:::RHMT::: Real Home Made Turbo

General Category => Fabrication => Topic started by: 79fairmont on March 23, 2010, 10:45:47 PM

Title: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 23, 2010, 10:45:47 PM
I've been thinking about picking up a smaller mill and lathe to keep at the house. I see smithy makes a mill and a lathe the prices seem decent. I'm not talking about the 3 in 1 machine they advertise. I also see grizzly makes some. Then harbor freight also makes some but I'm afraid of the normal harbor freight quality. I've used bridgeport's before but never of the mini mills. I may buy two and convert one to a cnc type mill.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ADSR on March 23, 2010, 11:24:44 PM
SX3 is the best bang for the buck.  The cnc conversion kit is about 900 bucks.

The mill from grizzly is 1300.

Add mach3 software for a couple hundy and you're laughing
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: onlyflash944 on March 23, 2010, 11:27:00 PM
a smithy just sold local to me for 900 but i didn't have the cash in hand and its gone  :(
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: civiceggturbo on March 23, 2010, 11:39:13 PM
i just see it being a waste unless you dont have the space, I know guys at work who have picked up Matsuura 500's for their home shops from the late 80's in great condition with tool holders for around 2 grand. Plus with a name brand if something goes wrong you can find parts easily and since there old and proven to be reliable anything that has gone wrong can be easily trouble shot. Not hating on china shit tho, they do make some decent tools but for alittle more you can have a real cnc mill
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: chris on March 24, 2010, 06:04:57 AM
Lets ask whats the goal?
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: onlyflash944 on March 24, 2010, 10:26:42 AM
Lets ask whats the goal?

this
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 24, 2010, 01:02:27 PM
How small can you live with?  The 7X10" and 7X12-14" from HF are basically the same as all the other asian lathes foisted off through Smithy/Grizzly/etc at a markup.  They are semi-solid units out of the box, and very nice units after you drop 20-30 hours of work on them.  They're just... small.

The asian mills tend to be a bit more fragile, but can be made to work.  I have an off flavor of one of the Seig X2's, IIRC, from HF. 

http://www.mini-lathe.com/ (http://www.mini-lathe.com/) has everything you need to know.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: t_cel_t on March 24, 2010, 03:31:48 PM
ive heard the first thing you do is replace most of the bearings, as on the ship ride over they get some rust in them. after that and cleaning up some of the flash off the cast parts and replacing some of the plastic gears they are pretty solid.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 24, 2010, 07:44:19 PM
My intended uses and milling heads, manifolds, manifold spacers(ford stuff) and adapter plates, Some light gun smithing. Making accesory brackets,
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: SgtB on March 24, 2010, 09:02:50 PM
milling heads

That takes a big cutter, and a very square jig.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 24, 2010, 09:08:58 PM
I've allready done it. I worked in an engine machine shop for years.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: SgtB on March 24, 2010, 09:50:39 PM
ahh. Disregard then.  ;)
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: onlyflash944 on March 25, 2010, 02:29:23 PM
milling heads

That takes a big cutter, and a very square jig.

yea, i don't know if i would trust a mini mill or one of teh 3 in 1s to handle flatening a head
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 25, 2010, 08:27:32 PM
I mean something along these lines.
http://www.smithy.com/product_home.php?cid=2&scid=12&pid=8 (http://www.smithy.com/product_home.php?cid=2&scid=12&pid=8)
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=40939 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=40939)
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ADSR on March 25, 2010, 10:38:51 PM
This-------> http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619 (http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619)

+

This-------> Small-Mill Deluxe CNC kit PREMIUM BALLSCREWS   http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html (http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html)


= big time bang for the buck.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 25, 2010, 11:03:50 PM
You can get a fucking Bridgeport for a grand, do NOT fuck around.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ADSR on March 25, 2010, 11:24:50 PM
You can get a fucking Bridgeport for a grand, do NOT fuck around.

that's a waste of money. The ways will be shot and the bed will flop around like a dirty cunt.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 25, 2010, 11:44:29 PM
You can get a fucking Bridgeport for a grand, do NOT fuck around.

that's a waste of money. The ways will be shot and the bed will flop around like a dirty cunt.

 ::)
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 26, 2010, 07:57:43 AM
You can get a fucking Bridgeport for a grand, do NOT fuck around.
My whole problem with that is I have been looking and everyone I find within reasonable distance the table is fucked, the ways are loose, or it got bearing issues. I see them all the time on the net for cheap but that's a game of roulette I am not about to play.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 26, 2010, 10:03:26 AM
Pal around with guys who work in large, large machine shops.  One of the dudes whose Supra I tune works for GE making jet engines, has offered me gear cutting setups for $850 with a pile of tooling, Bridgeports for $1400 ("it's in really good shape but he wants too much and I don't think he'll come down") and other odds and ends.  To find those deals you really have to go in those circles.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ktown powder coating on March 26, 2010, 11:07:13 AM
This-------> http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619 (http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619)

+

This-------> Small-Mill Deluxe CNC kit PREMIUM BALLSCREWS   http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html (http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html)


= big time bang for the buck.

