# Need quick pre-purchase advice.....Barker AM Horizontal Mill



## azscooby (Feb 19, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## Reeltor (Feb 19, 2017)

Ask for your free Kurt Vise, website says free Kurt with purchase of any mill.  I know that they meant to say "New" mill but it doesn't hurt to ask for some freebee


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## DougD (Feb 19, 2017)

From the pic's it appears in decent condition.  If as you said you need to change the motor out to single phase the position of the mount couldn't be much easier.  I have the smaller Barker model, and have been pleased with it.
From the picture it appears the X table is set up for rack and pinion movement?  As with most small horizontal mills with rack movement on the table watch for heavier wear in the middle of the table. With mine I have to mill the dovetails as it was too far out to be corrected by the gib adjustment.  That being said the tables are easy to take down and access. 
Personally I don't see how you can go wrong at that price for that mill. 
doug


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## FOMOGO (Feb 20, 2017)

If nothing else, you should be able to make considerably more than the purchase price parting it out. Mike


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## azscooby (Feb 21, 2017)

Purchased!  (No free Kurt vise..lol)

First impressions...WOW,  this thing is solid!  Rigid would be an understatement.

Just got off the phone with the guy who still builds these today and he said mine was built in 1968.

It likely didn't come with the overarm support and spindle, unfortunately, as these two parts come in at about $2k!!  I get it, they are quality machines, but I think I'll try and make my own.  At least the overarm itself and the outboard support sh Update bee too difficult.  But he said the arbor was made a heat treated steel..

Anyone have any info on these parts for making my own?  Drawings?

What about a parts diagram?  I got spoiled with the Craftsman lathe and benchmaster mill as these were readily available.

The condition is fantastic.  All flaking is still visible on all the ways, which is unbelievable.   It had a manual type "pump" oiler on the table and the underside of the tables have groves in them for oil passages.  I'm especially impressed with the cast iron stand/drip tray it came with.....its got to weigh 300lbs by itself.  They no longer make this stand,  it's sheet metal now.

This is should not a hobby mill, I now understand what they meant by that.

I'll get some pics up later.

Props to Barker Mill guys, very nice and happy to share knowledge.


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## Reeltor (Feb 21, 2017)

Did you confirm that the spindle takes a NMTB 30 taper?  If so, you can buy any arbor off of eBay with a 30 taper at a length that will fit with your soon to be built arbor support. 
Sounds like you have found a keeper, get it running and have fun.  One word of caution, a horizontal mill with remove a HUGE amount of metal if you let it.  Be sure to have your work secured; you don't want to have your work ricocheting around your shop.


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## brino (Feb 21, 2017)

Congratulations, that looks like a great find!
-brino


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## azscooby (Feb 23, 2017)

Thanks guys...been busy so I haven't had a chance to get any good pics.....it's disassembled now and getting a cleaning...ill reassemble it, make sure everything works then disassemble again to paint.

I don't have 220v let alone three phase to run the motor it came with but I do have a couple of 110 motors that will work as well as a treadmill motor and controller.

I may get creative....my Benchmaster will fit in the vertical column of this mill, which doesn't have a spindle either, however, I could switch the rack and pinion lever from the x table to the z travel, giving it essentially a "spindle-like feel."

The ram on the Benchmaster should fit right in and being that I have one lever feed I can simply swap the x table feed to the z table.....essentially giving me a true vertical type mill with spindle feed.

And yes, it is NMBT30, and I did see some of those arbors on eBay and wondered just that.

But I see that the arbor isn't entirely necessary as they sell short stub shafts with the same nmtb30 taper.....I'm guessing the full length arbor and overarm just add rigitidy?

I'll get pics up as soon as I can.


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