# PM932V-PDF Startup



## Maximilian (Oct 11, 2014)

Bear with me as this is my first mill. I got it finally all settled in and cleaned up. Thought I would start firing up the mill so it can slowly start to work. The problem is the main green power button doesn't work. Put the switch in mill/drill or tapping. Nothing. The DRO, quill DRO and blue RPM display does go on. But that's it. Can't notice a loose cable or anything abnormal. Looked into the enclosure and the fuses are ok. Don't know if I'm missing or doing something wrong but I can't get the green power button to work. Attached the X power feed and it also doesn't turn on.

Also does anybody know where I can buy a replacement drawbar as the one that came with the mill is threaded so badly I can barely get the nut to move safely as it's crooked as hell.  I've also noticed my drawbar barely sticks out from the top as opposed all the ones I have seen that go up several inches. Had to remove the collet pin stop as I could not get one collet to get through if my life depended on it. However the supplied collet with the drill chuck did work.Everything else so far looks to be ok. I'm sure I'll eventually have more questions.

Since it's WK I won't be able to talk to Matt so I'll have to wait till Monday but in the meantime I'm slightly frustrated. It's like telling a kid in a candy store he can't have any. LOL

TIA, Max


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## mksj (Oct 11, 2014)

Check that the E-Stop button is not pressed in (engaged). To release the button, twist it to the right gently and the button should pop-out. When pushed in, it shuts off all the machine controls. I assume you have the correct voltages going to the machine and DRO. I own a different machine, so not familiar with the wiring/controls. The drawbar if faulty, should be replaced under warranty.


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## darkzero (Oct 11, 2014)

Agreed, check the e-stop button first (lowest right mushroom shaped). Looking at your pic, I don't see any green buttons. I only see a green power indicator which should light up.

I'm not familiar with the variable speed model but it looks like you would push the white or black button to turn on the spindle for either direction then use the gray knob to advance spindle speed.

As for the drawbar, it's not the highest quality & not a surprise. The long ones you see are usually for Bridgeports. You might be able to adapat one but I'm sure the length is different. I just made my own replacement which is not hard at all if you have a lathe. Post #22


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## Maximilian (Oct 11, 2014)

mksj said:


> Check that the E-Stop button is not pressed in (engaged). To release the button, twist it to the right gently and the button should pop-out. When pushed in, it shuts off all the machine controls. I assume you have the correct voltages going to the machine and DRO. I own a different machine, so not familiar with the wiring/controls. The drawbar if faulty, should be replaced under warranty.



You my friend are a life saver. That was it. I feel like an idiot but I did say it was my first mill . Glad it was an easy solution.


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## Maximilian (Oct 11, 2014)

darkzero said:


> I'm not familiar with the variable speed model but it looks like you would push the white or black button to turn on the spindle for either direction then use the gray knob to advance spindle speed.
> 
> As for the drawbar, it's not the highest quality & not a surprise. The long ones you see are usually for Bridgeports. You might be able to adapat one but I'm sure the length is different. I just made my own replacement which is not hard at all if you have a lathe. Post #22



The green power indicator is also a push button.

I don't own a lathe and don't have tools to thread my own rods. I can work steel, grind and heat treat but that's it.

Now that's it working the VFD is super easy to operate and runs pretty smooth.

Thanks for all your fast replies. Much appreciated.


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## darkzero (Oct 11, 2014)

I see, in the pic looked like the same indicator on my PM lathe. You might be able to make your own drawbar using dies to make the thread. Then drill & pin a nut for the top on the mill. Give Matt a call & see what he can do for you. I'm sure he will do whatever he can to take care of it.

Nice looking mill BTW, congrats!


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## SheffS4 (Oct 11, 2014)

Nice to see you got it figured out!

Could I ask you how you mounted the mill to the base?  Mine came with 2 bolts diagonally from eachother screwed into the base.  Do I take those out or leave them in?  Then does the mill get bolted to the base?


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## Rbeckett (Oct 11, 2014)

You take them out and somewhere in your bag of goodies is usually the other two.  So you use them to secure the mill to the base.

Bob


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## Maximilian (Oct 11, 2014)

Like Bob said, there are 4 of them. Mine were all 4 wrapped in a plastic oiled bag in one of those small wooden boxes with a few other items. Move the mill to your base and slowly center and drop the mill aligning the 4 holes from base of the mill with the 4 holes from the standing base. Pretty straightforward.


