# Milling Attachment



## 34_40 (May 2, 2014)

Curious if anyone has a milling attachment? And, more importantly, if anyone with a 100 series has one??

I see one of the major auction sites has a unit listed but the price just scares me off! I just can't tie up 5 large for a tool that I might only use once every few years.

So I'm curious if this is a useful tool and maybe I should reconsider?:thinking:


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## stevecmo (May 2, 2014)

My advise would be to save your money and buy a mill.  Even if it's a small mill/drill it will be much more useful.


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## Cactus Farmer (May 2, 2014)

I have one and use it occasionally for holding odd work pieces, ie, Broomhandle Mauser upper receivers to bore the barrel stub for threading and rebarreling. I bought it just for that use. It has paid for itself many times over. Would I buy one without a specific use in mind? No, unless I had a use that would justify it. It's almost a special use tool. Set up is tedious. Save your sheckles and get a mill or  shaper. I have two shapers and they do almost all I need. I have a large mill but it is in storage for now. I can borrow the use of one when a mill is the answer to my dilemma. The reason for shapers over a mill is tool cost. Milling cutters are much more expensive that a piece of M-2 or M 42 and a few minutes with a grinder I can have a new tool and sharpening it is a breeze. No so easy with milling cutters. Besides there is a certain "cool" factor to shapers.


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## 34_40 (May 2, 2014)

stevecmo said:


> My advise would be to save your money and buy a mill.  Even if it's a small mill/drill it will be much more useful.



I have the same thought(s)....  but my curiosity has me thinking! :whistle:


Thanks for the reply.

- - - Updated - - -



Cactus Farmer said:


> I have one and use it occasionally for holding odd work pieces, ie, Broomhandle Mauser upper receivers to bore the barrel stub for threading and rebarreling. I bought it just for that use. It has paid for itself many times over. Would I buy one without a specific use in mind? No, unless I had a use that would justify it. It's almost a special use tool. Set up is tedious. Save your sheckles and get a mill or  shaper. I have two shapers and they do almost all I need. I have a large mill but it is in storage for now. I can borrow the use of one when a mill is the answer to my dilemma. The reason for shapers over a mill is tool cost. Milling cutters are much more expensive that a piece of M-2 or M 42 and a few minutes with a grinder I can have a new tool and sharpening it is a breeze. No so easy with milling cutters. Besides there is a certain "cool" factor to shapers.



Thanks for the reply!  I am saving sheckles.. :rofl:       it just seems that when I think I'm close to finding a mill that I can afford..  something happens or I just miss the sale or....

ANyway, I'll keep on searching, and maybe I'll consider a shaper!?!?! :thinking:


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## Don B (May 2, 2014)

34_40 said:


> Curious if anyone has a milling attachment? And, more importantly, if anyone with a 100 series has one??
> 
> I see one of the major auction sites has a unit listed but the price just scares me off! I just can't tie up 5 large for a tool that I might only use once every few years.
> 
> So I'm curious if this is a useful tool and maybe I should reconsider?:thinking:



 Not sure if you'd want to get into building one but just in case here's a set of plans from Vintage Projects.

Vintage Projects

How to Make a Milling Attachment

I have owned one in the past before I had a mill and it was quit useful.

Don


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## 34_40 (May 2, 2014)

Don B said:


> Not sure if you'd want to get into building one but just in case here's a set of plans from Vintage Projects.
> 
> Vintage Projects
> 
> ...



Hey thanks for the links!  I'll have to check them out.


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## 34_40 (May 5, 2014)

Well Ski.. you clicked dislike.. Care to tell me / us why?  What don't you like about my question?


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## Don B (May 5, 2014)

34_40 said:


> Well Ski.. you clicked dislike.. Care to tell me / us why?  What don't you like about my question?



I wouldn't take this to personal as of yet, sadly and much to my embarrassment I've had to PM a user ot this forum and apologize for my unintentional dislike.
I'm not even sure how I did it, I can only attribute it to a small tablet screen, large thumbs, frantic and undisciplined scrolling habits and a unfortunate alignment of my thumb and the dislike button.)


