I'm looking to find a milling attachment

[packrat]

This photo may help you out to under stand how a milling attachment works. {This is drilling but does show a good milling attachment} packrat

 

[animal12]

The link to the Chinese milling adaptor shows a attachment that looks to be a direct copy of the milling attachment for a Taig lathe . Those things are pretty small . I don't know what lathe you have but look at the dimensions close before ya pop for it .
animal

 

[Apprentice707]

If you are a total novice to the hobby I suggest you need to do a lot of research, the following site will help.

https://www.pdfdrive.com/
It is a free library of books with just about any subject you can name including Model Engineering.

Try Milling in the Lathe this will take you to Tubal Cains excellent book and then you can download it for free.

Good Luck

Brian

 

[Steamchick]

Hi Malofix,
"Been there, done that" seems to be the concensus of most of these posts. Well I too have "Been there, done that"... After about 30 years of making models, all be it not as fine as stuff shown in these threads, I find I rarely use the miller I own. Lathe - busy, Miller as a drill press - invaluable, hand tools - do almost anything, just not turn metal into swarf or scrap as quickly as machine tools.
But the stages:

1. Hand tools:
2. DRILL PRESS:
3. Cross-slide vice for drill press,
4. Lathe,
5. Vertical slide for expanding the milling ability of the lathe
6. "Miller-driller"
7. Proper mill.

I am still at stage 6, and may never reach 7.... because MY ability (and need) is not yet greater than level 6....
The learning curve from progressing this way has taken the first 15 years, but I made my first piston at stage 4. that I reached within a year of starting out. But stage 4 to 6 took another decade....
Of course, this will depend on the time you have for this hobby, as well as dollar limitations, but the learning curve is invaluable.
I make many jigs and fixtures, or adapt some my Father made. Some of the interest is working-out the best way to make something well within the limitations of the tooling I have or make.
For me at least, it isn't about making as many models as I can before I die, or challenging myself to make the highest precision available from the machines, but simply about converting my technical Engineering experience into real devices. (including tools and fixtures - which can later be used as material for the next one I need!). Many are not even for public display.
I advocate buying a drill press (a MUST!) and cross-slide vice (option, very useful) for starters, plus a vertical slide for the lathe, (option, maybe not as useful as the previous 2?), before ever considering a miller.
Then in a few years when you have saved for a miller, get what you really know you'll be happy with, rather than just getting the bare minimum with today's budget.
Hope this helps clarify what everyone is saying in different ways?
Enjoy the hobby!
K2

 

[malofix]

Hi Malofix,
"Been there, done that" seems to be the concensus of most of these posts. Well I too have "Been there, done that"... After about 30 years of making models, all be it not as fine as stuff shown in these threads, I find I rarely use the miller I own. Lathe - busy, Miller as a drill press - invaluable, hand tools - do almost anything, just not turn metal into swarf or scrap as quickly as machine tools.
But the stages:

1. Hand tools:
2. DRILL PRESS:
3. Cross-slide vice for drill press,
4. Lathe,
5. Vertical slide for expanding the milling ability of the lathe
6. "Miller-driller"
7. Proper mill.

I am still at stage 6, and may never reach 7.... because MY ability (and need) is not yet greater than level 6....
The learning curve from progressing this way has taken the first 15 years, but I made my first piston at stage 4. that I reached within a year of starting out. But stage 4 to 6 took another decade....
Of course, this will depend on the time you have for this hobby, as well as dollar limitations, but the learning curve is invaluable.
I make many jigs and fixtures, or adapt some my Father made. Some of the interest is working-out the best way to make something well within the limitations of the tooling I have or make.
For me at least, it isn't about making as many models as I can before I die, or challenging myself to make the highest precision available from the machines, but simply about converting my technical Engineering experience into real devices. (including tools and fixtures - which can later be used as material for the next one I need!). Many are not even for public display.
I advocate buying a drill press (a MUST!) and cross-slide vice (option, very useful) for starters, plus a vertical slide for the lathe, (option, maybe not as useful as the previous 2?), before ever considering a miller.
Then in a few years when you have saved for a miller, get what you really know you'll be happy with, rather than just getting the bare minimum with today's budget.
Hope this helps clarify what everyone is saying in different ways?
Enjoy the hobby!
K2

Very valuable input for me, thank you. At this stage i'm opting out for

a drill press (a MUST!) and cross-slide vice (option, very useful) for starters

as you said.

