What accesories do I need to buy with a new milling machine?

[Brian Rupnow]

Yes, a dumb question to those of you who have a mill or worked with them in the past. I am very new to owning a mill (it hasn't even arrived yet), and I need to know what "accesories" I will need. I have requested that the business I am purchasing the mill from order in a complete set of collets---they have told me that this machine has an M2 spindle taper, and that it needs M2 collets to work with it. I'm not certain that I need all of the different sizes, but a complete set of these collets is only $114.00. I know that I will need a milling vice ---I will probably buy a very simple one for my "learning" phase. I see that they are available with an angularly adjustable base, but I don't know if I need that because the head and column on this machine will tilt. What holds the collets in place?--do I need a through the spindle drawbar? What do you suggest for cutters?--I have a 1" dia. end mill that I bought when I was experimenting with milling in my lathe. I don't want to buy a vast assortment of cutters that I may never use, but are there 2 or 3 basic types/sizes of cutters that you would recomend to a novice? I did buy a book today by Arnold Throp, "Vertical Milling in the Home Workshop" but I didn't find it to be all that helpfull. What else do I need besides a vice, collets, and cutters. I know that eventually a dividing head might be nice, but I'm not ready for that yet. I do have a good angle plate that I bought when I got my lathe. I am assuming that I can use this milling machine to drill holes---I have a chuck with a tapered shank that fits into the tailstock of my lathe, and the literature with my lathe says that it has an MT2 taper in the tailstock, so I think that I will be able to use it in my mill. Any and all help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.--I just read through the literature (see the link) and it appears that this mill comes with its own chuck.---Brian
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=2103560612081925058&NTITEM=CT129

 

[bretk]

Brian,

I doubt that you will need a complete set of collets to start out with, just the standard 1/8" sizes to 1/2 or 3/4 will do. A good drill chuck is a must. A set of parallels for the vise to raise your work to the proper height, an edge/center finder/wiggler for locating points on the work. A holdown kit of some sort. as far as endmills go, you can find a set of imports for around 45 USD at enco that would be a good start.

-Bret

 

[kvom]

V blocks for holding round stock

 

[Cedge]

A good vise.... cheap ones allow the jaw to rise when tightening them. I like the screwless type since it prevents the problem. Travers has their Phase II Kurt style on sale right now complete with a swivel base. I'm considering this one very strongly.

Steve

 

[chuck foster]

hey brian
great looking mill, one really nice thing to have with your new mill is a small set of fly cutters. these are the type that use a standard lathe tool bit and you can sharpen them as they get dull.
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=2230180613081926445&NTITEM=B090

i like them because you can cut a large surface nice and flat in one or two passes. ;D

a dial indicator is another nice tool to have, a machinists precision square for setting up work.
another nice tool but not a necessity is a rotary table, for locating holes and milling radius's. i just bought one from busybee tools today.
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=2230180613081926445&NTITEM=B061

there are allot of tools and things you could add to your mill but it all depends on what you are going to make.

a good paint brush,shop vacuum and a son who likes to clean up the mess when you are done is a priceless addition to any shop and i just happen to have one of those ;D

chuck

 

[Brian Rupnow]

So----This morning I went hog wild---Went up to Busy Bee and bought #1---A milling vice. Not an expensive one at $46.00, but a sturdy, well made unit. #2--Two MT2 collets, a 3/8" and a 1/2"---that will fit the full range of cutters I purchased. #3 A variety of 4 flute end mills (the type which are also capable of a plunge cut) I got 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", and a 5/8".---I also have a 1" that I had purchased with the lathe 3 months ago. The shanks will fit one or the other of the collets I purchased. #4 --A set of fly cutters with 1/2" shanks. I bought two carbide tools for the two largest flycutters, and a peice of HSS for the smallest size flycutter. #5--four lengths of 1/2" square HSS which I will use as parallels. #6-A fancy schmansey Laser edge finder, #7-A rotary table/indexing head, #7--A tailstock mount to use with the indexing head, and #8---The humungous carbide flycutter (3" diameter, which I will never use)???--They threw that in free because one of the carbides had fallen off and someone had returned it. I tried to buy a boring head, but they didn't have one in stock and had to order it. This set me back a total of about $650.00, the largest ticket item being the rotary/indexing head. On one hand, I'm a bit horrified at the money I spent, on the other hand, that only represents about 2 days of engineering work, and better I should get it now while I'm still working and can write most of it off, than when I retire and have no money coming in.

 

[rake60]

My kind of shopping trip Brian!

And, I'll bet you weren't asked even once to hold a purse.

Very nice toys!
(I MEAN tools!!!)

Rick

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I came across 50 pages of excellent instructions on "How to run a milling machine" at this link. There is one part of it that concerns me. In the section where they are talking about milling vices, they say that a good milling vice should have slots milled in the underside parallel to and at 90 degrees to the base, which will accept keys, to fit into the T slots in the milling machine bed to align the vice to the bed. I had to run down to my shop and check my new vice that I purchased yesterday, and it does not have this provision. Is this an important issue? If so, perhaps I should return this vice and get a different one.---My rational for buying a rotary/indexing head this early in the game was that I could buy a plain, non swivelling base vice and bolt it to the rotary table if I wanted to swivel the vice. That way my plain vice would be less expensive, and I know that the rotary head will get used as I become more adept at machining in a mill. Now I see that without these key slots that are mentioned in the article, it will be almost impossible to center the vice on the rotary table. Is any of this a real concern or am I anticipating problems that are not really there????

 

[ksouers]

Brian,
My vise does not have a key slot either. The vise is hardened so there is no way to put one in it. I have a screwless vise that has been ground on all surfaces to be square and parallel so all I do is use a machinist's square to get it close then tweak into place with a DTI. The key is not necessary, just a convenience. I've never checked them, but I wouldn't trust my mill's T-slots to be square anyway.

I think you made a fine purchase and will not have any problems.

 

[ksouers]

Sorry Brian. I didn't look closely at the picture to see that it was a drill press vise.

This is the vise I got from LMS:

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1591&category=3
for $45US.

They also have a slightly larger one
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1590&category=3
for $50US.

 

[Cedge]

Rupnow
That is the same vise I have, but in a 4 inch version. These clamps are what I'm using and they work quite well. http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2675

Steve