Finally broke down and did it, got myself a mini mill

J S Machine

J S Machine

Well-Known Member
I ordered it last friday. According to them it should be here by the end of this week or the first of next week. I'm excited.

I've been putting it off for years and trying to justify the purchase, but I'm done with that. I need the vesatility and accuracy that only a mill can provide, so I pulled the trigger. No more attempting to do rotary table work in the mill. While it isn't a full blown knee mill, it will still do what I need it to do as far as knives go. I may even be able to build my blade grinder I have planned. As of right now I'm going to attempt the treadmill motor route. I have all the parts, just need the machine to make them all fit together.

I got this model:

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/3900

This one is significanty better than it's brothers and sisters offered by various outlets like Harbor Freight and Grizzly. They spec theirs from the factory with an R8 spindle, longer and wider table, and then put on their belt drive head. This way, I avoid the plastic gear crap that is common with these bench mills. I ordered a precision vise with it too. I really wanted to just build the vise, but the problem is that I need a vise to make the parts to build another vise :lol:

Little machine shop has been making the belt drive conversions for the heads for a while now, and started selling machines with that setup installed a few years ago.

Can't wait to get it :cool:
 
GOOD FOR YOU! I would hate to try to get by in my shop with out my little Shearline mill and lathe, I just bought a 4" rotary table from Shearline, can't wait to try to figure out how to use it. Please keep us informed as to how this mill works out for you.
 
I'd love to have that one. More torque and table than any other in its class. Is there a CNC kit made for it too? BTW how much if you dont mind me asking here?
 
Bruce Bump said:
I'd love to have that one. More torque and table than any other in its class. Is there a CNC kit made for it too? BTW how much if you dont mind me asking here?
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check out littlemachineshop.com Bruce. I think there are several attachments, like X power feed and some other things. I know there are a cult following of people who experiment with these machines and modify them. They are very popular with people who tinker with small engines and hobby stuff. The manufacturer Sieg makes them for several retailers like Harbor freight, Homier, Grizzly, etc. The differences are the specs. Most of those sold in the outlet stores have a morse 3 taper spindle (not what I wanted at all) and also the plastic gears in the head. Under heavy load, the plastic teeth can break and then will have to be replaced. Little machine shop began to remedy this problem with their belt drive system. I wanted an R8 head because that is what I'm used to using in a mill like a Bridgeport. The differences in the machines are based on the way each supplier wants them spec'd. Little machineshop gets theirs with the longer table and higher torque motor and all. In a mill this small, every little bit more space is a big deal.

$689 or so, But the killer was shipping. I think shipping was like $160 because it had to come by truck all the way from CA to AL.

I had several options but none made sense and would have cost me about the same in the end-

Buy it at harbor freight for around $500 I think, and then upgrade the head to the belt drive from LMS ..($145 I think). Still be stuck with a morse 3 head, and no have as big of a table, etc.

Check out the 3501 CNC Milling Machine $4300 similar in size and capacities as the manula SX2 mill like I have coming...made by Sieg..it would be turn key. Not sure exactly what kind of code it takes, I would assume common G Code, which any cam software would be able to produce. Or I'm sure you could manual input the code, but that would be painful on a long program with alot of movement.

There are people that put the stepper motors on the regular mini mill, but I don't see the conversion parts to actually do that on LMS's site. They do sell each individual part of the mill though if you wanted to build one from parts I guess.
 
John,
Congratulations!!! I know you've got to be so excited, I meant to tell you that right before you posted that you wanted to trade your lathe for a mill, I had just taken mine back, like 2 days before. I really don't know enough about how to use them properly to get the full benefit from owning one, every now and then I'd make a guard perfectly, aside from that, I rarely used it. Nice to have, but I think I can get by with a Dremel and files just as well. I may get one later, maybe, I think I'd rather have a surface grinder. But until we get the house building stuff tended to, I aint gettin' NOTHING!!!! Enjoy it Bro', I'm looking forward to see what you can make, when you get completely tooled up! I think you're gonna be great! Rex
 
Interesting. I bet the guru's do have almost a bolt on kit to convert it to cnc. Something to dream for some day, not that I can even program it. I do have grandkids though, bet they can do it after they graduate 5th grade.
 