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## MarioM (Oct 14, 2014)

Nice looking mill, congrats!!.  Like the DRO.  I was thinking about it when purchased mine but to late now.  It came without. let us know how are you doing with it....might be my next purchase


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## Maximilian (Oct 20, 2014)

Haven't been able to remove any chips yet as I'm waiting for a replacement drawbar from Matt and have no clue when it will arrive either.

So have been mostly exploring and staring at the mill. Tramming went fine and the vise is square too. Was able to make the down feed work however sometimes pulling the handles to the right makes it stick perfectly other times I need to fight it to make it stick and stay put. Same with the fine feed. It either goes smoothly or I spend several minutes cursing trying to make it work. Very erratic. The tap function is still a mystery to me. Can't seem to find a way to make it work. I can’t find the travel dog that’s listed in the manual. The picture in the manual shows the travel dog just next to the spindle stroke dial. The tapping function should reverse automatically when it hit the desired depth. Nothing so far. :thinking:


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## Maximilian (Nov 24, 2014)

I finally found the time to install the led ring light. Thanks to Will and his detailed explanation to get everything up and running was much appreciated. It was so easy even a caveman can do it. Super happy with the outcome. Also ended up finding excellent knurled hand knobs to replace the flimsy horrible ones that came with the mill. Fast and easy secure. Couldn't be happier.




























​


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## darkzero (Nov 24, 2014)

Awesome, looking good!  :thumbzup:


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## SheffS4 (Nov 26, 2014)

Nice, those are mods I need to do as well.

Got specs on those thumb screws?

I was also wondering about the tapping functionality, so I spoke to Matt.  Apparently the tapping feature is an extra option that ares doesn't come with, despite the fact that they gave us the Milll/Drill - Off - Tap switch.  That is why it doesn't reverse and there isn't a travel dog like the manual shows.


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## Maximilian (Nov 26, 2014)

*Thumb Head Screws*

The metric knurled thumb head screws are sized M8 1.25. The ones I got are 51 mm length from Morton Machine Works. They really work nice. 
As to the tapping function. I figured so much as I had eventually given up on making it work.


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## Maximilian (Nov 27, 2014)

*Way Cover*

Love the holidays. Plenty of time to work on stuff I can't do otherwise. Besides the LED angel eye this was another mod I found personally necessary to do.
Got some 1/16" Neoprene rubber on e-bay to protect the ways. There's plenty that offer rubber. Does make cleaning up after milling so much easier. Very happy with the outcome.
Happy Thanksgiving y'all.















​


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## GA Gyro (Nov 27, 2014)

Nice looking mill!

If I get busy making parts 'runs'... will want a 932, to do a CNC conversion on... or get one of Matt's CNC models.


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## Maximilian (Nov 27, 2014)

*PM932V-PDF*

For my needs I couldn't have made a better choice. I was looking at the 935 but it's overkill for my needs + nearly double the cost after adding all the mill options. A Kurt vise is next on my list.


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## compsurge (Nov 27, 2014)

*Re: PM932V-PDF*



Maximilian said:


> For my needs I couldn't have made a better choice. I was looking at the 935 but it's overkill for my needs + nearly double the cost after adding all the mill options. A Kurt vise is next on my list.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>



Look into Glacern vise as well.  They have a black November/Black Friday sale going on now and you can get a good deal.  I'm very pleased with my 4" and I'm sure that quality carries over to the 6".

I'm going to be setting one of these up in the next few weeks for a high school robotics team so I'm thankful to see the mods you've done already.


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## darkzero (Nov 27, 2014)

*Re: PM932V-PDF*



Maximilian said:


> A Kurt vise is next on my list.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/6999cb1a/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>



If your looking at a 6" I would strongly recommend looking at it's specs before making that purchase. That's a pretty big vise for a RF-145 style mill. I have a Glacern 5" & it's boderline too big for my PM-45. Although I would love to have a 6" Kurt or 6" Glacern Premium vise, they are overkill on this size mill, plus heavy to lug around. I swap my vise for my SS quite often & the 5" is a great size IMO, I'm very happy with it. Some say a 4" vise is more appropriate for this size mill, Matt included a 4" with my mill but I like the 5" much more. But if you are planning for a BP/clone upgrade in the near future then a 6" might be worth it.


