horizontal mill question

[hammers-n-nails]

this is going to seem like a dumb question to you experianced machinists on the board but what is a horizontal mill most commonly used for? the reason i ask is because the old man and i went to the home of an old machinist about an hour away the other day who had passed away whos family was selling off his machines, most of them where priced at about thier value but he had an old horizontal mill from the 50's a (something)millwalkee with a 15hp motor, i cant tell you the working limits but i can say our initial estimate of its weight(5000-6000lbs) was much too low judging by the fact that my 160lbs could hardly raise it with a 5-ton chain hoist. but anyway his widow was asking a mere $600 for it and 2 5 gal buckets of cutters so i say how could you go wrong buying a machine at scrap price? the only problem is i dont know how to use it or what its used for, i firgured i could use it to more easily suqare up large blocks and get them close to final size, but i know there has got to be more uses for it that that. any advise would be appreciated. i will post pics next time i get out there. p.s. he also got a small surface grinder and 1/4 5/16 3/8 and 5/8 broaches with bushings.

 

[Deanofid]

The main difference is the horizontal mill doesn't have the same quill feed we are accustomed to with vertical mills. For removing a great deal of material they are hard to beat. Also great for cutting gears and splined shafts, keyways, and the like.
You'll have to get used to machining your parts using whatever shell and side cutters are available, (still quite a lot to be had).
If you take the arbor support off you can use end mills for doing things like boring and cutting pockets, but you have to look at your work from the back side of the knee table.


A great deal of machinery was manufactured on these machines for WWII armament.

Dean