Still wondering about what to put in my new shop, and I have another question: Has anybody seen or heard any information about a mill from Industrial Hobbies?
www.industrialhobbies.com
It's a larger version of the Rong-Fu gear head mill/drill. It has a work envelope of 12x30 inches, if I remember right. It also has a dovetail-way head for the z-axis. Seems to be pretty durable. One thing I like about the product is the web page and the honesty of the owner. He says right out that it's a chinese product, not the best thing in the world, but here's how to make it better. He then has many topics on the web page about how to improve the mill to make it into a more precise machine. He even has a CNC conversion available.
You all have also gotten me to think about a larger size mill. I use several Bridgeports here at work and would like to have that size and type of mill, but have always assumed the prices were outrageous. eBay has some but the prices seem kinda high to me. I'll check around locally (regionally) and see what I can find. Shop size is a factor for me also. Still in the "what to do" phase and not quite in the "ready to buy" phase. Thanks for all your help.
Scott
industrial hobbies mill
You already know my feelings on the Chinese machines, so I won't go into that again.
For the price you are talking about on this thing, I believe you can have a Bport or similar. I like the engine block on the table.... what's he going to do... bore a vertical hole in the camshaft? Without nod, that's all he can do to that engine on this machine.
At first glance, the Bport market on Ebay looks to be pretty steep. Go back and look at "completed" auctions. I was offered a nasty, well worn Bridgeport recently for $2000. I hit Ebay completed to see just what they were selling for. It was a real eye opener. Not a single one of the smaller Bridgeports fetched over $1500. Some at this price didn't make reserve. Some just never got bids. The huge 9ft tall 3hp production beasts with three axis DRO would get up around $3K or even more, but a plain-Jane 1hp was half that at most. There's an old change belt round column with three hours left about to go for under a grand that is FULLY tooled up.
You cannot afford to ship one, so you will have to be somewhat patient until one in your area shows up if you go the Ebay route. Put out the word through friends and co-workers and you may find one surfaces nearby. A pickup and trailer will handle a machine of this size. Just flip the head over and lower the table to make it less top-heavy.
For the price you are talking about on this thing, I believe you can have a Bport or similar. I like the engine block on the table.... what's he going to do... bore a vertical hole in the camshaft? Without nod, that's all he can do to that engine on this machine.
At first glance, the Bport market on Ebay looks to be pretty steep. Go back and look at "completed" auctions. I was offered a nasty, well worn Bridgeport recently for $2000. I hit Ebay completed to see just what they were selling for. It was a real eye opener. Not a single one of the smaller Bridgeports fetched over $1500. Some at this price didn't make reserve. Some just never got bids. The huge 9ft tall 3hp production beasts with three axis DRO would get up around $3K or even more, but a plain-Jane 1hp was half that at most. There's an old change belt round column with three hours left about to go for under a grand that is FULLY tooled up.
You cannot afford to ship one, so you will have to be somewhat patient until one in your area shows up if you go the Ebay route. Put out the word through friends and co-workers and you may find one surfaces nearby. A pickup and trailer will handle a machine of this size. Just flip the head over and lower the table to make it less top-heavy.
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Mike_Henry
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 1:05 pm
I don't have much interest in the cheaper Asian imports, but have to give credit to the Industrial Hobbies web site. I think that's the first time I've seen a distributor actually describe and illustrate some of the things you'll want to do to make it work better.
I wouldn't mind having that 12-in cross travel, but think that I'd prefer a more traditional knee mill with a head that moves in and out on the Y-axis via dovetails on top of the column.
I wouldn't mind having that 12-in cross travel, but think that I'd prefer a more traditional knee mill with a head that moves in and out on the Y-axis via dovetails on top of the column.
Mike, near Chicago
It has the same problem as most gear head mills offered. The spindle speed has big gaps and doesn't go slow enough.