 

[Rocket Man]

Buy a real milling machine it works 50 times better than attachment.

If any needs a Reid #2 surface grinder I am selling mine.

 

[malofix]

Buy a real milling machine it works 50 times better than attachment.

If any needs a Reid #2 surface grinder I am selling mine.

For me it is not important that it works better. If it "gets the job done" then i'll go with that and later i'll look to upgrade.

 

[Gordon]

I have not used a cross slide table or mini lathe because I had a large lathe and large milling machine which I had from the fabricating shop that I owned but my dad made several successful engines using some pretty crude machines. He started out with a very abused Atlas lathe which the company he worked for gave it to him when he retired. He completely refurbished that. Then I gave him a small drill press which needed some work and a cheap cross slide table. He spent a lot of time making the drill press and cross slide table usable. The point is that you do not need the latest and greatest machines to make usable parts. Look for used equipment and rebuild it and learn to compensate for the limitations. Basically you either spend the money for the good machines or spend the time to work with less than optimum machines. You can learn a lot and get a lot of satisfaction in reworking and living with used equipment. Take a look at what Rudy Kouhoupt made using some very marginal machines in a very limited space.

 

[malofix]

You think this drill press will be enough for me?

 

[Gordon]

In order to get better information you have to give us more background. What do you want to accomplish? Just I want to build engines is not enough. What kind and what quality? Where are you located? It does no good to give you a source which is in a location you cannot access. What is your budget? What is your time frame to accomplish this goal? It is like saying I want to buy a car without saying what you want to use it for. Race cars or just go the the grocery store once a week. You either have to spend time or money to meet your goal. Given unlimited funds we can give you a great list. Given money restraints we can give you ways to work with the limitations.

 

[malofix]

In order to get better information you have to give us more background. What do you want to accomplish? Just I want to build engines is not enough. What kind and what quality? Where are you located? It does no good to give you a source which is in a location you cannot access. What is your budget? What is your time frame to accomplish this goal? It is like saying I want to buy a car without saying what you want to use it for. Race cars or just go the the grocery store once a week. You either have to spend time or money to meet your goal. Given unlimited funds we can give you a great list. Given money restraints we can give you ways to work with the limitations.

I want to build engines . Mainly IC engines and perhaps some(1 or 2 i would say) steam, sterling and other exotic or extinct kind of engines. Size of engines i can build is probably limited by my lathe so i'm fine with relatively small and simple engines for the time being, after all i'm just starting. As for what quality, i'm fine as long as it functions properly, it doesnt have to have shiny surface finishes or 10,000 cycle life time strength etc. My location should be seen under my profile photograph ? Local market doesnt have much to offer apart from some chinese models almost in any type of machines for relatively "cheap" prices. So until i can afford more and better tools i'll stick with spending time.

 

[Steamchick]

You think this drill press will be enough for me?

Good for starters. I started with similar, then gave it away years later when I got my 1 1/2 HP Miller-driller. (Now they cost near £800 new, but I bought mine half-price second hand). With a £300 budget, spending £100 on a drill press means you have cash for tools, and cross-slide vice. It won't machine heavy cuts as a miller, but you can take fine careful cuts repeatedly to get a reasonable job.
Enjoy,
K2

 

[SmithDoor]

I only have a mill drill witch does a great job. See below

Some like the mini mills they also can be as a drill.

Dave

I want to build engines . Mainly IC engines and perhaps some(1 or 2 i would say) steam, sterling and other exotic or extinct kind of engines. Size of engines i can build is probably limited by my lathe so i'm fine with relatively small and simple engines for the time being, after all i'm just starting. As for what quality, i'm fine as long as it functions properly, it doesnt have to have shiny surface finishes or 10,000 cycle life time strength etc. My location should be seen under my profile photograph ? Local market doesnt have much to offer apart from some chinese models almost in any type of machines for relatively "cheap" prices. So until i can afford more and better tools i'll stick with spending time.

 

[ShopShoe]

malofix,

Thank You for sharing your goals: Those will help us guide you.

Advance apologies for another long-winded post.

You haven't told us what hand tools and measuring instruments you have. You may need some of your budget for that area. Forgive me if I'm covering ground you've already traveled, but you will find that shop life eventually will require the same budget or even more for tooling and these "incidentals."

You need a way to measure external sizes and diameters, and a way to measure internally. You need at least a precision caliper, either dial or digital. Just about everyone will suggest a micrometer, too. For checking internal diameters of parts, you can't really rely on your calipers, so you use some type of gauges, or you turn up Go/No-go guages yourself on your lathe.

