# My manual mill project



## ZipSnipe (May 7, 2013)

Well I thought maybe some of you guys might like to check this out.  Its a manual mill I made several years ago. 

I decided a couple of months ago to give it a major overhaul to improve precision and add drilling capability to it.

So far I have 

Replaced the table cast iron nuts with Acetal nuts that are adjustable for backlash.

Added DRO to X and Y axis

Added bellow to the front part of the y axis

Completed all the milling for the new quill housing, just need to drill and tap for some bearing covers and then press the spindle into its new home. The new quill is needed as currently if I need to drill I have to crank the head up and down.  

The quill is by far one of the hardest things I have done, with the y axis DRO being the second hardest thing.

Once all the hardware mods are done it will be a fresh paint and the bench is getting fixed up too, more bracing and leveling.

More to come....


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## enfieldbullet (May 7, 2013)

i like it! congratulations!

how well does it work?


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## ZipSnipe (May 8, 2013)

I've had it for several years now, it has worked fine until I needed to do some precision machining a few months ago.  So I decided the main problem was the cast iron nuts and the backlash.  Now with the new acetal nuts, zero back lash and the DRO's are adding the precision I needed. The head is getting a complete make over as I will be adding a quill to it so it can be used drill press style instead of the cranking the head up and down.


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## ZipSnipe (May 12, 2013)

The spindle has a new home.  Next I need to decide if I can make the pulley out of steel or acetal.


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## ZipSnipe (May 18, 2013)

Ok spindle drive pulley is finished, it will be sandwiched between two  needle bearings and will allow the drive shaft to slide up and down for  drilling operations





The next step is to start milling the quill housing aka mill head. If  you look closely you see that the current design is just a X2 head  sandwiched by two half inch plates.






My retrofit design idea was to use the two half inch plates for the new head.

But  then I got to thinking, I am removing the x2 head and inserting the  quill, I now have 1/2 inch walls for the housing compared to roughly 7/8  inch that the x2 housing with 1/2 plates provided. So now am I making  it less rigid with less meat?

I was over at the surplus place the  other day and tried to buy some one inch thick plates but they turned  out to be tool steel plates (expensive) and they didn't have any cold  roll(cheap) in stock. Monday there is another place here in town , you  pay $15 and carry out what you can of their scrap bin. So I might do  that and see if I can get some thicker plates , even 5/8 would be nice  or 3/4 would be sweet. More to come......


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## ZipSnipe (May 18, 2013)

uummm  so much for getting the pics placed where I wanted them, oh well.


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## Wizard69 (May 18, 2013)

ZipSnipe said:


> uummm  so much for getting the pics placed where I wanted them, oh well.



Can't win them all.   By the way thanks for reminding me to stop at the a hardware store for some bee spray!  

By the way the project looks nice too!


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## ZipSnipe (May 18, 2013)

Spanner socket complete


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## ZipSnipe (May 18, 2013)

Thanx Wizard,  the name of that spray I use is called "Sudden Death" and it ain't no joke, kills them on contact, shoots out to about 15 feet. If they gget hit by it , they drop.

On another note, I was looking at the head today, trying to figure out the best way to rebuild it.  I am definitely thinking 3/4 inch side plates for sure. 1/4 steel for the top, 1/2 inch bottom and 1 1/4 for the front.  Once the box is built, I will no doubt need to go use the Bridgeport as I will need to bore out a 3 1/4 inch hole down through the head to receive the quill.


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## enfieldbullet (May 18, 2013)

ZipSnipe said:


> Thanx Wizard,  the name of that spray I use is called "Sudden Death" and it ain't no joke, kills them on contact, shoots out to about 15 feet. If they gget hit by it , they drop.
> 
> On another note, I was looking at the head today, trying to figure out the best way to rebuild it.  I am definitely thinking 3/4 inch side plates for sure. 1/4 steel for the top, 1/2 inch bottom and 1 1/4 for the front.  Once the box is built, I will no doubt need to go use the Bridgeport as I will need to bore out a 3 1/4 inch hole down through the head to receive the quill.



wouldn't you consider casting it?

i'm planing on casting a few things and got a rather reasonable quote from a 'local' foundry (about 150km away). i just have to make the patterns.