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## Maximilian (Nov 28, 2014)

*Vise*

I had read a few postings on the issue about the 6" being too big. I have seen the Kurt D688 several times and it's a monster indeed. On youtube I did stumble on someone using a D688 on his PM45 but it takes up every inch of space and more. Would never go that route. It's 16.81" long / 8.28" wide / 4.61" height / 1.93" for the hex sticking out. There's the D40 I was looking at (12.34" long / 5.75" wide / 3.485" height / 1.93" hex). I was also looking at the Glacern 5" (14.5" long / 7.625" wide / 4.1" height / 1.8" hex). I do know I need something bigger. I'm not worried about weight as I rarely have to remove the vise, as everything I do needs a vise.


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## Maximilian (Dec 4, 2014)

*Kurt 3620V Short Body*

I finally decided on a Kurt.I always try to support US companies that offer 100% made in the USA products. I was tempted at the 5” Glacern as the 4” Kurt was the same size as the Import I already own. For my work and milling purposes I needed a wider vise and max. jaw opening is not a deal breaker for me as my work pieces are never wider than 1.5” anyways. Vise stays 99% of the time on the mill so weight is also not a factor. I knew about the limitations using a large vise ex. Kurt D688 on the PM-932 as many had already discussed.

The Kurt 3620V short body caught my eye. It’s a 6” vise but the total width is the same as my 4” one as it’s ground square. It’s only 0.600” longer and the height is close to the same as my 4” on the swivel base, which I really haven’t used once. Only the Hex is 2.5x longer and the weight is more than double. I nearly opted for the same reverse model but after making a mockup I noticed the Y travel being to short of a distance so the vise would end up hitting the column of the mill.  So that was an easy final decision. I couldn’t have made a better choice. Squaring the vise went easy breezy. What a difference. I could never go back to anything less. The added rigidity, smoothness of operation and quality build are top notch. 




























​


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## darkzero (Dec 4, 2014)

Nice CNC style chuck, never seen that one, sure does look expensive! What is the opening capacity of it?

I have one of those parallel keepers. They're made for a full size 6" vise & I have a 5" vise vise. The ends annoyingly got in the way when turning the vise handle. Wasn't as bad on my 5" but on yours they look really long! I shortened mine & it never gets in the way of my hands now but I don't use it that often anyway.


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## Maximilian (Dec 4, 2014)

*Kurt 3620V Short Body*



darkzero said:


> Nice CNC style chuck, never seen that one, sure does look expensive! What is the opening capacity of it?I have one of those parallel keepers. They're made for a full size 6" vise & I have a 5" vise vise. The ends annoyingly got in the way when turning the vise handle. Wasn't as bad on my 5" but on yours they look really long! I shortened mine & it never gets in the way of my hands now but I don't use it that often anyway.



The jaw opening is 4" with the jaws or 5.5" removed. . After the discounts I ended up paying $650.00. Considering it'll be the last vise I ever need it's a steal in the long run. Buy once, buy for life. You are correct about the length and was going to shorten them one of these days. That little vise handle rocks as it doesn't interfere with the Y handweel.

I got one of those R8 racks you mentioned in your PM-45 thread. I really have to stop looking as you're draining my bank account )

It's early Christmas around here. :thumbsup2:


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## darkzero (Dec 4, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



Maximilian said:


> I got one of those R8 racks you mentioned in your PM-45 thread.* I really have to stop looking as you're draining my bank account* )
> 
> It's early Christmas around here. :thumbsup2:​


​ 

Oh I can certainly help you with that!  :secrethandshake:









And some more of my mill essentials....


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## Maximilian (Dec 4, 2014)

*Ratcheting Wrench*

Will, I meant to ask but what brand is the ratcheting wrench you use as I need to get me a few. I notice the Armstrong wrench which I also own and a few Pronto wrenches. Thanks.

BTW, went ahead and trimmed the parallel keeper. Much better.






Time to close shop and open myself a cold one.  ​


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## darkzero (Dec 4, 2014)

Nice! Looks much better now.  :thumbzup:

The ratchet wrench (straight ends) is just one by Gearwrench, 17x19mm. I got that one specifically to use with the draw bar I made that has 17mm & 19mm nuts on it. I use that Nupla handleless hammer for breaking the drawbar free.

I got that Armstrong wrench (offset ends) specifcally for mill use also, good to see they are still made in the US even though they are part of the Apex group now. My combo wrenches are all Matco & I didn't want to keep two of them away from the entire set. 3/4" end for my vise, super spacer, & tailstock. 7/8" end to use with my clamping kit. My clamping kit nuts are actually 22mm (slightly smaller than 7/8") but I'm probably going to get a TECO set later which comes with 7/8" nuts. 

