Milling Of Small Parts

EmilioG

EmilioG

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I've done some milling on a BP, but very little. I need to mill off a small section of round 1018 1/2" stock.
Only 1/4" deep (half) and 1/2" length leaving a small "notch". Do I set the depth stop on the mill (no dro)
and make several passes? What about the length of cut (sideways cut)? Thanks
 
I am no machinest but I like to touch off on the top of the round stock and zero the table and raise the table .500 in small passes.
 
A sketch or blue print would really help. Sorry, at least for me, the description you have is leaving too much to the imagination.
 
On a BP, I normally lock the quill and use the knee to move the work into the tool. Zero off of the top of the work.

I would use a 0.25, 2 flute, end mill, and do it in 3 passes, of 0.125, 0.120, and 0.005 for a clean up. About 600 RPM, and use some oil.
 
Should I blue the part with Dykem so I can see how far I need to go?
 
I don't really understand what you are saying ether but I'd think measuring as you cut would be the best bet. It would also depend on how exact you need to be.
 
No need as long as you trust the dials, or indicator if you have one you can stick on the knee. I'm a little more crude I guess. I would run the quill stop nuts up to a point where the end mill and spindle nose clear the workpiece and however you are holding it. Holding a little pressure on a 1/2" end mill, or a mechanics grade Jo block between the moving collar and the stop nuts, I would simply crank the table up until I saw, hear, and or felt the end mill (running) touch off. Now you know that when you remove the 1/2" spacer, the stop nuts are very, very close to 0.500 from the finished depth of cut.

Now depending on the end mill, and how fussy I needed to be, and how well I had ahold of it, I might drop it the whole 1/2" and run across it. If I thought I could get by with the results, I'd use a 1/2" end mill to do it too. Quick and dirty, but at times that's all that is needed, and gets the job done quicker. If you need closely controlled sizing, this is NOT the way to do it. Just an option.
 
This is one of the parts that was made for me
There are two versions of the same part; 3/4" square and 1/2" square. 1018 steel

520.jpg
 
So how close does this have to be? I usually hog out as much as I can as fast as I can with my machine leaving .02"ish on the sides then start working a little more careful.
 
This mates to another part and both have to be rounded on the ends. So -.0000 +.0010
 
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