This is very neat.  I would love to have a setup like this someday
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ADSR on March 26, 2010, 08:40:02 PM
This-------> http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619 (http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619)

+

This-------> Small-Mill Deluxe CNC kit PREMIUM BALLSCREWS   http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html (http://www.cncfusion.com/smallmill1.html)


= big time bang for the buck.

This is very neat.  I would love to have a setup like this someday


Not bad for the money. You can have a full cnc machine, and 4th axis soft. For well under 3k
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Passenger on March 27, 2010, 12:35:23 AM
You obviously aren't capable of cyclinder head machining if you think you can do it with a pos Smithy or anything related to its class.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 27, 2010, 09:11:13 AM
Click the links I provided..... What do you think is the hardest part about setting up a cylinder head to be cut? I surfaced many cylinder heads on a bridgeport. I installed a ton of guides and and cut many seats and cut down pedastals and installed studs on winona's... My work speaks for me. Did you even look at the machines I pointed out? I said NO smithy 3 in 1. Why don't you go work on making more mongrel failures of an intercooler.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Passenger on March 28, 2010, 07:05:14 PM
Click the links I provided..... What do you think is the hardest part about setting up a cylinder head to be cut? I surfaced many cylinder heads on a bridgeport. I installed a ton of guides and and cut many seats and cut down pedastals and installed studs on winona's... My work speaks for me. Did you even look at the machines I pointed out? I said NO smithy 3 in 1. Why don't you go work on making more mongrel failures of an intercooler.

Yes I did look at the machines, they are chinese pos machines that lack the rigidity working envelope to do quality cylinder head machining, especially surfacing.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: 79fairmont on March 28, 2010, 08:23:33 PM
So instead of acting like an intelligent person and voicing that opinion in the first place, you try to attack my ability. As I have never had my hands on one I asked for opinions on them.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 28, 2010, 08:42:01 PM
Thus the whole reason I get drug into arguments with Passenger, my valid points and honest questions turn into accusations of ability.

That being said, I *am* the most argumentative person on this site and bring some of it onto myself.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Passenger on March 28, 2010, 11:38:42 PM
So instead of acting like an intelligent person and voicing that opinion in the first place, you try to attack my ability. As I have never had my hands on one I asked for opinions on them.

Fair enough, looking back I agree that I should have posted what I said the second time, the first time, I apologize.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Passenger on March 28, 2010, 11:39:32 PM
Thus the whole reason I get drug into arguments with Passenger, my valid points and honest questions turn into accusations of ability.

Joke?
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: ADSR on March 29, 2010, 12:01:33 AM
Click the links I provided..... What do you think is the hardest part about setting up a cylinder head to be cut? I surfaced many cylinder heads on a bridgeport. I installed a ton of guides and and cut many seats and cut down pedastals and installed studs on winona's... My work speaks for me. Did you even look at the machines I pointed out? I said NO smithy 3 in 1. Why don't you go work on making more mongrel failures of an intercooler.

Yes I did look at the machines, they are chinese pos machines that lack the rigidity working envelope to do quality cylinder head machining, especially surfacing.


Some import machine are just fucking garbage.  Some are better than others.  You better damn well know the machine you're working with for doing heads.  Like you said, the rigidity of the ching chong are not the best.  I know a local guy in town here who uses a BP from 1953. But it was well taken care of and is as tight as a nuns cunt.  he can do some fucking awesome work on it. He's also used it for over 35 years.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Joseph Davis on March 29, 2010, 01:44:14 AM
Thus the whole reason I get drug into arguments with Passenger, my valid points and honest questions turn into accusations of ability.

Joke?

Short term memory loss?

http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658 (http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658)
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: Passenger on March 29, 2010, 02:03:35 AM
Thus the whole reason I get drug into arguments with Passenger, my valid points and honest questions turn into accusations of ability.

Joke?

Short term memory loss?

http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658 (http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658)

No, I have a great memory. The issue is that you go about instigating arguments with me at any opportunity you can find, and than when I prove whatever it is you are saying wrong. you are too proud to admit it which only adds more fuel to your fire of trying to find ANY error in anything I say. More than anything, I find you obnoxious.
Title: Re: Anyone on here using the mini mills?
Post by: buk9tp on March 29, 2010, 02:54:35 PM
Thus the whole reason I get drug into arguments with Passenger, my valid points and honest questions turn into accusations of ability.

Joke?

Short term memory loss?

http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658 (http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1780.msg143658#msg143658)

No, I have a great memory. The issue is that you go about instigating arguments with me at any opportunity you can find, and than when I prove whatever it is you are saying wrong. you are too proud to admit it which only adds more fuel to your fire of trying to find ANY error in anything I say. More than anything, I find you obnoxious.

I find that you are emotionally stricken by benign, sarcastic comments.  More than anything, I find your confrontational offence obnoxious.