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## chuckorlando (May 5, 2014)

I got a dislike today for saying the custom gears a guy cut were "awesome man". I assume it was a mistake. It sits next to the like button.


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## GarageGuy (May 5, 2014)

For $500, you're into a decent used bench top mill/drill setup that you'll find much more useful.  Once you get one, you'll wonder how you lived without it.

GG


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## wa5cab (May 6, 2014)

Although $500 seems high (the Clausing one doesn't seem to be significantly stouter that the similar ones for the Atlas 10/12 and they seldom go over $250), I'll play devils advocate here.  By the time you get it decently tooled, even a small mill will have you well into four figures.  And take up a whole lot more space.  If you really don't need a mill more frequently than every few years, you're probably better off with the attachment, which will take up very little space.  The only exception would be if you are prescient and know ahead of time that the one future job will be too large to do with the attachment. 

 	 		 			:whistle: 		

Robert D.


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## 34_40 (May 6, 2014)

I wasn't taking it personal..  Just curious at why a question about an attachment would draw a dislike.

And the dislike actually drew in some more replies and interest! )

A 500 dollar attachment that would be rarely used is to high a price for me.  As much as I'd like to have it.. it's to much.  I really want a Bridgeport or Clausing vertical mill so I'll continue to save some coin and watch the classifieds and auction sites..

Thanks to all who replied.  Even you Ski.!.! :rofl:


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## chuckorlando (May 6, 2014)

Hard to go wrong with a mill. If you enjoy the lathe you will have no problem finding uses for a mill


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## GK1918 (May 6, 2014)

34_40 said:


> Well Ski.. you clicked dislike.. Care to tell me / us why?  What don't you like about my question?



I would not lose sleep of that, I got them, Keith Fenner/ Tubalcain gets them  but I still think the wrong button was hit.  Nothing wrong with
your question.  Myself I have never used dislike.  If I am not in aggreement, I just move on.  And back to the subject,  I think they are a little
overpriced on ebay and such,  you may consider making one.  Not difficult.  

sam


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## GarageGuy (May 6, 2014)

A good example on Craigslist today.  An Enco mill/drill in good condition.  Owner is asking $550, but I would bet that $500 would take it.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/4449258877.html

GG


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## 34_40 (May 7, 2014)

GarageGuy said:


> A good example on Craigslist today.  An Enco mill/drill in good condition.  Owner is asking $550, but I would bet that $500 would take it.
> 
> http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/4449258877.html
> 
> GG



I wish it was closer..  I might own it by now..:rofl:


I've seen a couple like that but the timing hasn't been right- by the time I contact them.. it's been sold.  And I've seen a lot worse selling for a lot more!


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## Ski (May 26, 2014)

34_40 said:


> Well Ski.. you clicked dislike.. Care to tell me / us why?  What don't you like about my question?


I sure wish I knew what I did! I am trying to find where I can reverse that.I hav not read one thing here that I dislike!


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## Terrywerm (May 26, 2014)

Ski said:


> I sure wish I knew what I did! I am trying to find where I can reverse that.I hav not read one thing here that I dislike!



The 'Dislike' button has been removed since it was used several weeks ago. Apparently it was clicked on by accident, so I am pretty sure we can just let it go and forget about it.  Thanks for posting back, though, Ski!

Begging Terry's forgiveness (since he beat me to it and it's easier to ask for forgiveness than approval), I'm going to add this comment here as it saves almost a complete screen height to say this.  We discussed the "Dislike" button after it got accidentally clicked and Management reported that it showed up by default as part of some software update he installed.  And he didn't notice it at the time.  After the accident, he went back and looked, and found and turned off the button and the report.  We apologize for the button being there to begin with.  Robert D.


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## 34_40 (May 27, 2014)

It's all good Ski! "We" knew it was probably an accident and am glad you came back and we cleared the air! :victory:


Oh, I did get a Palmgren, just haven't made time to try it out...



Ski said:


> I sure wish I knew what I did! I am trying to find where I can reverse that.I hav not read one thing here that I dislike!


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