PM-727m New mill has arrived!

[Sloth2009]

I am a pharmacist by trade and have never used a milling machine before. I decided to buy this mill mostly to help slot guards for my knife making hobby and for some other projects I have planned like crossbow parts and sterling engines. I know it's been done before, but I'd like show a bit of my decision making plus the delivery and setup process.

I decided I was going to buy a mill last fall and have been picking up some R8 tooling when I can. I bought an integrated HHIP R8 drill chuck, a set of end mill holders, end mills, spot drills, and a 2" indexable carbide face mill. Most of which was from Amazon.

For work holding, I bought some pivot clamps, extra T-slot nuts, and a 4" Shars 440v milling vise.

I may pick up a fly cutter for flexibility and potentially better finish than the Accusize face mill. Eventually I would like a rotary table and some machine screw length drill bits as well.

I decided on a Precision Matthews mill mostly because I have read good things about their mills and have heard great things about their customer service. PM service has been spot on so far. My x-axis power feed had to be back ordered but they let me know right away and are supposed to ship it as soon as it comes in. I ordered the mill and payed via PayPal. I ordered it without a stand because 3dshooter80 said his came with the top out of level. Also most reviews have said the stand is a bit short for a good table height. I instead ordered a 30" welded machine table from Global Industries for about the same price. Its rated to 3000lbs and is a few inches taller than the standard PM base that comes with the mill. It can also be bolted to the floor if needed.

I chose the PM-727m because it appears to be more robust than the PM-25mv and has a longer quill down feed for drilling. I did consider the PM-932m but it is simply too big and heavy for the space I have available.

I ordered the PM-727m mill and payed via PayPal. It came in on Thursday 3/23/17 exactly 2 weeks from when I ordered it.

The mill came in good shape. There is a small amount of surface rust on the very top of the z-axis. I think it should cleanup with no problem and is not really in a critical place. I uncrated the mill and cleaned off the packing grease with WD-40.

I was just barely able to slide the mill and pallet across my garage. Probably not a good idea to do this yourself like I did. I also unbolted the column with a 10mm allen wrench and leaned the column and head back on a 4 wheel cart. The base was heavy but I managed to lift it onto the chip tray and machine stand. I spent some time trying to level base but got frustrated with having to pickup the base to place shims. I broke down and ordered a adjustable machine base which should be here in a couple days. I will keep you guys posted.

 

[MonkMan]

Thanks for the Post and pictures.

 

[Bob Korves]

Next time, get three lengths of 3/4" steel water pipe and roll your pallet on the pipes. Keep them spaced evenly and when one rolls out the back, put it in the front again. It is cheap, easy, fairly quick, and safe (on level surfaces!). You will also need a pry bar and a block of wood to get it up onto the first roller. On bigger machines it is indispensable if you don't have fancier lifting and moving equipment. I have moved quite a few machines using that method. Some practice helps pick up the speed quite a bit. I have some pipes about three feet long and some about four feet long, and they have worked well for me on what we have moved with them, lathes, mills, and surface grinders up to more than a ton.

 

[Sloth2009]

Next time, get three lengths of 3/4" steel water pipe and roll your pallet on the pipes. Keep them spaced evenly and when one rolls out the back, put it in the front again. It is cheap, easy, fairly quick, and safe (on level surfaces!). You will also need a pry bar and a block of wood to get it up onto the first roller. On bigger machines it is indispensable if you don't have fancier lifting and moving equipment. I have moved quite a few machines using that method. Some practice helps pick up the speed quite a bit. I have some pipes about three feet long and some about four feet long, and they have worked well for me on what we have moved with them, lathes, mills, and surface grinders up to more than a ton.

Thanks Bob, that is a great idea.

 

[tweinke]

Hope you enjoy your 727 as much as I do mine! Funny mine had a bit of rust in the same place, that cleaned right off. keep us posted on your progress.

 

[lpeedin]

Enjoy your new toy. I really do mine.


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[Sloth2009]

Hope you enjoy your 727 as much as I do mine! Funny mine had a bit of rust in the same place, that cleaned right off. keep us posted on your progress.

What did you use to get it off? I have some Naval Jelly, but I'm afraid to cause more harm than good.

 

[Sloth2009]

Enjoy your new toy. I really do mine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Did you have to shim your column at all to get the mill in tram?
I plan on tramming the spindle to column by adjusting the head, then tram spindle to table adjusting column with shims if needed. I got that from the go704 Hoss videos on you tube. Has anyone found a better way?

 

[lpeedin]

Did you have to shim your column at all to get the mill in tram?
I plan on tramming the spindle to column by adjusting the head, then tram spindle to table adjusting column with shims if needed. I got that from the go704 Hoss videos on you tube. Has anyone found a better way?

Yes, I shimmed mine & need to recheck it. Chad (3DShooter80) is the "expert" on tramming the Y axis. Maybe he'll chime in soon.


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[tweinke]

What did you use to get it off? I have some Naval Jelly, but I'm afraid to cause more harm than good.

I used WD40 and a Scotch brite pad 9white) and it rubbed off nicely.