# Newbie Questions Re X2 Mini Mill



## MeredithJL (Apr 12, 2016)

Hello everyone, 
Wanted to introduce myself and also had a couple of questions re setting up the Seig X2 mini mill I just bought.   Sorry in advance, but this ended up being a little long. 

I'm a welder fabricator in the entertainment industry, and I run the metal shop for a scenery and staging company here in Orlando.  I do a lot of tig on a lot of aluminum, and I've been itching to learn how to machine stuff for myself--thus, the mini mill.   I am also a competitive amateur BMX racer, so I've been practicing welding scrap bicycle tubing as I have an interest in trying to build a frame for the experience of it, and it occurred to me that I could make fixtures to hold down the tubing if I had a mill--thus the REAL reason for the mill, LOL. 

I have gotten it unpacked, I made a nice 1-1/2" MDF base for it to bolt to, and that's currently clamped down to a new welding bench I made for the shop.  So it's rock solid.  I cleaned all the packing grease off it, and wiped down the machined surfaces with mineral spirits as suggested by the operator manual, and then I oiled those surfaces with Mobil 1 synthetic oil, which they also suggested as a good alternative.  

I adjusted all the gibs as well, and the next thing I want to do is tram it.   Remember, I'm starting from zero experience here with this type of machine, so I want to stumble through every step! 

I'm looking for suggestions and recommendations on a few more items, listed below: 

1) A decent dial indicator set up that I can mount in the arbor--as well as links to any tutorials on how to do this, LOL.  I have never used one before and I understand the theory but am not sure about how to set it up to get the proper reference point, ie, zero  
2) A decent set of calipers that won't break the bank
3) Any and all suggestions for keeping this machine rust free that don't include Mobil 1 Oil, lol.  As I said, we are in Orlando, and there's humidity in the air even when it doesn't feel like it.  Are there any spray lubricants out there, or should I just keep using oil?  I was thinking of using paste wax on the table, but obviously can't use that on the column very easily.  

I think that's it for now -- I'm very excited by this purchase, and I'm very glad I found this forum.  I've been lurking here for a few days, LOL   Thanks in advance, and glad to be here!


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## brav65 (Apr 13, 2016)

Hi Meredith welcome to the forum. One of your best resources can be YouTube.    A couple of good channels ar Oxtoolco, and Toms Techniques.  iGaging makes a set of calipers at around $50 that reviewers say beat the top brands.  I have a set and have been very happy.  Noga makes the best indicator holders, and you can start with a cheap indicator as you will probably drop it a few times.  Once you are comfortable using one, invest in a higher quality, and your skills will be good enough to to much the accuracy.  There have been a number of posts here on protecting your equipment from rust, I live in the deser, so can't be of much help.


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## Baithog (Apr 13, 2016)

welcome Meredith, So in reverse order -


Rust is our bane. The hot time of the year is near, and once our shops heat up, touching our machines with our sweaty paws  is near instant rust. Oil is our friend. Mobile-1 is real nice oil. I used it in my sports car when I had it, but it is way too expensive and poorly suited for slathering our mills. Additives in the oil absorb moisture. That is great in the crank case of an engine, but not in a rust preventative. Vectra-2 way oil is formulated to be used on machines. It is also sticky and will hold onto the surfaces. You may be able to get it in Orlando. It is about $18/gallon from Enco. If you don't have an Enco catalogue yet, got to their web site and get one. They have frequent discount and free shipping promotions. I apply the oil to all bright surfaces with a chip brush.

My primary calipers is an electronic one from Harbor Freight. I got it in a pinch when my old Sterrett dial caliper died. I prefer a dial one, but this one is 5 years old and does about 75% of my measuring. Micrometers are more accurate, and I have accumulated a set of 1"-6" ones from Ebay. I have a number of dial indicators. A couple of .001 units from Harbor Freight, and others from SPI, Phase II, and others that will do .0005 and .0001 resolution. You can survive with the HF caliper until you can afford more accuracy.

There are a number of ways to attack the tramming issue. You can get a Zero-set indicator holder for about $120 for a decent one or about $30 for a floppy cheaply made one and pair it with a dial test indicator for about $50 more. Or you can get an Edge technology tram system for $100. Sounds expensive either way and it is tempting to hack together a solution. I've done both the home brew and cheap import routes before getting my edge. I used to dread tramming the mill and never used the head tilt because of it. The edge is so easy and accurate, I check my tram frequently. It will move. Especially with an X2.

I apologize for being so wordy. There is a lot to getting started. We would like to invite you to join the Central Florida Group. We are just reorganizing after the software upgrade. We are beginners to pretty darned decent machinist and do projects in our shops ranging from cutting gears to casting metal.

