# new addition to the W/S



## minerva

Well Guys'
as promised a Pic of my new milling machine.
It arrived on a pallet yesterday and with the help of a couple of friends it was safely unpacked and lifted into place on to a suitably beefed up bench!
Today has been spent removing the statutory gunk/gunge and generally cleaning and lubricating, altogether a most satisfying days work.
Close inspection has revealed a well made substantial machine which at this stage I feel is adequate for my needs, having so said the Vice seems a little over the top (very heavy and solid!). Following advice from members I purchased at the same time a set of ER32 collets + chuck which will also fit my lathe and I intend to augment this collet system with specific MT3 collets to fit cutters already in my tool-box (Imperial sizes).
I have yet to bolt the machine down and wish to experiment to find the best place.
I only have one question mark at this stage.
The manual is of course traditional "Chinglish" and has no reference whatsoever to the operation of the fitted quill DRO. Its operation appears fairly straight forward, but the quill fine feed dial calibration which is marked .05mm/division does not concur with the DRO readout.
I haven't actually cut any chips yet so roll on tomorrow!
would welcome any thoughts on the DRO situation (do they need calibration?)
TIA
TerryT


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## New_Guy

nice new toy mate i think the quill DRO is something very simple and not unlike your standard digital verniers so i dont think you can change or fix settings that being said i really think its more accurate than the fine feed dial if you are worried about it then dial indicator on it and move the quill down say 5mm on to the dial and see if there is any variation in the DRO or the feed dial


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## Philjoe5

Nice mill Terry. Is that the new Grizzly G0704 offering or something similar? Machine weight about 250 lbs? Have fun with it.

Cheers,
Phil


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## minerva

Hi, NG/phil
I am just about to go and have a "play" so I will explore the dials and let you know how I get on.
Phil, the machine was obtained from a UK source, it is badged as can be seen on the pic an AMA25V (AMADEAL of leytonstone being the supplier) and I am afraid as I am unfamiliar with the Grizzly range I can't comment as to the manufacturer ,I suspect it may be "Real Bull" machine as the Finish/presentation is very similar to my lathe The weight is certainly in the right area! It took three of us to struggle/lift it from the pallet to the bench top with only one near- heart stopping moment, when I thought we had lost control over it, but hey-ho we managed!
Regards 
Terry


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## Philjoe5

Terry,
It appears to be this mill/drill that Grizzly has just introduced in the USA.






They don't have them in stock yet but it seems a good size between the Sieg X2's and X3's. I'll be interested in how you like it and any performance issues. Please keep us posted. Thanks,

Phil


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## minerva

Well Phil,
I have had a couple of days to play with my new machine, and I must say I am impressed 
the spec is as you suggested marginally up on the X3 in some respects and down on others but the results I have achieved have been impressive. Apart from having a problem with knowing how tight is "tight " with regards to the collets (coming from a routing background, I am only too aware how you can overtighten router collets) the machine is a joy to use. My first project was to make a start on a tee slotted "mezzanine " for the topslide of my Mini-lathe. I have had the lump of cast iron for a while now and I have taken the plunge, (photo's to follow) only time will tell how we go!
Regards
Terry


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## New_Guy

cant wait for photos great to hear your happy with your new machine and are getting good practice with it i think its a good size machine not to big but not to small


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## minerva

Hi all,
as promised some pictures of my first milling project carried out on the new machine, I am well satisfied!! 

I wasn't sure as whether it would be acceptable to post this here as a build project, or whether to resubmit elsewhere,(perhaps someone can advise?)

So for now the promised pictures :-

they are of "The lump" (cast iron) having the "T" slots cut,
the finished unit (suitably surface ground at college)
and finally the unit fitted to the lathe.
 I have other pics. and it wouldn't be too difficult to write up as a project if any mini lathe owners are interested. My original motivation was the difficulty I experienced with conventional parting off. and I hope this might overcome these problems once I have manufactured a suitable tool-holder
Regards 
TerryT


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## minerva

well the pics didn't seem to appear so i'll try again!


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## deere_x475guy

Nice mill..congrats...and looks like an interesting mod to your lathe.


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## ksouers

Terry,
That's a very nice extension table for the C2.

As for the appropriateness, it's your shop thread, you can post what you want.

It is suggested, however, that if you propose a build log that it be done in either Works In Progess for engines, Tools for tool builds and Machine Modifications for mods.

Don't worry, if something is not in the "correct" place we'll move it, no extra charge ;D


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## Philjoe5

Thanks for the update Terry. Looks like it's going to work very well in your shop

Cheers,
Phil


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## New_Guy

nice first project and you have access to a surface grinder they are so handy i can see your going to be making loads more great stuff i cant wait :bow:


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## Blogwitch

Terry,

Nice piece of machining.

