- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Messages
- 9,422
Says the man living in paradise with a shop!
Hmm, there is that ...
I forgot @Alan H - hate him, too!
Says the man living in paradise with a shop!
Mike,This mill has an R8 spindle taper so all the common stuff will fit it - collet chucks, collets, drill chucks, etc. The table looks just about right for a 5" vise but I bet even a 6" will fit okay - you have 9" of Y-axis travel. I would probably opt for the 5" vise, though.
Hey Bill, did your 935 originally come with 8-speed pulleys? If so, how well did that work for you? Was it restrictive enough that it made you go to a 3ph VS setup?
I ask because this mill looks to be almost the ideal hobby class mill. In my mind, the only thing that it lacks is a VS motor but that might be an issue only in my mind, hence my questions. If a VS model is forthcoming, it might be worth the wait because while you can add VS later, it isn't that cheap to do if you use quality components, and it won't be covered under a warranty. Optionally, if Matt agrees to upgrade the motor at a reasonable cost if it becomes available later then no waiting is required.
It is not fun living vicariously through your experiences ... . Let's see - Evan, Bill, @Ulma Doctor, @darkzero - I hate all you guys!
Mike,
Used 6" Kurt vises are pretty common, 5" not so much. Why would you recommend the 5" over 6"? I assume it's money well spent to go for a top quality Kurt vise, or would I be ok with a good quality import like Glacern?
Evan
Bill,My mill is the 935TS (Taiwan made, step pulley version), and to be honest I ordered it specifically with the 3-phase motor and the VFD that Matt sells because I had already gotten bit by the variable speed bug when I converted my Charter Oak to belt drive & VFD.
Step pulley BPs (and others) have been used for years. To use, I would select the best possible speed, and then vary DOC and feed rates to get a good cut/finish. While not eating cutters. The adjustable spindle speed just adds yet another variable to help with tool life and part finish. It is a luxury, not a requirement IMO.
EDIT: On the vise question, this IMO is more of a personal preference than any kind of specific requirement. I managed to trip over a 5" Kurt in very good shape for my 935. Had that not happened, I would have still gone with the 5" as I don't care for all that extra weight of a 6" hanging off the front of the table. So, to compromise, I use oversized 6" jaws (stepped of course) in a 5" vise and get the clamping range in X without all that extra weight/size in Y that you get with a 6" vise.
Just my thoughts on this. YMMV...
Mike,
Used 6" Kurt vises are pretty common, 5" not so much. Why would you recommend the 5" over 6"? I assume it's money well spent to go for a top quality Kurt vise, or would I be ok with a good quality import like Glacern?
Evan
Bill,
Educate me--what's the downside of the larger vise? Never having had a mill, I don't have a personal preference, so I'm trying to guess what I'll like best. I don't follow the concern about additional weight and size in Y, especially given that the table probably weighs 300 lbs? I know on bench top machines with limited Z the beefier >4" vises chewed up too much space and 3" vises were recommended.
Thanks,
Evan