I'll just bet it's a terrific tool to work with !!! I'm one of those that will have to read about it from others. My best with it !!! Frank
 
McClellan Made Blades said:
John,
Congratulations!!! I know you've got to be so excited, I meant to tell you that right before you posted that you wanted to trade your lathe for a mill, I had just taken mine back, like 2 days before. I really don't know enough about how to use them properly to get the full benefit from owning one, every now and then I'd make a guard perfectly, aside from that, I rarely used it. Nice to have, but I think I can get by with a Dremel and files just as well. I may get one later, maybe, I think I'd rather have a surface grinder. But until we get the house building stuff tended to, I aint gettin' NOTHING!!!! Enjoy it Bro', I'm looking forward to see what you can make, when you get completely tooled up! I think you're gonna be great! Rex
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You took your mill back?? Is that what you are saying?
 
J S Machine said:
You took your mill back?? Is that what you are saying?
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Yep, That is what I'm saying, it got to where it was so out of whack it wouldn't cut a straight line, and HF's policy is no questions asked, if it aint workin, take it back! I bought the extended warranty with it and got almost all of my money back, so it wasn't a bad thing, I really need some lessons on how to run one, at least the basics, there was so much I wasn't getting from it, simply due to my lack of knowledge, I mainly bought to make guards easier and still found myself filing and fitting them on the same as before, once it started making it more difficult, I was done with it! I like the one you got, definitley a better machine.

Someone was asking about a CNC for it and yes there is one, I'd have to do some googling to find the web site, but I believe it pretty much a bolt on type of deal, or (I think), you can buy the parts to make it a CNC. I found it, here it is--> http://www.fignoggle.com/plans/cncplans.htm, they have a lot of stuff for the Seig, can't remember which one you got. Hope this helps, Rex
 
Well Rex, maybe you can use the money you got to get yourself something else useful for the blade making biz.

I had just gotten to the point where I was tired of making excuses for myself. I didn't really have the money to buy this thing, but I need it bad. I can easily build myself a blade grinder, but I can't do it without a mill. I'd like to try some slipjoints with integral bolsters too..I believe that is what you call them. I'm all for the soldering them on deal, but I'd like to try to do them where the liners are milled to leave the bolsters too.

You are right about surface grinder. That is my last thing that I really need. They have one here at work that came out of our shop, but it is old and neglected. It was running out so we took it out of service. I am going to get with the plant manager and see if I can buy it for what they would get for it in scrap maybe..long shot but I will ask. Next obstacles with that are it requires 3 phase and I have no idea how to get around that..and of course will likely have to be rebuilt from top to bottom because of the inaccuracy problem.
 
I think I actually ended up buying stuff to service my lawn mower with, jack, impact wrench, few other goodies my wife wanted. I'm cutting about 10 acres of grass a week, I like for it to look nice if I can keep up with it, and once it's cut it does look pretty good, sending my mower off for service is a 2 week wait, and by the time it gets back my place looks like a jungle!

As for getting by the 3 phase on that surface grinder, there is a phase converter you can get, I think Surplus Wharehouse has them.
 
Here we are!

2011-08-26_18-49-39_252.jpg


I would have been making chips last night but I need to bolt it down first and pick up a couple of misc things. I like it so far. I am definitely going to have to look into an X axis power feed though. It would make life much easier on large parts.
 
I'm jealous!!! Not really, I am glad you were able to get it. It sounds like you know what you are doing and the mill looks substantial enough to do small work. I wish you the best of luck with it. (I hate making guards. grin)
 
Well, turns out these things are not nearly as good as a decent machine from the factory. What do you expect with a small inexpensive machine though?

I went to tram it in the other night and found the nod out by about 1/16th of an inch. There is no nod adjustment on these machines, so the only thing you can do is take them completely apart, deburr all the edges and holes on the mating surfaces, shim it, and put it back together. The side to side movement will allow you to tram the X in relation to the table, but the Y has to be approached in the rebuilding and shimming way.

I'll admit I didn't know this before hand, but that's ok. It isn't anything I can't fix, it just means it will be a little bit before I can actually start using the machine. I full teardown and rebuild is needed to get it correct the way it should be, and then I will know for sure that it is ready to work with. Everything being correct to begin with is the name of the game here :cool:
 
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