I can't put t-slots into my cross slide because there is not enough meat in it, maybe I should measure up and see if your method will be suitable.


Bogs


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## kendo

Hi Terry
       Congrats on your new mill, pleased your happy with it, it also looks very
       similar to the Warco WM18 which is also variable speed.
       I am hoping to get up to the Harrogate gate show this year, where
       Warco have a stand there with theses mills on show. I am also thinking
       of puchasing one of these mills,so any more pro's and con's you can
       give would be a great help.
       BTW nice bit of maching on the mod for you lathe, you have done a
       first class job there. Looking forward to seeing some of your projects.

                   Cheers
                        Ken


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## minerva

Hi All,
thanks for the comments and advice Kevin,
I must admit Bogs that I also had some misgivings as to the amount of meat available on the cross slide but in sheer ignorance (wonderful what it does to ones confidence!) went ahead anyway, I used M5 bolts which quite happily fit and do not encroach into the dovetail. only time will tell as to the long term success of the project ( next project is to make a mounting to to fit the "tee" slots which will take my QCTP).
I have spent the day making a tangential tool holder and I have been suitably impressed with the results, a definite improvement in cut capacity and quality of finish, notwithstanding negating the need for tool post manipulation between facing and radial cuts.

Ken,
looking at the spec of the WM18 I suspect you may well be right, as I see it the only minor differences lie in the basic table size and swings and roundabouts on range of movement. One basic difference is the price! £785 plus £55 delivery as against £1250. but as usual you pays your money..... etc.
From my comments above I think you will quite rightly gather that I am really pleased with this machine. I have had to manufacture a suitable plate spanner for the ER32 collet chuck I purchased with the machine and on reflection I think that a smaller machine vice ( the one that I purchased with the machine is Huge! and solid) will enable a greater flexibility in machine operation but apart from that all is well. Having so said I am still exploring basic techniques and "set ups" will be another story which I am much looking forward to.


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## DickDastardly40

Nice addition Terry!

That you mentioned Leytonstone piqued my interest as that was where I grew up and my parents escaped from about 2 years ago. I googled the firm and it turns out they are situated just the other side of the railway viaduct from one of my old schools. I have been nosing around ME eqpt suppliers for a couple of years now and this is the first time I've heard of them.

Would you recommend them?

Al


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## minerva

Hi Al
I bought my lathe from Hugh some two years ago and have bought several accessories (4 jaw chuck, replacement hi/lo gear that I inadvertently destroyed and some odd collets ) and have experienced nothing but premium service. delivery by return of post (2 days in the case of the lathe, although he does offer next day service at a small price surcharge.
As previously mentioned my mill was delivered as promised on time and I must add the carrier went out of his way to unload said mill "inside my work shop" with judicious us of his fork truck.
I can say that to date I personally cannot find fault!


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## Maryak

Terry,

A very nice idea and one into my roundtuit file. Thanks for sharing. :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## minerva

Hi Bob,
thanks for your interest,as I said above only time will tell how successful it will be but nothing ventured nothing gained!
I am operating mostly using an "Empirical Model" (suck it and see) and a very much seat of the pants approach! Tooling such as the tangential tool-holder did not exist in my youth so it was a pleasant surprise to find after a little experimentation that this little addition to my tooling has proved to be a panacea for many of the niggly finish/ cutting capacity difficulties that I have put up with for the past couple of years.
I attach a pic of the said tool-holder and a general shot of my shop
regards Terry


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## minerva

Hi all
additions to the workshop this week
About 18 months ago when I first got my lathe I started on a project that was published in the MEW. It was a simple small rotary table originally intended for rounding the ends of engine components using the mill. I had in the scrap box at the time most of the materials and whilst at the autumn show in Warwick (UK) I obtained a cast faceplate for use as the table.
What with one thing and another using the lathe as a milling machine proved to be a little ambitious for the lathe with end result of the project being put on the back burner.
Having acquired my new mill and some success under my belt with the tee slots I felt the time had come to resurrect the project, and so I completed the table as per the article. A chance comment by my college instructor made me re assess and some improvements were made. Additional "tee slots were added. A plunger de-tent was manufactured and fitted and at College on Thursday evening last I "borrowed " the College RT and drilled the location holes in the table. It worked like a charm. All that remained was to turn a mounting spigot for both my three and four jaw chucks with a register to fit the table and the jobs a good 'un .
All that remains to be done is to punch mark the graduations and fit some form of stops but hey ho, got to leave something for next week!
Regards to all


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## deere_x475guy

Great Job!...looks like you drop that right in the vise and your ready to go.


