Hello from London, Ontario

[trlvn]

I've seen a few of the column mills in the last month but I've heard the accuracy can suffer because the head can spin on the column even when locked. are they worth buying or am I best to stay away?

If you have the space and the money, you won't regret buying a knee mill. But the RF-30 type round column mills have been around for more than 40 years and lots of people get along with them just fine. There are also mini mills where the table is at a fixed height and the head rides on dovetail ways. As the name implies, they have a smaller table and less power but are even less expensive than a round column mill.

Mills generally require a lot more accessories than the lathe. A good vise (or three), a range of collets, drill chuck(s), boring head, fly cutter, ... not to mention HSS and carbide cutters that are all to quick and easy to reduce to scrap! Then you get into rotary tables, dividing heads, yadda yadda yadda. So many cool toys.

All of us here are happy to help spend your money! Just so you know!

Craig

 

[gmihovics]

If you have the space and the money, you won't regret buying a knee mill. But the RF-30 type round column mills have been around for more than 40 years and lots of people get along with them just fine. There are also mini mills where the table is at a fixed height and the head rides on dovetail ways. As the name implies, they have a smaller table and less power but are even less expensive than a round column mill.

Mills generally require a lot more accessories than the lathe. A good vise (or three), a range of collets, drill chuck(s), boring head, fly cutter, ... not to mention HSS and carbide cutters that are all to quick and easy to reduce to scrap! Then you get into rotary tables, dividing heads, yadda yadda yadda. So many cool toys.

All of us here are happy to help spend your money! Just so you know!

Craig

well I better start earning more of it I guess. A mill is definitely on my list but it just might take a year or so.

 

[Susquatch]

nice "little" mill

My thoughts exactly - you beat me to it.

 

[Susquatch]

I've seen a few of the column mills in the last month but I've heard the accuracy can suffer because the head can spin on the column even when locked. are they worth buying or am I best to stay away?

My mill/drill (column mill) does not move when locked. I wouldn't worry too much about heads spinning on the column if the machine is well made.

On the other hand, mine is an old girl with lots of other problems like alien hand cranks (base 11), and poor rigidity. That last one is what convinced me that it was time to move up to a bigger stronger mill. I have no regrets.

 

[Susquatch]

Mills generally require a lot more accessories than the lathe. A good vise (or three), a range of collets, drill chuck(s), boring head, fly cutter, ... not to mention HSS and carbide cutters that are all to quick and easy to reduce to scrap! Then you get into rotary tables, dividing heads, yadda yadda yadda. So many cool toys.

Amen to all of that. I already had lots of accessories for my mill that I had for my mill drill. However, I've already drained my savings account on more accessories! Part of that is associated with switching from MT3 to R8, but the rest is to make use of the additional ooompff and rigidity.

 

[YYCHM]

I've seen a few of the column mills in the last month but I've heard the accuracy can suffer because the head can spin on the column even when locked. are they worth buying or am I best to stay away?

Round column mills work fine, you just have to plan ahead as to not having to moving the head mid project.

How much room do you have to play with? Basement shop, Garage?

BTB - Welcome from Calgary.

 

[ShawnR]

Do something for the wife. If the addiction grabs you as much as it does with other forum members, you're going to need some credit in the bank for future projects.

I swear there are times when wives could have passed away and members never knew it because they were too busy in the shop on a pet project for the past several months.

lol...the first project with my first lathe 20+ years ago was this little crude dish turned out of 2 inch stock. I gave it to my wife (aka management) and told her it was an earring holder...she knew what the lathe cost so it became the 1000 dollar earring holder. Does not matter how much I have spent since then or what I have made, she still has the $1000 dollar earring holder (it would probably fail an introductory machining course it is that bad)

Oh well...

 

[gmihovics]

How much room do you have to play with? Basement shop, Garage?

