RCCrawler Forums

Xtremekrawler8 · 03-25-2006, 12:17 PM

Is turning a drill press into a mini mill going to work,
my dad gave me his old one and i could lock the up down motion of the armthingy.
I saw something awhile back,
i was a XY table that fit on a drill press,
is there anyone who knows what im talking about.
Just wondering since i want to start milling peices since the dremmel tool route takes waaaay to long and not a precise.
LMK,

Nate

mp3ranger · 03-25-2006, 12:30 PM

I just one this to use on my drill press .

Here is link where I got mine.

Frakk · 03-25-2006, 01:24 PM

what kind of bits are you using to mill? how is the drillpress handling the pressure from the sides?

Reflection · 03-25-2006, 02:57 PM

I don't see a drill press lasting long being used as a mill,even the bigger ones. They just aren't designed for sideloads. I believe the only thing they might handle is REALLY soft and paper thin aluminum and real soft plastics. Even at that they will probly have premature wear in the head. If you want to mill out parts,do yourself a favor and buy a mill.

Nowadays you can get pretty good deals on the little mill and lathe combo's. It's the tooling that'll kill ya. You get what you pay for and good tooling ain't cheap.

Xtremekrawler8 · 03-25-2006, 05:22 PM

i dont have $400 bucks to go spend on a Mill,
we have a HUGE one at work but the boss hasnt set it up yet,
or else i would use that one.
im going to try it and see if it works,

PROTOTYPE · 03-28-2006, 03:06 PM

I don't recomend it. I have seen some people walk away from their machines with quite an "eye" full.

Just my $0.02

JJsPrecisionGuesswork · 03-29-2006, 01:02 AM

Nate,

If you insist on trying this, please take a few words of advice from an old man. Please make sure the quill, or the part that slides up and down with the drill chuck in the middle of is at the top and locked in place. Then raise your table as high as it will go to your drill chuck, and make SURE when you put the vise on the table you use C-clamps instead of vice grips...

. Another thing, is to make sure the vise is as close to straight ( front to back and side to side) as you can get it. A quick way is to put a drill bit in the drill chuck and run the vise back and forth as close as you can to the drill bit and watch the gap between the bit and the vise to see if it stays the same...Does this make any sense? And take LIGHT cuts at first, that means paper thin to see how it cuts and if you're cutting in the right direction (VERY IMPORTANT!!!). If you need more help drop me a line...J.J.

03-25-2006, 12:17 PM	#1
Xtremekrawler8 Pebble Pounder Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Paradise City Where The Girls Are Pretty Posts: 179	Turn Drill Press Into Mini Mill? Is turning a drill press into a mini mill going to work, my dad gave me his old one and i could lock the up down motion of the armthingy. I saw something awhile back, i was a XY table that fit on a drill press, is there anyone who knows what im talking about. Just wondering since i want to start milling peices since the dremmel tool route takes waaaay to long and not a precise. LMK, Nate

03-25-2006, 12:30 PM	#2
mp3ranger Rock Crawler Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winchester Posts: 922	I just one this to use on my drill press . Here is link where I got mine.

03-25-2006, 01:24 PM	#3
Frakk Pebble Pounder Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 171	what kind of bits are you using to mill? how is the drillpress handling the pressure from the sides?

03-25-2006, 02:57 PM	#4
Reflection TEAM MODERATOR Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 10,855	I don't see a drill press lasting long being used as a mill,even the bigger ones. They just aren't designed for sideloads. I believe the only thing they might handle is REALLY soft and paper thin aluminum and real soft plastics. Even at that they will probly have premature wear in the head. If you want to mill out parts,do yourself a favor and buy a mill. Nowadays you can get pretty good deals on the little mill and lathe combo's. It's the tooling that'll kill ya. You get what you pay for and good tooling ain't cheap.

03-25-2006, 05:22 PM	#5
Xtremekrawler8 Pebble Pounder Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Paradise City Where The Girls Are Pretty Posts: 179	i dont have $400 bucks to go spend on a Mill, we have a HUGE one at work but the boss hasnt set it up yet, or else i would use that one. im going to try it and see if it works,

03-28-2006, 03:06 PM	#6
PROTOTYPE RCC Addict Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Xxx Posts: 1,118	I don't recomend it. I have seen some people walk away from their machines with quite an "eye" full. Just my $0.02

03-29-2006, 01:02 AM	#7
JJsPrecisionGuesswork Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Westland Posts: 11	Nate, If you insist on trying this, please take a few words of advice from an old man. Please make sure the quill, or the part that slides up and down with the drill chuck in the middle of is at the top and locked in place. Then raise your table as high as it will go to your drill chuck, and make SURE when you put the vise on the table you use C-clamps instead of vice grips... . Another thing, is to make sure the vise is as close to straight ( front to back and side to side) as you can get it. A quick way is to put a drill bit in the drill chuck and run the vise back and forth as close as you can to the drill bit and watch the gap between the bit and the vise to see if it stays the same...Does this make any sense? And take LIGHT cuts at first, that means paper thin to see how it cuts and if you're cutting in the right direction (VERY IMPORTANT!!!). If you need more help drop me a line...J.J.

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