Milling On A Lathe

[Downunder Bob]

Hi guys, I want to make a vertical spindle milling attachment for my 12 x 16 lathe. I'm thinking along the lines of a rigid column that clamps to the bed just in front of the chuck , with chuck removed fit a pulley for a belt drive with a couple of idler pulleys at the back of the column to get the belt running horizontal to a pulley on the top of the vertical spindle. fit the spindle with a suitable collet system and vertical movement. Does any one have any plans or suggestions. the whole thing will have to be made on the lathe, as I don't have enough room to set up a mill in my shop. I could then use the cross slide as the mill table.

 

[hman]

Hmmmm ... I'm not at all sure that adding a milling column to a lathe is a good way to go, especially with the relatively small cross slide of a normal lathe. A Smithy has an enlarged cross slide for this purpose. But you said you don't have space for a separate mill, so I'll offer what I can to answer your original question.

Do you have a steady rest? If so, you could probably duplicate the underside of it (including the clamp bar) and use that as a mount for your column support. You'd probably want to have two such "shoes" a good distance apart, so as to resist the tilting forces your milling operation would produce. Build up from there with a very stout structure. Again, you'd want to resist the forces found in milling. Do yo have welding capabilities? How about a metal cutting band saw to cut out the basic parts?

When milling on the lathe it would probably be best to remove the tailstock and make use of the far end of the bed. This is the area that's typically not worn by lathe operations near the chuck ... so you'll tend to even out the wear.

I think one of your main issues will be snaking the belt around to the milling head. I don't think V belts like to do that kind of move. Any chance you could add a second motor? Look at the Smithy or other 3-way tools. Nearly all of them have two motors.

 

[Downunder Bob]

Hmmmm ... I'm not at all sure that adding a milling column to a lathe is a good way to go, especially with the relatively small cross slide of a normal lathe. A Smithy has an enlarged cross slide for this purpose. But you said you don't have space for a separate mill, so I'll offer what I can to answer your original question.

Do you have a steady rest? If so, you could probably duplicate the underside of it (including the clamp bar) and use that as a mount for your column support. You'd probably want to have two such "shoes" a good distance apart, so as to resist the tilting forces your milling operation would produce. Build up from there with a very stout structure. Again, you'd want to resist the forces found in milling. Do yo have welding capabilities? How about a metal cutting band saw to cut out the basic parts?

When milling on the lathe it would probably be best to remove the tailstock and make use of the far end of the bed. This is the area that's typically not worn by lathe operations near the chuck ... so you'll tend to even out the wear.

I think one of your main issues will be snaking the belt around to the milling head. I don't think V belts like to do that kind of move. Any chance you could add a second motor? Look at the Smithy or other 3-way tools. Nearly all of them have two motors.

Thanks for your response and comments. Yes I will have a steady rest when my lathe arrives, and what you are suggesting is sort of what I had in mind. I also intend to have a V section under the mounting plate that will match the V front guide on the bed, for accurate location and a flat section to match the flat way at the rear of the bed. The bed is quite wide for a hobby lathe 190mm (7.5"), and the cross slide travel is 170mm (6.75")

The lathe is brand new so should be quite rigid, it is not a cheap Chinese toy but rather a Taiwanese lathe that would be suitable for tool room use. You can check it out if you wish. The lathe is a Liang Dei LD-1216GH

Also the belt drive will not be a V belt but rather a round urethane belt like a Dura-Belt or similar, I will use a 2.1 step up which will give me 12 speeds from 120 - 3000 RPM using the lathes gearbox. the cross slide also has power feed.

The only thing I really need to source is a decent spindle set up suitable for milling, any ideas? and some collet's and cutters.

Oh and yes I do have welding Facilities Mig, stick and Oxy-Acetylene. And a small Chinese junk bench drill stand.

By the way what and where is a Smithy.

I imagine it will take me some months to build it all.

Cheers.

Bob.