You need ways to check your parts for flatness and squareness. That is where the surface plate comes in, but you can use a piece of plate glass, which you may be able to get cheaply or freely. You also use a flat plate with sandpaper to finish flat pieces. You will need one or more machinest squares to check squareness of stock and parts. You need dividers for layout and quick measuring. The "hermaphrodite" calipers (one sharp point and a second point that follows a profile) are useful for laying out dimensions a fixed distance from the edge of a piece of stock.

You need an assortment of files of different profiles and sizes. You will find the ones you really need from industrial sources and hobby suppliers: Buy them as you need them.

There are many more things, but this list contains some things to help you start thinking and planning.

--

I know you want to get started with I.C. engines, but I would suggest that a real good place to start is with a small engine that runs on compressed air, even if that air is your own breath. (Look for a "wobbler" engine plan set.) Even earlier, for experience you might want to practice with simpler objects that you have to make to specific sizes and finishes. I made a brass ball-point pen as an early project.

What can you learn with a "steam" engine that runs on air:

1. Basic cutting and turning and finishing to make parts to drawings.
2. Fit and finish of piston to bore.
3. Fitting parts for correct geometry for connecting rod/ piston/ crankshaft fit.
4. Fitting and adjusting valving to time events.
5. Finishing a project for operation and display (You will want to save your first effort.)
6. Cutting, shaping, turning, and finishing brass, aluminum, and steel (they are different to work with.)
7. Drilling and threading holes for fasteners so they match up. You will probably also have to deal with both through holes and holes with a bottom.

For an I.C. engine, you need all of the above, plus:

8. Timing compression/ exhaust (2-stroke) or intake/compression/power/exhaust (4-stroke) valving events.
9. Also timing ignition firing events.
10. Some would say a more complex valve train with more fiddly bits.
11. building or obtaining a high-voltage ignition system
12. Incorporating a spark plug or ignitor in the design of the engine.
13. Incorporating a carburetor or fuel mixer in the design.
14. Choosing and using or mixing a fuel.
15. Being prepared for more safety issues with fuels and with carbon monoxide fumes from running an engine.

If you want to stay with the I.C. engine, look up the "Webster" engine, which is often suggested as a first IC engine and has many builds online to read and study.

--

Many have suggested links online as references, but I would suggest, in the interest of keeping it simple, that you read lots of posts on this forum from Brian Rupnow. He is an industrial designer with long experience and a generous sharer of his experiences building engines and other things. He also posts a lot of "Warts and All" experiences, which give you an idea of things that can be a challenge in this hobby.

Brian started with steam engines then progressed on to I.C. engines, then on to design his own engines. He has also made some devices for his engines to power, which are interesting in their own right. He also has periodically upgraded his tool collection as his skills have improved.

--

True Confession Here: I have not built an I.C. engine yet. I have been confined to compressed air engines and to a lot of "fix-it" machining that I don't post. I have limited time in the shop due to getting older and to having lots of life events catching me up. I have pretty much decided that my first I.C. will probably be the Webster, but I have a lot of things in the works to (slowly) work on first.

--ShopShoe

 

[malofix]

malofix,

Thank You for sharing your goals: Those will help us guide you.

Advance apologies for another long-winded post.

You haven't told us what hand tools and measuring instruments you have. You may need some of your budget for that area. Forgive me if I'm covering ground you've already traveled, but you will find that shop life eventually will require the same budget or even more for tooling and these "incidentals."

You need a way to measure external sizes and diameters, and a way to measure internally. You need at least a precision caliper, either dial or digital. Just about everyone will suggest a micrometer, too. For checking internal diameters of parts, you can't really rely on your calipers, so you use some type of gauges, or you turn up Go/No-go guages yourself on your lathe.

You need ways to check your parts for flatness and squareness. That is where the surface plate comes in, but you can use a piece of plate glass, which you may be able to get cheaply or freely. You also use a flat plate with sandpaper to finish flat pieces. You will need one or more machinest squares to check squareness of stock and parts. You need dividers for layout and quick measuring. The "hermaphrodite" calipers (one sharp point and a second point that follows a profile) are useful for laying out dimensions a fixed distance from the edge of a piece of stock.

You need an assortment of files of different profiles and sizes. You will find the ones you really need from industrial sources and hobby suppliers: Buy them as you need them.