If you don't have a spline wrench already for the spindle I highly recommend the Luminar spline wrench. I never used to use a spindle wrench much at all but for heavier milling I always use it.


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## Maximilian (Dec 4, 2014)

darkzero said:


> If you don't have a spline wrench already for the spindle I highly recommend the Luminar spline wrench. I never used to use a spindle wrench much at all but for heavier milling I always use it.



Since I have the variable speed version my spline doesn't stick out like yours but sits flush with the top cover. I can only tighten or make use of both flange nuts from the drawbar. I could remove the cover but it's too cumbersome.


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## darkzero (Dec 4, 2014)

Ah I see, same result. Yup, that's one of the reasons why I made the replacement drawbar with the double nut design like the stock one but that was before I knew about using spline wrenches.


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## tmarks11 (Dec 4, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



Maximilian said:


> I finally decided on a Kurt.I always try to support US companies that offer 100% made in the USA products.​


​Another option for those who want a smaller vise is the Mini-magnum 5" vice, also made in USA.  Also a very fine quality vise.  This is the vise that Tormach relabels and sells (for a decent price.... except for shipping).  You can also find it at places like penntoolco.com.



http://www.conquestind.com/mini_mag.php

The nice thing about this vise is that it is much more compact than the Kurt DS-50 5" (which isn't made anymore)... and is similar dimensions as the Kurt DS40, but opens wider (and obviously has 5" jaws instead of 4").


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## Maximilian (Dec 10, 2014)

*ER Chuck*

For those of you that use ER collets and chucks I'm noticing there are Hex and/or Slotted collet nuts. Is one preferred over the other or is it just a matter of having the correct wrench to tighten either one. Also does one need to use a tool change tightening fixture as from what I'm reading ER collets needs more torque for proper tightening. <script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/af7bb976/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/af7bb976/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/af7bb976/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>


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## compsurge (Dec 10, 2014)

I've done most by hand with the wrench. I have tightened some in the machine after mounting them into the quill and holding the spindle (I don't have a spindle lock on my PM-30).

I have Glacern tool holders and collets. I think this is the "slotted" type you are referring to. I think this type doesn't get marred by the hex wrench, so it stays shiny for longer :thumbsup:


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

Generally only the smaller ERs are available with hex nuts but are also evailable in slotted. I prefer slotted & even my ER16 collet chuck I got with the slim slotted nut.

I've only seen one fixture for holding R8 tapers for tool (cutter) changing, sold by LMS. It's aluminum but it doesn't look useful to me. I change tools with the ER collet mounting in the spindle. The torque specs for ER collets are pretty high as you mentioned, much tighter than I tighten mine & haven't had any slipping. But I do I tighten mine pretty well with wrenches.


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## Chip (Dec 10, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



darkzero said:


> ​
> 
> Oh I can certainly help you with that!  :secrethandshake:


I want to spend some noob money! 

I'm starting out with an 3/4 2HP BP clone with zero tooling. Probably a similar work envelope and power as the OP's.

Can you explain which one of those cutting tools we should get and why?


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## Maximilian (Dec 10, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



Chip said:


> I want to spend some noob money!



One thing I've learned so far. The spending never ends. To top it off, Will has the power to drain your bank account in no time. 


<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/af7bb976/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>


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## GA Gyro (Dec 10, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



Chip said:


> I want to spend some noob money!
> 
> I'm starting out with an 3/4 2HP BP clone with zero tooling. Probably a similar work envelope and power as the OP's.
> 
> Can you explain which one of those cutting tools we should get and why?



IMO the answer is what you need for the next project.  :wavinghi:

Seriously... one can spend and spend and spend and spend... etc... 

I started out with 
*A set of collets
*A set of end mills
*A keyed and a keyless drill chuck
*A set of fly-cutters
*An edge finder
*A dial indicator on a magnetic stand
*And of course a vise

Then a couple of blocks of either AL or soft steel (hot rolled or cold rolled would be fine)...
And make some basic shapes.

Try to visualize something, then make a 'rough' drawing of it, then dimension the drawing, then make it.
The key is to make what you have on paper... as reasonably close to the dimensions you planned.

Practice, practice, practice.

Then after you get tired of this... find something you can use, and make it.  Might want to keep it simple at first.

EXPERIENCE is the key teacher... and acquiring tools is more what one needs to do a job, than what one wants.

Hope this helps...