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## ZipSnipe (May 18, 2013)

I would love to cast it but can't afford it. I also just figured a better way to do the head with out having to go borrow a Bridgeport. So I can still do everything inhouse.

I started off strong in this mill make over as I had some tax return money but it went quickly and now I am on a tight budget.

I am actually getting cold feet, beginning to wonder if I took this make over too far.  Wondering how it will perform as a milling machine with a quill in it compared to what I already have?   

Well its too far in the game to quit,  one of the things setting me back was the dismal performance of slotting on the lathe.  The pulley I did , I ended up milling the slots and then hand filing to fit. The next thing I need to make is the spur geared drill handle.  I was going to use the lathe for that too but man , I can only shave off  .002 at a time.  Or I can buy a gear and make a shaft for it and be done with it


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## enfieldbullet (May 19, 2013)

did you actually got a quote?

i say this because i was on the same assumption. now i'm strongly considering casting my own lathe (and a few extras for selling). my quote was 9 reais/kg cast(grey iron) , that's about 4,5USD/kg. it's 'only' 3 times the price of scrap steel here.

cold feet is part of it, but don't scrap it until it's done, it might surprise you. and even if it doesn't perform too well it can be tuned!

being another one who's been trying to build his own machine tools i can say i feel your pain. and also that it looks really good so far and i've seen worst looking ones perform amazingly.


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## ZipSnipe (May 19, 2013)

Yeah I am not going to scrap it, I probably have about $50 more I need to invest. I decided to buy a gear for the quill rack rather than make one as my first attempt at broaching on the lathe was a fail.
Need the thicker metal for the side plates which I will pick up Monday.  And I need the return spring for the quill which I will have to wait till June to purchase along with the gear.

Yeah the nearest iron castor is 4 hour drive and they charge  big bucks, around $380 for the head.


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## Wizard69 (May 19, 2013)

ZipSnipe said:


> I would love to cast it but can't afford it. I also just figured a better way to do the head with out having to go borrow a Bridgeport. So I can still do everything inhouse.


Is your mill functional now so that you can use it to build the new parts?    


> I started off strong in this mill make over as I had some tax return money but it went quickly and now I am on a tight budget.


Aren't we all!    Sadly most of the spare cash I can scrape up seems to be going to home repairs.    Any thoughts of a milling machine this year will probably end up desolving as a new roof is put on the house.  


> I am actually getting cold feet, beginning to wonder if I took this make over too far.  Wondering how it will perform as a milling machine with a quill in it compared to what I already have?


You will never know until you try.  On the other hand it is your machine and your project if the goals change half way through don't get upset over that.   


> Well its too far in the game to quit,


Quit no, you don't want to do that but changing the goal post is perfectly fine.  


> one of the things setting me back was the dismal performance of slotting on the lathe.  The pulley I did , I ended up milling the slots and then hand filing to fit. The next thing I need to make is the spur geared drill handle.  I was going to use the lathe for that too but man , I can only shave off  .002 at a time.  Or I can buy a gear and make a shaft for it and be done with it



Buying a gear might be seen as changing the goal post.    Sometimes it makes sense to buy instead of make.


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## ZipSnipe (May 19, 2013)

Yes I am using the milling machine to mill parts. Unfortunately I am having a heck of a time getting it trammed in. One of my adjustment screws stripped.

I will re visit broaching with the lathe as I discovered the gear on the lathe spindle is the same pitch as I need, so now I can easily make a spring loaded pin so it acts as a indexer. Plus I will be broaching the outside diameter which I have a few carbide cutters I can shape into a gear cutter.

Tomorrow I will secure the metal plates needed for the sides of the head.  I spent a good amount of time figuring out the sizes and how its going back together.


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## ZipSnipe (May 23, 2013)

Ok got the plates cut to size and went to square it up on the mill. Did one long side and was worn completely out.

I said to myself the powerfeed mod I was planning on doing after the head rebuild just got moved up to top priority.  So I will start that tomorrow.


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