the guy I was talking about, he is better now and has really been a great help, I am glad he is back in action and I think we will start up a good relationship, several guys there were asking for my business card as we talked about milling.

                  So far I have learned to “clock” the table, I think thats what it is called, square the vise using a spindle dial indicator, finding edges with a starret edge finder (the one that is spring loaded and smooths out when the edge is found, -.1″) squared up a large chunk of aluminum, played with the DRO milling grooves, shoulders and angles for specific measurements in all axis, pretty accurate, need to work on seating the piece in the vise perfectly as one edge was off a bit (I did make sure the surface was clean and used a dead blow) somewhere I think I missed a step in the squaring up process, will have to go over that again. For the aluminum while facing I was using 490 rpm with a 3″ facing bit, smaller size end mills I went up to 920rpm, I went through the machinery’s handbook to find the rpm for aluminum but it didnt make sense to me, It seemed like a much higher speed would work but I am a little leery being so new. I am manually feeding.

                  Hey Chris, take a look at my shop pictures, I added a couple of the mill.

                  David, I bought that dividing head, I pulled the trigger before I got your response, I may have paid a bit more for it but I was able to talk with the guy and he will stand behind it, also said I could call him anytime if I had questions on machining, I guess it just had to happen that way. should be a nice setup to last a lifetime, who knows if I will use it at full capability, maybe?
                  Thanks again guys, have a fantastic night, William

                  #55517
                  mclark3617
                  Participant

                    I think what you call clocking i call traming, its squaring the head up to the table,,,that can get tricky.

                    As far as getting it to lay flat, it could be your vise is sprunk or mabey just not that square, in any case just put a piece of paper on the top edge of the vise opposit the side that it lifting. if your part is not square it wont tap down flat either cause it will always want to line up flat against the back jaw. Thats were the paper will force it down flat on the parallels

                    That edge finder you have is a good one but only acurate to about .005, if you want it right on theres a way to pick up the edge with your indicator in the spindle. Its hard to explain, it involve getting your spindle centered on the edge and adjusting your indicator to read “0” as you rotate it back and forth, then you lift it over the edge turn the indicator 180 and place a block against the “0” edge and the indicator should read “0” again. Its hard to explain, you almost need to be shown.

                    Aluminum is funny, they say runn it real fast, you can but you dont have to, and if you run it too fast without coolent you will notice the aluminum melting and sticking to the cutter edge.

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