Max Payne Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Considering buying a mill. What would be your recommendation for a mill if I want to spend less than $2.000? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Save your money......Get a Bridgeport with X,Y & Z, digital read out Most commercial vertical mills like Bridgeport's run on 440-VAC. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I would not buy a mill (or recommend one) based on a budget. Tell us what you need to do with it now (and project the future) and how much you will use it. Can you get three phase 240 AC power, with 30 amp service? That often makes or breaks getting a "commercial" milling machine. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I have a $500 Harbor Freight mini mill. It's not capable of any serious gunsmith work - especially barrel or larger or long objects. But I use it a LOT for all kinds of things. Many things it wasn't intended to do. I'd like to get a mini mill. Maybe at Christmas when they have a super coupon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Jet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I have an mid size ENCO (36") mill that I really like. It operates on 240 3Ph. I've done a lot of precision milling with it on everything from diesel tractor parts to guns of different types. It cost new about $2200 complete with an XYZ digital 19 years ago. Jet is a comparable brand machine now. Most milling machines can handle gunsmithing jobs, but you need good technique, good cleanliness, good backlash management, knowledge of metals and heat treatments, good quality = EXPENSIVE attachments, vises, parallels, micrometers, collet sets, tooling bits, rotary tables, etc. etc., etc., etc., (seemingly goes on forever) Be aware you will spend, considerably more on accessories than what you spend initially on the machine itself. The import tooling is better now than in the past, and works for most farm, home, auto jobs, but for precision work on things like guns or aircraft parts, it is often less than adequate. For Gunsmithing, I suggest you cough up 3X as much for American made specific task tooling and save some damaged workpieces/guns. Just speaking from experience. Get yourself a free catalog from a good industrial supplier like MSC, and browse before you buy. Always good advice. OH---- IMPORTANT!!!!! If you don't have training and experience milling, don't try to learn on your guns. Get some remnant pieces of steel from a nearby supplier - - usually sold by the pound. There are some good learning videos out there in industrial catalogs. Watch out using You Tube for this purpose. Finally, If you're inexperienced, I suggest you Google "Milling Machine Accidents, video" and watch the OSHA videos to make yourself aware of hidden hazards. There are some out there. Hope this us helpful. Good luck in your endeavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I have a Bridgeport clone--Taiwan mfg from the 80s. These are commonly referred to as a knee mill. Mine was a spare machine in a shop for most of it's life so it was very lightly used. Cost just over $2k with a vise. It is 3 phase 2hp but it's easy to get a VFD that will run it at 220V (most mills of this ilk will run on 220 or 440 3 phase.). The VFD was about $150. Wired it to 220V single phase in my shop. Most mills are R8 taper, which is the most economical tooling to buy new. The cost of the mill is only the start of course. Tooling will cost more than the mill itself. I probably have $3000 in tooling. Test gauges, parallels, 1-2-3 blocks, collet sets, face mills, end mills, roughers, micrometers, axial gauges, etc, etc... A good 6 inch vise is $800 or more if you don't get one with the mill. Moving a mill like this is a challenge. I have a flatbed trailer and the seller loaded it on the trailer with a forklift. Weight is about 2500lb. I rented the skid steer to unload it at home. I would advise against any table top version or a Chinese import. If you must buy a new one, get a Taiwan mfg. Generally better quality. Here are some pics of mine, moving into my shop, and set up. If you are not electrical savvy you'll need an electrician to hook it up. I did mine myself. (I'm an engineer). I have x axis power feed (the mill does z axis power feed as well) and x-y DRO. I added a Z axis DRO. The final picture is the power switch that supplies the VFD (white box in the middle) and the x-y DRO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Payne Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 Thanks for the replies. I realize I didn't do a good job of describing what I'd like to be able to do. I do not intend to try to become what I would consider a competent professional gunsmith. I'd like to be able to skeletonize & tune a carrier, properly tune up a bolt without using a file, including setting headspace & rounding off some of the square edges. I'd like to try my hand at coil spring conversion for the bolt extractor. I have a pretty good box of parts that I could screw up during the learning process, so I would certainly not start out ruining any of my good gun parts. I think what I'd like to be able to do is all pretty simple stuff. I wouldn't be doing any volume work, just doing some of my own stuff from time to time. I think the main thing I'd like to be able to do is set up a new bolt, again with something more precise than a file. I only shoot 73's for rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sam, SASS #10915 Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 If you have a VoTec school in your area, see if they offer a course in machine tool operation. I took the course in Orlando at Mid Florida Tech. They were very tolerant of old farts taking a class with the kids. I learned a lot, including that a combo lathe-mill is not the best route. Combos will do most of the work I wanted to do, but are not as precise or as convenient as stand alone machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 I wouldn't worry about the electric side of things Max. I suspect Blackhawk can fix you up with whatever you need in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 After thinking over your OP, I am wondering if you've thought of picking up a good used mill. With the industry converting over to CNC machining, there are a good number of older and well-made manual machines on the market, at excellent prices. Many of them have been well maintained and are still very good machines, and because CNC machines use different tooling, many sell-off machines come equipped with most of the needed accessories. Unless you have shiny new equipment stars in your eyes, I would suggest a careful look at the used market. A half-day of clean up, and most of them might even look shiny new. (I prefer them to look like they have a history, but that's just personal taste.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew McCrae Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 On 7/30/2019 at 4:37 PM, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: Save your money......Get a Bridgeport with X,Y & Z, digital read out Most commercial vertical mills like Bridgeport's run on 440-VAC. OLG What OLG said. I've had one in my shop for close to 20 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew McCrae Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Oh and I can walk you through a VFD or a Rotary phase converter install. i'm a former Factory trained Drivecon technician Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawyer Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 What Max didn’t say—-He is looking for a machine Ophelia can use! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tully Mars Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 My mill is not an industrial sized mill. It fits perfectly in a corner of my two car garage, runs on 110 volts and will do everything you've listed above. Using this mill I've cut dovetails, relieved brass carriers, faced barrels that I've shorted on the saw and many other things. I have to be patient and not try to make big cuts, but for myself it works great. That's a Kurt vise, it's worth the money. Try Craigslist for accessories. Just wanted to say there are options to milling machines for folks wanting a hobby machine. This machine will do as accurate of work as your are capable of doing. This and my lathe came from a good friend and Cowboy shooter. Tully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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