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07-31-2009, 06:49 AM | #1 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: um, Houston?
Posts: 361
| Milling with a drill press?
I'd like to use my drill press as a cheapie mill. Looking for a recommendation for where to find milling bits and a 2-axis vise that can be clamped/bolted to the drill table. Thanks! |
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07-31-2009, 07:08 AM | #2 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jackson
Posts: 141
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MSCdirect.com Or for cheaper imported stuff, i have used Shars.com |
07-31-2009, 07:08 AM | #3 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Saginaw
Posts: 1,721
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Be carefull - most drill presses aren't built to handle heavy lateral forces.
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07-31-2009, 08:21 AM | #4 | |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Martinsburg WV
Posts: 2,781
| Quote:
But like the Scientist says they're not really designed to handle lateral loads, they're designed to exert force on one single straight axis. There's a limit to material thicknesses and what you can accomplish accurately because things will start to flex as you side-load the shaft of the press. As long as you don't load it too hard laterally you'll be fine. And don't expect absolute micro-presicion. But as long as you're not manufacturing parts that require very prescise fitting that won't be an issue either. Also bear in mind that you'll only be able to perform 2-axis work - straight cuts and angles are not a problem, but curved cuts are an absolute bee-atch... Last edited by Big Mike; 07-31-2009 at 08:28 AM. | |
07-31-2009, 09:42 AM | #5 |
Picky Fab'r/Acetal Junky Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arizona Desert/AJ
Posts: 3,073
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I've done it with my drill press...but only in acetal and only small amounts at a time. Never tried with anything harder like aluminum...and probably wouldn't advise it. Harbor Freight has the vises. Of course you get what you pay for, but if you'll only be using it for small things only once in a while...they carry a somewhat decent one. |
07-31-2009, 09:55 AM | #6 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: um, Houston?
Posts: 361
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Thanks for the info guys! I won't be doing anything heavy duty, just thin aluminum plates that are too small to safely cut on my bandsaw. I was planning to use a sanding drum to handle the cleanup on curved sections.
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07-31-2009, 10:14 AM | #7 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jackson
Posts: 141
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You can get a small vice with x and y travel screws on it. Works just like a mini mill.
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07-31-2009, 12:20 PM | #8 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: iderho
Posts: 439
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Ive done cutting board, delrin, and some really dense plastic with carbite bits, and router bits and i do curves and everything without a problem.
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07-31-2009, 01:57 PM | #9 |
No idea what I'm doing Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Underground, CO
Posts: 4,529
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I'd say be very careful or don't do it at all! Like Mike says, a drill press is not designed for those kinds of loads. More importantly though, a drill press usually has a morse taper holding the chuck in.....not all, but many do. When they start vibrating the morse taper can let loose, and then you have a fast spinning hunk of metal with an endmill attached that wants to cut something.......it doesn't care if it's metal, skin or bone. We had a guy here at work try to mill with the drill chuck in our knee mill. It loosened up and fell out. He wasn't hurt, but could have been. His part, the endmill and drill chuck didn't fare so well. There was a discussion about this not too long ago here, but I can't find it. |
07-31-2009, 02:03 PM | #10 |
Hateraide Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Mission BC
Posts: 1,538
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it also depends on how great and big your drill press is, we have one at work that we can do milling with it takes longer but we can do chunks of aluminum and such, but its also a heavy duty drill press not something you would have at home in a hobby room lol |
07-31-2009, 02:41 PM | #11 | |
No idea what I'm doing Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Underground, CO
Posts: 4,529
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Cross slide vise for drill press? . | |
07-31-2009, 03:26 PM | #12 |
TEAM MODERATOR Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tennessee
Posts: 10,855
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Beside the fact that it's not at all safe to try and put side loads on a drill press....it's allot harder or nearly impossible to be as accurate as a decent mill. Risk loosing a limb and/or poorly cut parts,not worth it in my opinion. I'd rather have a itty bitty bench top mill over the biggest drill press you can buy. |
07-31-2009, 03:52 PM | #13 | |
Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Location: In denial
Posts: 34
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You DO NOT want to put a side load on an end mill while holding it in a Morse taper holder. Sooner or later it will come out. In my case it was sooner rather than later! | |
07-31-2009, 04:05 PM | #14 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jackson
Posts: 141
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I agree that milling with a drill press is probably poor. Doing so with only aluminum and plastics seems to be way better than steel.
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07-31-2009, 04:38 PM | #15 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Not where I belong.
Posts: 964
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07-31-2009, 06:37 PM | #16 |
Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Location: In denial
Posts: 34
| Just be really careful cause I was milling plywood, makin' a sterobox for my car. I thought its just wood, it'll be ok....It weren't:-(.
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07-31-2009, 10:35 PM | #17 | |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: um, Houston?
Posts: 361
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08-01-2009, 06:46 PM | #18 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: vacaville
Posts: 256
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Does anyone know of little (maybe bench top style) mill and where to get one?
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08-01-2009, 07:00 PM | #19 | |
TEAM MODERATOR Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tennessee
Posts: 10,855
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It's been discussed ALLOT in this very section..... http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/searc...earchid=805001 | |
08-01-2009, 07:37 PM | #20 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: vacaville
Posts: 256
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I know sorry I should of searched just looking through this thread and posted without thinking. But anyway thanks for posting that's a ton of info.
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