I have a garage and a half, front is 2 cars wide, back is 1 car wide. My wife parks in the single bay and I have a bunch of woodworking equipment in the deep side. might be time to get rid of a few extra machines.

lol...the first project with my first lathe 20+ years ago was this little crude dish turned out of 2' stock. I gave it to my wife (aka management) and told her it was an earring holder...she knew what the lathe cost so it became the 1000 dollar earring holder. Does not matter how much I have spent since then or what I have made, she still has the $1000 dollar earring holder (it would probably fail an introductory machining course it is that bad)

Oh well...

that's not a bad idea, she wants a makeup vanity in the bedroom. you sir might have found a winner.

 

[YYCHM]

Meat Tenderizer.....

Believe it or not, they are a big hit. You'll probably end up making more than one.

 

[gmihovics]

Meat Tenderizer.....

View attachment 17890


Believe it or not, they are a big hit. You'll probably end up making more than one.

Haha I saw these in another thread and I showed them to my wife. She was not impressed with the idea of me giving her one although she did say they looked pretty damn impressive.

 

[Susquatch]

@gmihovics, @YYCHM, @ShawnR

You guys are all missing the point I tried to make in my earlier thread. This has to be something SHE makes on YOUR machines (maybe with your help).

That way she learns to appreciate them! It has to be simple and it has to be something she will be PROUD OF.

The bowl works - maybe for me too. Metal lathes work just fine on wood too. A nice piece of burl walnut, or teak, or old growth mahogany, or even something wormy that gets filled with epoxy! Ohhhh yaaaa!

My two critics (SWMBO, & Sister) could enjoy making that and wood is more forgiving. So is the project itself.

Best of all, I get to make a few tools first to help make the bowl. (or maybe they should do that too.....)

PS - I have a daughter too. But she is an engineer and needs no help appreciating her dads stuff.

Hey @ShawnR - you forgot the photo!

 

[gmihovics]

Oh I totally missed that part! My wife has no interests in machining, she's more of a buy it than make it kind of woman. Maybe one day I'll persuade her.


I have big hopes my daughter and son will find building and creating as satisfying as I do. My daughter is already fascinated by my 3d printers so fingers crossed.

 

[ShawnR]

@gmihovics, @YYCHM, @ShawnR

You guys are all missing the point I tried to make in my earlier thread. This has to be something SHE makes on YOUR machines (maybe with your help).

That way she learns to appreciate them! It has to be simple and it has to be something she will be PROUD OF.
.......

Hey @ShawnR - you forgot the photo!

@Susquatch lol...my wife will not even come into my shop, let alone turn anything on that is motorized! Her adjectives are noisy, smoky, stinky, dirty.....just the way I like it.

Don't have a photo of the earring holder (it has been relegated to the cottage) but probably would not post it. I post enough of my projects only to realize that in this group of talent, I probably should not... Lots of talent here. I just like making chips.

@YYCHM I have not seen those meat tenderizers before. Are they all stainless or the head stainless? I think they just made my todo list.

Oh I totally missed that part! My wife has no interests in machining, she's more of a buy it than make it kind of woman. Maybe one day I'll persuade her.


I have big hopes my daughter and son will find building and creating as satisfying as I do. My daughter is already fascinated by my 3d printers so fingers crossed.

@gmihovics I am in the same boat but without the kids. (And I don't think I said Welcome! This is a great forum, great bunch or people!)

Cheers,

 

[Susquatch]

Oh I totally missed that part! My wife has no interests in machining, she's more of a buy it than make it kind of woman. Maybe one day I'll persuade her.


I have big hopes my daughter and son will find building and creating as satisfying as I do. My daughter is already fascinated by my 3d printers so fingers crossed.

Mine doesn't either. This all came out of a conversation she was having with my sister about all my useless machines. It's all documented in the thread I referred to earlier.

You have to use reverse psychology to make her think it is all her idea. It's not something you talk her into - that will never work.

I see it going a little like this.

Her - I really wish I could find a nice bowl for my jewelry.

You - you will never find one that's just what you want. Your standards are too high.

Her - what are you talking about? I'm just thinking something simple.