Larry


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## brav65 (Apr 13, 2016)

Baithog said:


> welcome Meredith, So in reverse order -
> 
> 
> Rust is our bane. The hot time of the year is near, and once our shops heat up, touching our machines with our sweaty paws  is near instant rust. Oil is our friend. Mobile-1 is real nice oil. I used it in my sports car when I had it, but it is way too expensive and poorly suited for slathering our mills. Additives in the oil absorb moisture. That is great in the crank case of an engine, but not in a rust preventative. Vectra-2 way oil is formulated to be used on machines. It is also sticky and will hold onto the surfaces. You may be able to get it in Orlando. It is about $18/gallon from Enco. If you don't have an Enco catalogue yet, got to their web site and get one. They have frequent discount and free shipping promotions. I apply the oil to all bright surfaces with a chip brush.
> ...


+1 on the edge, it makes traming silly easy.


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## brino (Apr 13, 2016)

Hi and welcome to the site!

1) For a mill indicator it really depends what your trying to do.
(all the links below are just for example, they are not the exact ones I have used or seen)

Some good tramming advice is given above, but also dig around here. There have been a few threads on it over the years.

If it is just for setting zeroes of X and Y edge on a square-ish part then a simple edge-finder has always been good enough for me. Just remember to include the radius in the offset and beware of any backlash in your feed screws. You can also get them with a point on the opposite end for picking up a centre punch mark.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1240&category=

For centering on the inside edge of existing holes in a part I have used a simple and cheap one for years.....it works but is not ideal. It is a dial-test indicator (different from a dial indicator) with a stub mount in the spindle and with a probe long enough to reach the hole.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3709&category=
I say it is non-ideal as you need a rubber neck and/or a mirror to see the dial face as it spins with the spindle. (note that if you change the probe arm length to get more reach the dial will no longer be "direct reading" the probe tip movement will not equal the dial needle movement!)

I have recently picked up a coaxial indicator. The advantage here is that the dial face does NOT rotate with the spindle/probe so you can easily watch the needle as you finesse the X and Y feeds to get the feature centred.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2060&category=

You can also get fancy laser ones, I have never used one and cannot comment.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2606&category=

2) I found a used Fowler 6 inch digital caliper for ~$30 at my local used tool place. They seem decent.

3) For rust prevention I use a combination approach. All of my equipment is in my garage, I can just keep it above freezing most of the winter, but humidity is totally uncontrolled all year....and we do get humidity.

For things like my table-saw table, drill press table and drill press column I use Bostik Glide-Coat
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=40952&cat=1,230,64343,64350
a quick spray and a buff and I am good for a long while.

For all my machine tools (ways, bearings, etc.) I use ISO32 hydraulic oil from the local tractor supply place, about $50 for a 19L bucket. If I coat a surface it seems oily weeks later when I touch it, even vertical surfaces.

As stated above search around here for rust prevention....it is a perennial topic.

Have Fun!
-brino


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## tincture500 (Apr 14, 2016)

I too have a mini mill. I have moved to use bar and chain oil for chain saws. Works well in the no spill can I made with a brush.  For tapping I add a couple drops of moly Dee,  for threading on my lathe I add a smidgen of finely powdered sulfur.  One oil does it all


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## royesses (Apr 14, 2016)

I use an edge technology mini tram:
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1249&category=
or
an indicator holder:
http://www.edgetechnologyproducts.com/indicator-holder-shank-mount/
and a test indicator:
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1249&category=

on my mini mill. The indicator and holder are a little bit less expensive together and can be used for general indicating on the mill, so more useful.

I use Fluid Film spray protectant for rust control. Even if you wipe it off it protects from rust for about 6 months. Available at asto parts stores, Lowe's and other retailers. 

I use an igaging OriginCaL Absolute Origin digital caliper. It was about $34.00 on ebay and is almost in the same class as the Mitutoyo calipers:
http://www.amazon.com/iGaging-Electronic-Digital-Fractions-Stainless/dp/B001AQEZ2W

I also have the Mitutoyo and have compared the two. The Mitutoyo is a little bit smoother and dead nuts on at every test I have made(with standards and gauge blocks). The igaging is within .0005 on a couple of test points and on the money on the rest. 

You will love this forum. The nicest group of people on the web. Your bank acount may get smaller as you read of the great tools and toys this hobby has to offer.

Congratulations on the new mini mill.

Roy


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## LucknowKen (Apr 14, 2016)

Welcome to the forums!


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## FOMOGO (Apr 15, 2016)

Welcome aboard. Great place to learn, and often entertaining. Be sure to post some of your projects. Cheers, Mike


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## rwm (Apr 15, 2016)

Welcome! I have used this with good results especially on idle machinery:



Robert


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## MeredithJL (Apr 15, 2016)

Thanks to you all for the very helpful input, gentlemen!  

Roy, I have some Fluid Film spray at the shop, actually.   I saw it for the first time at our local Lowes recently and used it on our Ironworker, and it has worked very well so far in keeping the surface rust at bay.   I'll give it a go on the mill.  

Larry, thank you for the invite to the Central Florida Group, I'd love to be a part of that! 

