For
several years I've wanted my own lathe and milling machine. I finally decided
that the summer of 2001 was the time. After months of checking every used lathe
and mill offered for sale on the internet, I decided that new Chinese machines
were a better choice (for me) than used American machines. So, in June 2001
a new mill/drill and lathe
arrived from Enco. Enco's service has
been great, and I'm thrilled with the machines. This page tells a little about
the machines and the way they're set up.
Although the lathe and the mill are the main part of the shop (my 3-yr old son
refers to them as the "big machines") there are a lot of other
machines that make the shop work easier. Some might even be absolutely necessary.
Since I've used the internet extensively in researching machines, purchasing
machines and accessories, buying materials, and machining references, I've put
together a page of links for home shop machinists.
As you can see, both machines are sitting on one bench. I built this bench especially
for these machines and it solved several problems. The bench is 36"x48" built
of 2" angle iron with a 1 1/2" plywood top (with extra angle iron braces underneath).
It's plenty solid. Both machines are bolted to the bench, but the bench isn't
bolted down. I don't expect any problems since both machines, the bench, and
all the stuff in the drawers weighs a total of about 1500 pounds.
This bench was also designed to solve the problem of how to move a 750
lb. machine (the mill). The top of the bench is the same height as the
tailgate of my pickup (also a comfortable height for work). Each corner
of the bench has a jack with a caster (at right). To install the mill/drill
I picked it up at the freight terminal where they loaded it into the back
of my truck. I enlisted the help of several friends (five) who helped
me walk the beast onto the bench (wheeled up to the back of the truck)
and then I bolted down the mill and wheeled it into the garage (level
with the driveway). In use the jacks are raised so the wheels are off
of the ground and the bench sits on levelling feet. It really is quite
solid. We don't have many earthquakes here and if a tornado does hit the
house, the machine bench is probably the item most likely to stay in place.
I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the move but I was busy. It is possible
to disassemble the mill and move the components by hand although the whole
machine is too much to handle. You might check out CadMan's
website. He has some pictures of disassembling and moving his mill/drill.
Of
course you need a good vise for a milling machine. I've mounted a 6" Chinese-made
Kurt clone (from JTS Machinery). Great
vise, great company. Enco has the same vise but insisted on truck shipping which
was going to be much more expensive. The vise is probably a little large for
this mill, but is very solid, very accurately ground, and only reduces movement
slightly. I've got about 4 1/2" of Y-axis movement with this vise. It isn't
something I'd want to install and remove regularly (weighs almost 100 lbs.),
but when I clamp something in the vise I'm sure it's solid.
Clamped
in the vise right now is the toolpost turret from the lathe. I'm milling out
one side to accept a cut-off tool holder. The mill handled this job with great
ease. In fact, after initial disassembly, cleaning, lubing, adjusting, and reassembly
the mill has worked beautifully. It is highly accurate and extremely powerful.
It's capable of hogging out large cuts and produces a great finish. It runs
smooth and quiet and I'm very happy with it.
There
was some rust on the mill when I unpacked it, but the only serious rust was
on the X-axis feed screw. I called Enco to tell them and they immediately sent
me a new screw and the bronze nut. The people I spoke to were very helpful and
seemed very knowledgeable. I've had great service from Enco with the machines
and with a lot of accesories I've ordered since. I can't recommend them enough.
No, these machines aren't running through the powerstrip on the wall
behind the bench. I've got a dedicated 220V circuit (left over when I replaced
the electric range with a gas one) for the mill and lathe. The mill was
pre-wired for 220V and I asked for wiring instructions for the lathe. The
instructions were very clear and it took about five minutes to change the
lathe from 110V to 220V.
The
lathe sits on the other end of the bench
from the mill. I'm also really happy with the lathe. There's a lot of bad-mouthing
of the 9x20 lathes out there on the internet, but I don't think it's deserved.
OK, it doesn't have back-gears. It doesn't have tumble reverse. I can live without
those. There are also a lot of complaints about flex in the compound mount.
Those complaints are warranted! From the factory the compound clamp/design are
woefully indadequate for the size of the lathe. Even very light cuts produce
a lot of chatter and lousy finishes.
However,
this problem is easily solved. In a couple of evenings machining I made a new
compound clamp plate (left) that solves the problem quite well (also put in
larger gib adjusting screws). Not only does this clamp have four bolts to hold
it down, but the top of the clamp fits tightly to the bottom of the compound.
The original graduated ring on the bottom of the compound now holds the compound
into the clamp plate and the bottom of the compound bears against the clamp
plate. This gives four bolts to hold down the compound, and drastically changes
the geometry. Now the moment arm resisting flex is much longer than the arm
producing the flex. It does mean that you need a protractor to set the compound
angle, but it's a small price to pay.
With
the newly stiffened compound this becomes a very competent lathe. I've taken
some pretty deep cuts in mild steel and easily parted off 1 1/2" aluminum bars
(using an Enco cut-off tool and the modified turret). No chatter!!.
The lathe was in better shape than the mill when I uncrated it. I
did disassemble it, adjusted and lubed everything. The spindle bearings
needed it but most of the lathe was pretty clean to start with. Despite
the experiences some others have reported, this lathe runs quiet and smooth.
I'm enjoying it almost as much as the mill.
Overall
I'm completely pleased with these machines. Both of them were great deals and
I've got a heck-of-a-lot of machinery for the money I spent. Both machines are
highly capable for a home shop or even light production. I've got several projects
currently underway and I'll get some pictures up when I can. Of course, the
more time I spend making chips the less time I spend on the computer. I've begun
making an adjustable holster
hanger for the CR Speed holster. Some of the people at my local USPSA club
are using them and I hope to sell a few (at least to cover the cost of my hobby).
A new holster is next.
A lot of the parts and projects I'm making from aluminum. I've set
myself up to be able to anodize.
This produces a really nice finish on the aluminum.
There
are a lot of other people with web sites about their home machine shops. Many
of them have some good ideas and you can find some of them on my links
page.
19 November 2001
Cheers,
Kelly
I am not a professional machinist or engineer. I'm not giving advice, just
my opinions. I'll endorse no use of this information, nor accept any liability
for its use or misuse.
