Milling with a drill press

Ignoramus15474 · 2007-03-23T05:20:14+00:00

I was looking at the manual for my powermatic drill press. It lookslike * it uses a 3/4" spindle* Jacobs J33 chuck that threads onto the spindle (that is, this is not a typical morse taper way of attaching chucks, the chuck is firmly attached to spindle by a threaded collar)* It uses two ZZ99R12 bearings to support the spindle (see page 13 of the manual, item 44 on the parts list). I looked these bearings up. See McMaster item 60355K38, page 1083. Thespecs say, max RPM 10,700 (way over my maximum 4,800), max radial load1,787 lbs. They are made for side loaded electric motors like onbelted compressors and meet ABEC-1 standards, whatever that is.So, then, I am thinking that this drill press should be capable ofbeing used for light milling, the chuck would not fall out like onmorse tapered drill presses. Powermatic manuals are on my PM webpage Picture of the chuck is here: would not want to ruin is and would like to hear some opinions. Imay also call Powermatic company if this matter seems worth pursuing.Thanksi

R

Ron Thompson 19 years ago

Wrong. It is an investment. While large machines are going for scrap prices or less, workshop sized American iron is at a premium and is getting more so.

If you sold it for $2K, imagine what it will be worth down the line.

Now that you are in the market for a mill that will fit in a space the size of a drill press, I'd suggest looking for a Nichols. It is a very rigid small knee mill. They have traditionally been under priced and continue to be so. They are much better than the Asian crap and will appreciate in value. The basic machine is a horizontal knee mill and vertical heads are around. Mine is a 1 1/2 HP 3 phase machine, but it runs happily on 220 VAC single phase using a static converter. The spindle is a robust 40 taper. Being a commercial machine, designed for heavy use, I expect it to outlive me and it's next owner.

You can have my Nichols when they pry my cold, dead fingers off of it.

Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA

formatting link

My hobby pages are here:

formatting link

Visit the castinghobby FAQ:

formatting link

The member map is here:

formatting link

Vote

R

Ron Thompson 19 years ago

This isn't a book by Rudy, it is an article reprint, along with others, from The Home Shop Machinist and/or Machinist's Workshop. This ebay seller has done some slick marketing to conceal the title of this book, but it is one of a series of such available from Village Press. Their web site is here:

Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA

formatting link

My hobby pages are here:

formatting link

Visit the castinghobby FAQ:

formatting link

The member map is here:

formatting link

Vote

I

Ignoramus12689 19 years ago

So, can you use this tormach mill now for various projects? Have you learned how to use it witth software, etc?

i

Vote

I

Ignoramus12689 19 years ago

Ron, thanks, I will read about these Nichols mills. For now, I think, I will simply research the issues involved.

i

Vote

H

Harold and Susan Vordos 19 years ago

Checkmate!

Harold

Vote

B

Bruce L. Bergman 19 years ago

Seems to me a plunge router would work much better than a drill press, if that's the only power tools you have available and you have to mill something, as long as you take very light cuts. (And you wear a face shield, gloves, long sleeves, and as much 'body armor' as you can find in case Murphy comes calling...)

The router has a collet holding the bits instead of a Jacobs Chuck, and the spindle is designed to handle significant side loading.

I wouldn't expect much precision from the results - but for "Meatball Surgery" Git-R-Done Field Engineering it should suffice... ;-)

-->--

Vote

J

Jeff Wisnia 19 years ago

Well I'll be damned...As a longtime subscriber to HSM and MW, I know that they have quite a few books by Rudy for sale and just asumed that was one of his.

I'm not sure I'd honor that auction ad with the description of "slick marketing" though, it seems to me now to be intentionally misleading.

Why would the seller want to hide the actual title of the book anyway?

Unless maybe he doesn't want bidders to know how little they could pay for the same book from an online used bookstore?

I wonder if it's a book which is a collection of reprints of HSM and MW articles. And if so, whether it's even an authorized edition.

Jeff

Vote

D

DoN. Nichols 19 years ago

According to Ignoramus12689 :

[ ... ]

One thing to bear in mind is that I can supply you with a manual for the line of Nichols mills.

To see what I did with (and to) a really old example, check out:

formatting link

or

formatting link

if the first server is giving troubles.

One of the sub-pages is a PDF of a scan of the manual (which I got from an eBay auction *before* I got the machine). Just based on the name I decided that I had to have the manual, and once I read through it I decided that I really wanted the machine itself.

Feed that to a PostScript printer. It was scanned for a 600 DPI printer, but I think that PDF and PostScript would work really nicely no matter which way you go.

Beware that you probably don't want the version with the air/hydraulic feed -- that is purely a production machine.

Hold out for the toolroom version, or at least one of the versions which has the optional X-axis leadscrew fitted. Almost all of them also have the lever feed for X-axis, which is particularly nice for certain kinds of cuts.

Look for at least the presence of the ring around the spindle which can be used to mount the right-angle (vertical) head. I had to retrofit my much older one with a home-made ring.

Since the head with the horizontal spindle can be fed vertically by another long lever it replaces the need for a quill when using the vertical head -- as well as making plunging a Woodruf key cutter into a shaft a lot quicker and easier.

Enjoy, DoN.

Vote

I

Ignoramus12689 19 years ago

DoN, thanks, I am downloading the manual right now. I will check it out.

i

Vote

H

Harold and Susan Vordos 19 years ago

Oh! By all means! Nothing I've said is implied as rules for others to observe, particularly those with higher education that I happen to have. They're strictly my personal observations and opinions, based on my life experiences and how I like to be treated, and how I feel I should treat others. I'd be hard put upon to suggest to a guy that spending any amount of money to adapt a drill press to function as a mill would be a good idea-----when I know that the money would be better spent on something that was, indeed, intended to be a mill------even a stinking mill/drill. That's pretty simple, Ned, and hardly worthy of discussion.

This has nothing to do with me trying to change your mind------it has everything to do with someone speaking the truth, to spare others making stupid mistakes. But then, what's the saying I read many years ago-------- "Be cherry of giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it"

Harold

Vote

N

Ned Simmons 19 years ago

If anyone accuses you of a lack of candor, Harold, I promise to vouch for you. But if you don't mind, I'll continue to think for myself.

Ned

Vote

S

skuke 19 years ago

Couldn't even begin to guess. Depends on: the material, accuracy, tolerance, surface finish, time, your experience, knowing when to quit and do it right...

All I can really say is that I've milled using an Albrect chuck in a Bridgeport. So to start off with, my equipement was already light years of what you're trying to use. And I knew exactly what I needed to do (accuracy/tolerance), and what I was sure I could get away with. Even then, I wasn't overly comfortable.

There's never enough time to do it right. There's always time to do it twice.

Vote

H

Harold and Susan Vordos 19 years ago

In keeping with that "higher education *that* I happen to have"------what I really meant to say is "particularly those with a higher education *than* I happen to have. Don't you, sometimes, wish you could edit the stupid things that come from your fingers occasionally?

Sigh!

H

Vote

D

Dave Lyon 19 years ago

But the RPM is much too high. Unless of course you're milling wood. :)

Vote

I

Ignoramus17582 19 years ago

Very nice Mike. I think that CNC is the way to go for the future.

i

Vote

M

Mike Henry 19 years ago

Yep, the Tormach is pretty much fully functional now and I've made a few simple parts with it. I'm using SprutCAM, which is a Russian product, but having a hard time learning the more complex operations in it.

Mike

Vote