John


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



Maximilian said:


> One thing I've learned so far. The spending never ends. To top it off, Will has the power to drain your bank account in no time.



:rofl:  Yup, I definitely agree, it never ends. And if you're a tool junkie like me, it's even worse!




Chip said:


> I want to spend some noob money!
> 
> I'm starting out with an 3/4 2HP BP clone with zero tooling. Probably a similar work envelope and power as the OP's.
> 
> Can you explain which one of those cutting tools we should get and why?



Which type of tooling is essential varies by person & the type of work they do so I'll just share some of my own opinions. I'll just talk about what's pictured on that rack as I use them the most. 

Starting from the front, R8 collets. If your spindle is R8 & these are definitely something you will need. I don't primarily use R8 collets so the set that came with my mill is all I would ever need. I have a basic set in 8th increments. I really only use 8mm, 3/8", 1/2", & 5/8". I do keep 3/4" & 7/8" there but I rarely use them. The 7/8" I use for holding a Thomson linear shaft that I use for alignment, squaring, etc. The 8mm I use to hold my Noga indicator holder. There's sets available in 16th increments but I have no use for them as I use common size end mills & ER collets.

On the left is a Tapmatic tapping head. If you're not familiar with tapping heads, they allow you to tap a hole & retract the quill without the need to reverse the spindle. The tapping head automatically reverses on rebound. Not something I would consider essential, you could just power tap or tap by hand. But is nice to have if you need to tap a lot of holes consecutively. I had a project where I needed to tap 180 holes in 90 parts. I tapped them all in just a few hrs & never actually needed to turn off the spindle.

ER chucks & collets. I use ER40 & ER16 from Bison & Glacern. My ER collets are all Techniks. Not an essential, just my preference to use them as I like them a lot. You can just change collets at the chuck without having to use the drawbar, great If you don't like reaching for the drawbar. They have better run out & better grip than R8 collets but us home shop machinist guys probably wouldn't notice a difference. I use them on the lathe also. I won't get into ER collets much. R8 collets work perfectly fine. But with the ERs I never needed to use an endmill holder.

Drill chucks, definite necessity. The keyless chucks I use for the mill is from Glacern 1/2" capacity & the little one is a Jacobs, 1/4" capacity I think, I forget. I use it for small wire size drill bits & when I need to get into a tight space. The keyed chuck is a Jacobs 14N ball bearing chuck. I use it with larger drill bits & for power tapping. The keyless 1/2" capacity chuck really covers most of my work & is what I use the most.

Face mill at the left rear. It's a Glacern 2.5" 45° facemill w/ integral shank. If you have an R8 taper, 3" is just about max that it can handle as I am told. 2.5" is better suitable for a BP or large bench mills. You can definitely use bigger, but you'll have to compensate for rigidity, DOC, etc. 45° FMs are best for mills with low HP as they have a high shear design & cuts easier But they can't mill up to a shoulder. I wouldn't want to be without a FM but fly cutters are a cheaper alternative & give nice finishes also.

Lastly, the boring heads. I don't use them often but I also wouldn't want to be without one. The smaller one is a 2" Criterion & the larger one is a 3" Yuasa (Japanese copy of the Criterion). I probably used the 3" once, I only got it cause I won it cheap. The 2" covers most of what I need.

Parallels, definitely a necessity if you don't have any already. 1/8" thick set covers most of what I do & is a good starting set. Add  1/32", 1/4", etc sets later if needed.

Not really tooling but the work stops I posted earlier in this thread, not a necessity but make live easier. Great if you need to do operations on multiple indentical parts cause you don't have to reindicate. Or remove a part to check it for something & remount it in the vise without having to reindicate. Great time saver. Plenty of different ones on the market. There's also ones that mount on the back of your vise (Kurt style).

And don't forget to save some of your spending money on measuring tools. I'm not a machinist & it's not my career. I'm just a hobby guy so much of what I have or say can be subjective. Sorry for the long post, I know I don't like to read them either if they're boring.


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## Maximilian (Dec 10, 2014)

*Quality*

Whatever you do end up buying, do your homework, make sure it's good quality from a reputable manufacturer and vendor. If you don't know, ask. That's what I always do. Has served me very well all my life.


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## Chip (Dec 11, 2014)

*Re: Kurt 3620V Short Body*



darkzero said:


> Sorry for the long post, I know I don't like to read them either if they're boring.



No, that was exactly what I was hoping for, extremely helpful!

I know it takes a fair amount of time to compose something with that level of detail. Very much appreciated.


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