So I'm buying some equipment, and would like anyones opinion!

[BlakeMcKee]

Since this will be a high dollar investment, on a Lathe and Mill I want some quality opinions. I'm not loaded cash wise and i'm kinda looking for decent, cheap route here! I've been browsing craigslist and there just isn't too much on there at the moment in my area. 1 one of my hundreds of questions I'd like answered, and it may be a dumb one :big: . Is there a difference between a "Drill press" and a "Mill"? To me, they look the same; and I can find more upon searching for drill press than I can searching just plan mill. I found a decent deal on a drill press, and I was wondering if it would be adequate for this line of "work". http://www.harborfreight.com/16-speed-floor-drill-press-43378.html . If you have a slightly better suggestion, around same price range ( 2-300ish ) by all means let me know! As for a lathe i'm pretty sure i'm gonna purchase a Sherline 4000. If you guys think I might break my lathe, please point me to the cheapest metal lathe around because I do not wanna spend $600ish bucks on something, just to break it! Thanks guys!

[Edit] Maybe this little lathe? http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Small+Metal+Lathe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14977473664693987202&ei=ryHGTJzdF8X_lgeHlO2KAg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCwQ8wIwAg#

 

[hammers-n-nails]

well the main differences in a lathe and a drill press is that the mill has radial bearings to take the considerable side-loads from using endmills and such, whereas a drill press has bearings for the axial loads but the radial bearings cant handle milling. also a mill will have a knee with ways and screws for precise movement of the table, most drill presses just have a flat plate to clamp the work to.
i dont know how much room youve got to work with but you can find older emerican lathes in the 12-14" swing range on ebay for around $1200.

 

[kcmillin]

Blake, First off, what are you going to be using these machines for?

I have never used the shereline but I have heard many good things about them. They are great for small engines, if thats what your into.

There is a HUGE difference between a mill and a drill press.

First of all you will see an X-Y table on it. This is a necessity for any milling job.

Think of the name, a milling machine "Mills" metal, and a drill press is ONLY DESIGNED FOR DRILLING.

The bearings in that drill press are not designed for side loads, only drilling loads.

I have milled with a drill press with an X-Y table mounted on it and I would not recommend it.

I would suggest a Sheraline mill, or one of the X2 or X3 mini and small mills. These are available for a decent price and are worth the extra money for what they can to.

There is a bunch of good info in this link for getting started.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9413.0

Hope to see some projects in the future. Thm:

Kel

 

[BlakeMcKee]

Thank you for the information and yes definitely gonna be doing small engines! When I get said equipment I will first temp to make either a small radiator or gas tank for start since those to me look the "easiest". I have a lot of studying to do before I can create a master piece ( any small running IC engine IMO )! Machining is a form of art, and i don't know about you guys but I can't draw worth a damn! :'(

 

[Troutsqueezer]

Looks can be deceiving...

 

[Tin Falcon]

You can drill with a mill but can not mill with a drill press. Yes it has been done but the machine is not designed for this purpose and you are risking machine failure and or injury. If you are limited in space and or budget get some sort of mill and do not worry about having a drill press.
You can also do light limited milling on a lathe if needed.
If I was shopping for a small lathe and Had $ 500 in hand I would seriously consider this one
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=11168.0
American made and sounds like a decent amount of tooling.
Tin

 

[AR1911]

I'd recommend nothing less than a Seig X2 Minimill, which is the generic $400 unit available nearly everywhere.
After a tuneup, these are quite rigid and accurate.

As for your initial projects, gas tank or radiator, neither of these are typically milled items. They would be made up of sheet metal and tubing, bent and soldered.

 

[Cbowler]

Hi Blake,
You can't go wrong with the Sherline as long as you are not planning to build anything too large. It is a surprisingly powerful and sturdy machine for its size and there are many great accessories available for the modeler.
Cheers,
Cole