 

[rock_breaker]

Smithy Industries can be found at www.smithy.com. They have been around for many years.
I have a machining vise "tool" for my Clausing 100 MK3 that due to my lack of knowledge did not get used as often as it could have been. As I think about it now at the computer small projects like "Tee nuts" are possible more detailed projects could be done by challenging your imagination.
Have a good day!
Ray

 

[george wilson]

The "Rodney" vertical mill attachment for the Myford lathes was fastened to the bed of the lathe. Power was gotten from the spindle. Google "Tony Lathes" and select Myford to see illustrations.I'm sure these vertical attachments were not too cheap,small as they were,like a small drill press head.

 

[hman]

Bob -

Looks like others have answered your question about Smithys.
Too bad you're in OZ. I just saw a local Craigslist ad for a milling head, complete with motor and ER40 spindle, $400.
http://portland.craigslist.org/yam/tls/5628341312.html
I have NO idea what it would take to ship it to you, but if there's any way I can assist, please let me know by PM. McMinnville is only about a ~¾ hour drive from where I live.

 

[pineyfolks]

Little Machine shop sells the heads for several of their mini mills. Or search for a used one for a parts machine.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2517&category=

 

[Downunder Bob]

Smithy Industries can be found at www.smithy.com. They have been around for many years.
I have a machining vise "tool" for my Clausing 100 MK3 that due to my lack of knowledge did not get used as often as it could have been. As I think about it now at the computer small projects like "Tee nuts" are possible more detailed projects could be done by challenging your imagination.
Have a good day!
Ray

Thanks for the info on Smithy, I'll have a look. I imagine they are much like a number of 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 machines on the market I have used a few of them particularly when working as a marine engineer. I did have the pleasure using a reasonably large Japanese built one which was pretty good until some fool tried climb milling on a heavy cut, and nearly ruined it. This machine was a very good lathe about 16"swing and maybe 20"with gap removed, and about 3'long bed.

The milling head was mounted on the outboard end of the headstock, and theoretically you could mill while using the lathe, except the motor was too small and the change in power was disconcerting to say the least. The milling section was both a horizontal and vertical mill, and surprise, surprise you could wind the mill knee down and remove a cover plate in the middle of the column and there was a shaper, modest in size buy what a bonus. I would dearly love to have one, but unfortunately not enough room.
I like your comment about challenging you imagination,

Having initially trained as a fitter and turner / toolmaker, and then a few years later as a Marine Engineer, I was frequently called on to repair or make the impossible, but almost always found a way. Most people don't realise that when on a ship at sea, and you have a breakdown you can't just call in roadside assistance you have to fix it with what you have at hand. This frequently involves machining some bits up welding the together and machining them some more. amazing what we were able to achieve at times.

Cheers,

Bob.

 

[Downunder Bob]

The "Rodney" vertical mill attachment for the Myford lathes was fastened to the bed of the lathe. Power was gotten from the spindle. Google "Tony Lathes" and select Myford to see illustrations.I'm sure these vertical attachments were not too cheap,small as they were,like a small drill press head.

Thank you George I had a look at the Rodney Millford attachment, interesting, somewhat similar to what I have in mind. however mine will be fully fabricated construction from welded steel, as having a one off casting of that complexity would be very expensive here in Australia. I also intend to stick with a belt drive. my only real concern is getting a suitably rigid spindle in a housing, may have to make it all, but I'd rather not.

By the way can you or any one advise on an easy to use modestly price design / drawing program for the windows based computer, I have never used one, always done my drawings by hand. and mostly design and draw in my head.

Thanks,

Bob.

 

[rock_breaker]

Went to the Phillipine Islands two times on a troop ship in mid 1950s, marveled at the shipboard storage of shop materials. Later held a job in Eastern Nevada, closest shopping center was 240 miles away in Salt Lake City, Utah, understand about not being able to call for road-side assistance.
My father bought the milling vise I have, and my main use was to cut flats for wrenches on home-made shafts. At the time I used keyway cutters for cutting tools. The vertical movement was by Acme thread with a .001 scale; the lathe feed and cross feed powered the X & Y movements. Although I didn't do it, I believe precision work could be accomplished on the attachment.
Have a good day!
Ray