Spindle Speeds (RPM) 100,190,330,480,910,1600
While you can run slower than you want to and still cut metal that's fine. Say the proper RPM would be 1200 you cna't go faster because the tool will burn up, so 910 RPM will work. May not give the desired finish but works. But when you need to run slower than the machine can go is a different problem. Say you need to run at 60 RPM, but the slowest speed is 100 RPM. Now what are you going to do? I have run into this problem.
I belive from memory that Bridgeport type machines have a slow speed of about 60 RPM with a top speed of 1750 RPM.
Spindle Speeds (RPM) 100,190,330,480,910,1600
While you can run slower than you want to and still cut metal that's fine. Say the proper RPM would be 1200 you cna't go faster because the tool will burn up, so 910 RPM will work. May not give the desired finish but works. But when you need to run slower than the machine can go is a different problem. Say you need to run at 60 RPM, but the slowest speed is 100 RPM. Now what are you going to do? I have run into this problem.
I belive from memory that Bridgeport type machines have a slow speed of about 60 RPM with a top speed of 1750 RPM.
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Matt_Isserstedt
Richard, one solution to the problem is a VFD, it basically allows speed changes with the twist of a dial.
I'd recommend keeping the mechanical speeds available & working because there will be times when you need the HP at a lower RPM and the VFD will only deliver motor HP within a certain frequency range.
-Matt
I'd recommend keeping the mechanical speeds available & working because there will be times when you need the HP at a lower RPM and the VFD will only deliver motor HP within a certain frequency range.
-Matt
Yeah I'd certainly hate to try to power tap anything larger than 3/8" at 100 rpm. & you better be on your toes at that. The taps will handle it, but keeping the brain in that high of a gear will eventually catch up to you.Richard_W wrote:It has the same problem as most gear head mills offered. The spindle speed has big gaps and doesn't go slow enough.
Spindle Speeds (RPM) 100,190,330,480,910,1600
While you can run slower than you want to and still cut metal that's fine. Say the proper RPM would be 1200 you cna't go faster because the tool will burn up, so 910 RPM will work. May not give the desired finish but works. But when you need to run slower than the machine can go is a different problem. Say you need to run at 60 RPM, but the slowest speed is 100 RPM. Now what are you going to do? I have run into this problem.
I belive from memory that Bridgeport type machines have a slow speed of about 60 RPM with a top speed of 1750 RPM.
I didn't check the machine out. If it's instant reversing motor it would help some with tapping. Or drop the $$$$'s for a reversing tapping head
If it works Don't fix it....
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PHiers
I have this mill in the "default" size. 
I bought mine from wholesale tool in Detroit a couple of years ago. It does go as slow as 60 rpm, it has low range and high range on the gear head. With mine you also turn the switch to the left to mill and to the right to power tap, yes it has instant reverse. (never been able to figure out how it works, it runs on 110 single phase, I didn't think you could instant reverse them). I have power tapped down to 3-48 threads without any problems or broken taps. 
Yet at least!
This is a picture of the front of it.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/ ... 0_0327.jpg">
Paul in NE Ohio
I bought mine from wholesale tool in Detroit a couple of years ago. It does go as slow as 60 rpm, it has low range and high range on the gear head. With mine you also turn the switch to the left to mill and to the right to power tap, yes it has instant reverse. (never been able to figure out how it works, it runs on 110 single phase, I didn't think you could instant reverse them). I have power tapped down to 3-48 threads without any problems or broken taps. Yet at least!
This is a picture of the front of it.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/ ... 0_0327.jpg">
Paul in NE Ohio
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PHiers
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Guest
I have the same mill I bought about 3 years ago from Wholesale Tool in Detroit. The auto reverse for tapping works fine and I also have not broken any taps. The only issue I have had with this mill was the gib for the x axis was to short in height and allowed the gib to walk up so the adjusting screw wouldn't stay in the slot. Or when you tightned the table it would push the gib up above the screw. After giving it some thought I built up a 1" long bead in three places with my mig welder then gound those spots flat. All is well not but I was a little disappointed when I discovered this.
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4catmom