essential tools for milling

[Mr Ron]

You really don't a full set of R8 collets. I would suggest 1/4", 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4" as end mills come in those sizes. You can get a drill chuck with an R8 shank, but if you have a drill chuck on your lathe that has a morse taper, you can get an R8 collet for a morse taper and you will not have to buy another chuck just for the mill. A fly cutter is a very useful tool to have. A double ended end mill is a bit cheaper than 2 single ended end mills. Later on, you might want to put a digital readout (DRO) on the mill. I recommend DROPRO as a great inexpensive device. Overall, I would stay away from anything made in China, especially R8 collets. A good set of adjustable parallels is a very valuable tool to have for mill set up. If you don't already have a good set of drills, now is the time to start thinking about them. Because it's a mill/drill, you are limited in the Z axis, so I would get a drill chuck with a 3/4" shank that can be held in a 3/4" collet. That will allow you more clearance in the z axis. These recommendations are based on my mill needs.

[Lewayne]

Thanks so much for all the good advice. Now I have some ideas about what to start looking for in advance of actually having a project.

[SteveM]

Because it's a mill/drill, you are limited in the Z axis, so I would get a drill chuck with a 3/4" shank that can be held in a 3/4" collet. That will allow you more clearance in the z axis.

And take the shank of that arbor and cut of all but about 1" (see how long the actual grip length in the collet is). The collet is only going to grip on that area anyway and the shorter length will let you swap it in without having to raise/lower the head.

The arbors typically have two precision surfaces separated by a narrower area. You could just cut off the entire narrow area.

Steve

[tornitore45]

For small work a machinist vise is alternative to a Kurt, as far as I am concerned is even better.
Sometime is called a grinding vise.
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/ ... &category=

Is hardened and ground on any surface, it can be mounted on 3 orientation for special cases.
I have a 3" and a 1" usually held in the 3" for small part or compounded angles.
I have a Kurt style Chinese door stop that keep is I ever have a low precision job that just does not fit in my 3" machinist but in 13 years I never felt the need.

[jcfx]

Good advice from everyone, but since milling is new to you, my recommendations are in order of usefulness -
1 - A vise, it can be a Kurt or an Import, new or used, whatever your budget will allow. You can always upgrade later.
2 - Parallels
3 - Milling cutters, as Mr Ron said 1/4", 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4" HSS, they're inexpensive from the usual places ( Shars,Victor Machinery )
upgrade to carbide as the project material needs.
4 - Collets to hold the milling cutters, 1/4", 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4"
5 - Drill chuck, either integral shank or two piece ( chuck and R8 arbor )
6 - Flycutter, nice to have to flatten large areas.

The above is what I started with years ago when I got my EMCO lathe/ mill combo. I gradually added dial indicators, magnetic stands for
the indicators, angle blocks, more vises, slotting saws etc.
Go with what will get you making your first chips and add as needed.

[warmstrong1955]

Good advice from everyone, but since milling is new to you, my recommendations are in order of usefulness -
1 - A vise, it can be a Kurt or an Import, new or used, whatever your budget will allow. You can always upgrade later.
2 - Parallels
3 - Milling cutters, as Mr Ron said 1/4", 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4" HSS, they're inexpensive from the usual places ( Shars,Victor Machinery )
upgrade to carbide as the project material needs.
4 - Collets to hold the milling cutters, 1/4", 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4"
5 - Drill chuck, either integral shank or two piece ( chuck and R8 arbor )
6 - Flycutter, nice to have to flatten large areas.

The above is what I started with years ago when I got my EMCO lathe/ mill combo. I gradually added dial indicators, magnetic stands for
the indicators, angle blocks, more vises, slotting saws etc.
Go with what will get you making your first chips and add as needed.

This is what I started with as well. I already had a DTI, a dial indicator & a mag stand....which is necessary stuff.
But I also bought an edge finder set, a clamp kit, and a couple of 1-2-3 blocks before I got going.

All the rest....a scary long list, came after, a piece or two at a time, as the need required.


Bill

[BadDog]

Or as often in my case for the "ease and convenience" tools, more like "as deals present". Being quite cheap about such things, until then, I muddle by with more brute-force-n-ignorance. Particularly starting out, mostly simple projects, you can do a LOT with fairly little. It's those ease and convenience plus "once in a blue moon" tools that really wreck your budget (and storage space).

[Lewayne]

I posted this under vice sizes too, but today I bought a nearly new Kurt 6" vice. Paint isn't' even chipped.
very clean. the guy said he bought two of them new,a year and a half ago, but has since sold the mill he had this one on
I got it for $275. So even though its bigger than I needed, I have it.
maybe I can work a trade later if it proves to be too big for my purposes, but I've seen guys using a 6"
on a heavier mill drill like mine though. we'll see.

[SteveHGraham]

Imagine beginning machining after the demise of Enco.