There are many more things, but this list contains some things to help you start thinking and planning.

--

I know you want to get started with I.C. engines, but I would suggest that a real good place to start is with a small engine that runs on compressed air, even if that air is your own breath. (Look for a "wobbler" engine plan set.) Even earlier, for experience you might want to practice with simpler objects that you have to make to specific sizes and finishes. I made a brass ball-point pen as an early project.

What can you learn with a "steam" engine that runs on air:

1. Basic cutting and turning and finishing to make parts to drawings.
2. Fit and finish of piston to bore.
3. Fitting parts for correct geometry for connecting rod/ piston/ crankshaft fit.
4. Fitting and adjusting valving to time events.
5. Finishing a project for operation and display (You will want to save your first effort.)
6. Cutting, shaping, turning, and finishing brass, aluminum, and steel (they are different to work with.)
7. Drilling and threading holes for fasteners so they match up. You will probably also have to deal with both through holes and holes with a bottom.

For an I.C. engine, you need all of the above, plus:

8. Timing compression/ exhaust (2-stroke) or intake/compression/power/exhaust (4-stroke) valving events.
9. Also timing ignition firing events.
10. Some would say a more complex valve train with more fiddly bits.
11. building or obtaining a high-voltage ignition system
12. Incorporating a spark plug or ignitor in the design of the engine.
13. Incorporating a carburetor or fuel mixer in the design.
14. Choosing and using or mixing a fuel.
15. Being prepared for more safety issues with fuels and with carbon monoxide fumes from running an engine.

If you want to stay with the I.C. engine, look up the "Webster" engine, which is often suggested as a first IC engine and has many builds online to read and study.

--

Many have suggested links online as references, but I would suggest, in the interest of keeping it simple, that you read lots of posts on this forum from Brian Rupnow. He is an industrial designer with long experience and a generous sharer of his experiences building engines and other things. He also posts a lot of "Warts and All" experiences, which give you an idea of things that can be a challenge in this hobby.

Brian started with steam engines then progressed on to I.C. engines, then on to design his own engines. He has also made some devices for his engines to power, which are interesting in their own right. He also has periodically upgraded his tool collection as his skills have improved.

--

True Confession Here: I have not built an I.C. engine yet. I have been confined to compressed air engines and to a lot of "fix-it" machining that I don't post. I have limited time in the shop due to getting older and to having lots of life events catching me up. I have pretty much decided that my first I.C. will probably be the Webster, but I have a lot of things in the works to (slowly) work on first.

--ShopShoe

I don't mind long posts and thank you. It is time that i start building and learning along the way.

 

[packrat]

I think smithdoor is right on, a mill/drill would be the best way to go for the poster in Turkey {lots of them here in the US don't know about Turkey}
JET and others make them in Taiwan.

 

[awake]

Malofix, any drill press is better than none - I used a small one like that for a long, long time before I ever graduated to anything bigger.

Where in Turkey do you live? I have some wonderful memories of a trip I took there in 2009.

 

[malofix]

If you buy a small mill like have.
It needs find feed. I have drawings and photo here how I put find feed on.

You buy new mills off the internet the last time I look it was selling under $400.00 plus shipping.

I hope it helps
Dave

FYI I purchased my mill in 2004 and it only mill I need.

Malofix, any drill press is better than none - I used a small one like that for a long, long time before I ever graduated to anything bigger.

Where in Turkey do you live? I have some wonderful memories of a trip I took there in 2009.

It seems so, especially if i can get it to work as a small milling machine too.
I live in Istanbul. It sure is a beatiful country as most countries are.

 

[Rocket Man]

For me time is getting very short I am almost at the end of the road. I have more bad days than good. Sure I could buy a low cost slow machine that takes a whole week to make 1 part that I could have made in 1 hour with a better machine. I feel like slow machines waste my life away. I am slow already it takes me a whole day to do 1 hour of work. If it is going to take me 6 months to do something that could be done in 2 weeks I loose all my motivation to do it at all. It is like changing a flat tire on the car and the only tool I have is a pair of plyers. I can't take money to the grave so I spend every penny that is why I worked 40 years. It is nice to be young & have lots of motivation.

 

[deverett]

Malofix
I see you are in Turkey. Are you in Istanbul, or close to there? If you have not visited, seriously consider seeing the Rahmi M. Koç Museum
Apologies for the off topic content of this reply.
Dave
The Emerald Isle