You - I didn't mean that honey, I just meant that you appreciate the little things more than most people do.

Her - well that's true. Besides, it would have to match the bathroom vanity counter.

You - well ya, that's why it's so hard to find. I do love how you have a knack for such things. I never could do that.

..... Insert several days of patience waiting for the perfect moment.

Her - why are spending so much time in the shop?

You - well I was trying to figure out how to make this bowl you want. Could you be a bit more specific?

Her - blah blah blah

You - I see. I don't think I could ever get that right. It would be so much easier if I could see in my mind what you see in yours. You are so much more artistic than I am.

Her - oh don't be so silly. Its really all very simple. Blah blah blah.

You - have you ever thought about making your own bowl? It would be inexpensive and it would be exactly what you want. All your friends would be so jealous.......

Her - I'm not going near those F$&=] %g machines of yours.

You - well, I would help you with it and best of all, it would be something that we could spend some time together doing.

I'm sure you get the idea.....

 

[ShawnR]

That got a true LOL! Thanks @Susquatch

My wife has a degree in psychology....figures me out way early in that conversation and emails me a Pinterest photo that is close and then waits for me to make a few versions till one wins or I quit or she decides she really did not need a bowl afterall...

 

[gmihovics]

That got a true LOL! Thanks @Susquatch

My wife has a degree in psychology....figures me out way early in that conversation and emails me a Pinterest photo that is close and then waits for me to make a few versions till one wins or I quit or she decides she really did not need a bowl afterall...

That is 100% my wife but with one extra wrinkle, she's in HR and conducts investigations and fact finding meetings all day. She sees my play coming and turns it around on me before I know what's happened. She's a lovely terrifying woman.

 

[Susquatch]

My wife has a degree in psychology....figures me out way early in that conversation and emails me

That is 100% my wife but with one extra wrinkle, she's in HR and conducts investigations and fact finding meetings all day. She sees my play coming and turns it around on me before I know what's happened. She's a lovely terrifying woman.

I see....... You both have huge problems much bigger than I can help you with. Best to just be happy that they put up with you and try your best to keep them happy.

My bride and I will be 50 years in December. The most important rule is to keep her away from guns.

 

[gmihovics]

I see....... You both have huge problems much bigger than I can help you with. Best to just be happy that they put up with you and try your best to keep them happy.

My bride and I will be 50 years in December. The most important rule is to keep her away from guns.

that's why I don't want to make her a meat mallet

 

[historicalarms]

I see....... You both have huge problems much bigger than I can help you with. Best to just be happy that they put up with you and try your best to keep them happy.

My bride and I will be 50 years in December. The most important rule is to keep her away from guns.

Hahaha I agree that a happy wife is a good thing but from there we differ....I can keep my wife extremely happy by keeping an almost unlimited supply of ammo handy for her & cleaning her guns for her when necessary. She will shoot 3-5000 rounds a year most years and she is most happy when she's got two strapped on & two on the tables in front of her and "bang'n & clang'n when the beeper goes off ( in competition ,she regularly shoots 24 rounds out of the 4 guns in 28-32 seconds and it is very unusual if she misses a target at that speed, usually 1 or 2 misses per 250 shots).....so I try very hard to "keep her happy" to do otherwise could be very unhealthy in a very short timeframe LOL.

 

[gmihovics]

Hahaha I agree that a happy wife is a good thing but from there we differ....I can keep my wife extremely happy by keeping an almost unlimited supply of ammo handy for her & cleaning her guns for her when necessary. She will shoot 3-5000 rounds a year most years and she is most happy when she's got two strapped on & two on the tables in front of her and "bang'n & clang'n when the beeper goes off ( in competition ,she regularly shoots 24 rounds out of the 4 guns in 28-32 seconds and it is very unusual if she misses a target at that speed, usually 1 or 2 misses per 250 shots).....so I try very hard to "keep her happy" to do otherwise could be very unhealthy in a very short timeframe LOL.

i am both in awe and terrified at her skill.