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## Philjoe5

Terry,
That's a great looking rotary table. I'm sure you will get years of satisfaction out of using it knowing that it was made by you. Thanks for posting,

Cheers,
Phil


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## minerva

Hi all
The past week or so has, following completion of #43 been a bit of a let down as I had no immediate plans for a next engine project.
So I decided to make inroads into my "roundtuit" plans to fit a DRO to my mill. It has an inbuilt Z axis readout but the other two axes are "on the dials" so to speak.
Some weeks ago I purchased a kit of parts for the Shumatec 350
http://medw.co.uk/wiki/index.php?page=Shumatech+DRO350+Prices 

 and this past week has seen it go together. the kit was well documented and presented no great challenges during construction, and I think you will agree the finished article certainly looks the part.
At this point I will point out that the picture shows the scale plugged into the Z axis slot and not the Y axis where it will finally reside. (I used the one scale to check all three axes electronics)






having put the kit together a 6" digital scale of Chinese origin was purchased from Arc-Euro as the readout for the Y axis ,the following is a blow by blow account of the fit-ment to my Amadeal25LV. The first fact that was immediately apparent was that space was going to be at a premium and so a decision was made ( I might just regret it later!!) to mount the scale back to front as it were, with the movable read-out display attached to the moving cross slide Via a fabricated bracket






, and fixing the scale rod (fixed element)to the body of the machine. The implication of this is not immediately obvious but it does mean that the lead from the scale actually moves with the cross slide and may be detrimental to its operation in the long term, but in general terms it hopefully should not present too much of a problem, only time will tell.
There seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether the scale portion of the scale should be "rigid" or "floating and after considerable thought I opted for the "floating" option with the scale fixed to the body at one end only via a simple turned button screwed into the body of the machine,






 a slot was milled into the top of the button to take the slide and the slot's depth regulated the fit that facilitated the movement of the slide smoothly for the full extent of its travel (about 6"). (hope this makes sense) A cap on the top of the button was fixed using two 3mm x 0.5 c/s socket head screws the depth of the slot meant that the cap holds the scale securely at one end but after a trial period if there is any movement of the scale a further grub screw through the cap will allow a belt and braces approach, having so said it seems to be fixed securely to the body of the machine. I intend to give this set up a good trial whilst I save my pennies in order to purchase the 600mm scale that is reqd. for the X axis.






That exercise should be somewhat easier as I intend to use the dovetail slot which carries the table x limit stops to support the fixed scale element via a bracket at each end and fix the movable element to the central stop fitted to the table (for use with the table limit stops).
To summarize the fit involved drilling and tapping three holes (two into the cross slide carriage, (the Y axis) to take the bracket and one into the body of the machine to carry the button which supports one end of the slide ) and the fabrication of a bracket to carry the slide of the scale. I intend once I have carried out a trial to fit some form of protection to the fit and will post more when it happens
thanks for looking.
Terry


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## Blogwitch

Terry,

Just to backtrack you a little.

With reference to the vice you have bought. It might look large, but if about half of it is hanging off the front of the table, then you have chosen correctly. 

One thing I would recommend is to get rid of the turntable underneath it. Not only will everything be more rigid, you will have greater throat depth as well. 
It is easy enough to refit if ever you need it, but for most of your machining, it is better to have rigidity rather than the rotational ability.

My vice turntable has been gathering dust under the bench for the last couple of years, in fact it has never been used.


Bogs


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## minerva

Hi John
I did wonder about that.
I have read that it is possible to remove the rotary base and fit buttons on the underside to enable quick setting up of the vice on initial fitting. To be honest the rotary part of the set up leaves a lot to be desired, the witness mark is merely stuck on and needs to be engraved to be a little more permanent and accurate in use (I haven't actually used it yet ) I have fabricated a screw-less vice based upon Deanofid's design and I'm really pleased with the result!





I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better and getting some shop time in and hope that bodes well for the future
kindest regards
TerryT


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## minerva

Hi Guys
an update on the DRO fit, after a couple of days playing one thing became evident, the friction fit of the button top was not man enough to hold the scale without a certain amount of "creep", so I added a set screw through the button top into a dimple drilled into the scale. I used it today and the mod seems to have solved the problem.





A couple of weeks ago I picked up not one but two old portable power drill stands for £2 (one a Black and Decker and the other a Draper) so I have spent today modifying one of them (the Draper) into a tapping tool, I still have a couple of things to do before its finished but tomorrow should see it finished. the photo shows it in use with my newly finished vice tapping a second tapping head. 

 a pic of the tapping tool completed, it works a treat!




I intend to shorten the spindle and maybe change the tap head connections! As is usual for me, I ran out of grub screws on a Sunday!!


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## mzetati

On my mill I had some problems due to the rigid mountings I had made for my scales and had to allow for some flex by interposing a strip of metal (used a portion of a feeler gage) between the scale an the bracket.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9163.msg149422#msg149422
(last picture of the page)

Marcello


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