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Small bench top milling machine


Engine Doctor
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  • 2 months later...
  • 5 weeks later...

No couldn't find anything at reasonable price. I fitted a vertical slide on my lathe and bought a small vice for that so can now mill parts on the lathe . More  faffing about but a considerable saving. 

Ps . I did find a table top Mill on line for around £ 600 after I had sorted the vertical slide . Looks OK with good reviews and half the price of the Sealy machine.

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Thanks for the heads up on the milling machine, that particular jam jar is filling up very slowly.

 

A milling machine would be extremely handy at this very moment, very tricky job to do on a bike carb, 3mm sheared off screw ( not by me ! ) in 5mm alloy "tower" with no room for any "inaccuracy" else carb becomes scrap.

 

I got the other 3 out successfully via mig method thankfully.

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Rich,

Using alum to dissolve steel from aluminium is a technique I haven't used myself but there are plenty of instructional vids on youtube. It seems a very effective method of solving what is a difficult problem. It's just a case of making a solution of alum in water and submerging the component in it till the steel has all gone. There are various chemicals referred to as alum but I believe the one you would use for this process is aluminium sulphate.

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Thanks Andy and Don.

 

I have not heard of this technique before so have learnt something new today !

 

I recon I will not be alone in that respect.

 

A friend of a friend has a high degree in chemistry. I have been badgering him for some years about a possible chemical for just this purposes, in powder form so easily sent via post etc., cheap and non toxic, just mix with water.

 

Maybe he just didn't see the "marketing opportunity" or just didn't " join the dots", anyway It sounds perfect for the application.

 

Will do more research.

 

Maybe I knew about this stuff but just didn't realise it ?

 

Bring back ou programs on the TV Bazzil, edutainment rather than the absolute rubbish shown these days.

 

Beer and bingo is not for everyone.

 

Thanks again both, much appreciated

 

 Will report back when I get and use the product.

Edited by Rich Griff
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On 22/11/2021 at 15:31, Ron Gray said:

If you’re looking for a small milling machine the Proxxon MF70 is an excellent tool @ circa £300. Their FF230 is double that.

Hi Ron . I did look at those but too small. I was hoping to find a  decent used Clarke or Machine mart bench top  that would also double and replace my Clarke drill press. Too expensive to buy new  for the small ammount of milling I do.

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I tried this with reasonably hefty pillar drill and a small XY table vice before the days of the internet to tell me the pitfalls - the worst of them being that there’s no provision for a draw bar resulting in the chuck dropping out far too regularly. 
 

The small Clarke CMD300 mill that I bought some years ago has been invaluable for lightweight work such as model undercarriages and I use it constantly as a precision drill, reserving the pillar drill for heavier drilling.  You do need to go carefully as the gears are plastic and rigidity suffers if you try to give it too much work. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I bit the bullet and bought myself a Christmas present  . I chose the Draper bench top Mill. Loads for sale on the net but nearly all are the same machines with different labels but price varies by  about £ 200 !

Now need to source a belt drive upgrade kit to cure the plastic gear issue. Should be fine for a while .?.

Edited by Engine Doctor
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5 hours ago, Engine Doctor said:

I can manage the handbags but nobody can convince SWMBO that its more important than diamonds! ?&

Ditto. She has been a bit guilty about a red handbag I lately signed for. Very nice workmanship, and a calf leather I think. Italian. Handbags get consumed by a Goblin. They don’t increase. She also does the banking and accounts. 

She has a hypothesis that the glitter will be assumed to be glass, and not subject to robbery. 
Anyway, a bigger lathe would be nice, but mine does, and I have no room for bigger. 
 

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