I haven't had time the past couple of days to get back to the mill because of deadlines at work, but once I get it trammed I'll be set to start experimenting.   I had bought a Grizzly dial indicator set on Amazon for about 25 bucks, but I guess I need to get a shank adaptor so I can attach it to a drill chuck or end mill collet.  It's the kit that comes with a magnetic base and the column part of the armature is too tall to fit into the arbor.  I was thinking of cutting it down but I'd rather not.  We can use the kit in the shop for other stuff, I'm sure.  

As for my bank account, yes.....money goes out, but cool stuff is coming back in return, LOL! 

I ended up buying a power feed for the X axis before buying the belt drive conversion kit, but the belt kit will be the next upgrade.  

Thanks again, everyone -- hopefully I'll be milling within the week  

Meredith


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## Redbird (Apr 15, 2016)

drule I want power feed for my X2 also.......


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## MeredithJL (Apr 24, 2016)

Howdy all, a quick update on my progress -- I got the power feed working just fine -- I found a kit on Ebay for $159.    I ordered the Igaging AccuPro DRO's and have begun installing the Y-axis one.  It's going very nicely so far.  I watched a series of videos on Youtube that were posted by a guy named Gregory P, and his approach was a great help in getting me started.  

I think I have a broken gear inside the head, however.....I had been running practice passes in Low gear until the other day, when I decided to try the H setting.  The machine was off when I switched from L to H, as the instructions said to do.  I had put the drill chuck in and had a hole saw in it.  I turned the mill on and brought up the speed--so it ramped up fine, and then it stopped.  I shut the mill off.  I turn it back on again.  It does the same thing again.  I turn it off again, switch back to L, and it runs fine.  It still runs fine in L.  I thought perhaps I had broken the plastic gear that sits on the very top, so I removed the motor housing to check.  That gear was fully intact.  

When I turn the arbor by hand, I feel a slight resistance, like the gears aren't meshing inside, perhaps?  But it still works just fine in L.  I don't know if the gear was already damaged, but I had already decided on ordering the belt drive conversion kit.  So that's on order and when it arrives I'll put it on.   Can I safely assume that once the belt drive is done, the plastic gears will no longer be part of the equation?  I sure hope so.  

Anyways, that's where I'm at.  I'll take some pictures when I get it all set up.  I am enjoying the problem solving aspect of it all right now, that's for sure.


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## Charles Spencer (Apr 24, 2016)

Yes, with the belt drive the plastic gears are no longer used.  The spindle speed chart that came with mine was not too accurate.  I use a non-contact tachometer instead:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Digital...Speed-Gauge-/370952637715?hash=item565e800d13

Well worth the price.  You can also use it on drill presses, lathes, etc.


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## Redbird (Apr 24, 2016)

I have the belt drive kit, have not installed yet but it came with a decal to place over old one for spidle speed.


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## Charles Spencer (Apr 24, 2016)

_*The spindle speed chart that came with mine was not too accurate.*_


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## MeredithJL (Apr 25, 2016)

Charles Spencer said:


> Yes, with the belt drive the plastic gears are no longer used.  The spindle speed chart that came with mine was not too accurate.  I use a non-contact tachometer instead:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Digital...Speed-Gauge-/370952637715?hash=item565e800d13
> 
> Well worth the price.  You can also use it on drill presses, lathes, etc.




Thanks for the info and the  link!


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## kwilliam (Apr 25, 2016)

MeredithJL said:


> Thanks for the info and the  link!


Get the gas strut mod from little machine shop.
It will make the Z axis usable.
Can't recommend this one enough.


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## MeredithJL (Apr 26, 2016)

It came with the air spring already, luckily.  Today after work I finished getting the X axis DRO installed.    The Y is next.  Belt drive kit should arrive Wednesday. Not sure how to upload photos on here.  I copied the link to the picture I posted on FB but it doesn't show up in preview....hmmmm


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## MeredithJL (Apr 26, 2016)

It came with the air spring already, luckily.  Today after work I finished getting the X axis DRO installed.    The Y is next.  Belt drive kit should arrive Wednesday. Not sure how to upload photos on here.  I copied the link to the picture I posted on FB but it doesn't show up in preview....hmmmm


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## jocat54 (Apr 26, 2016)

Welcome to the forum.
I no longer have my Grizzly mini mill---but the belt drive (shop made) and x axis power feed( also shop made) were my favorite upgrades.
You can do a lot with the mini mill, just have to respect its limits and get creative sometimes


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## brav65 (Apr 27, 2016)

MeredithJL said:


> It came with the air spring already, luckily.  Today after work I finished getting the X axis DRO installed.    The Y is next.  Belt drive kit should arrive Wednesday. Not sure how to upload photos on here.  I copied the link to the picture I posted on FB but it doesn't show up in preview....hmmmm




the button next to post reply "Upload a file" is what you use.  Hit the button select the picture from the folder and upload!


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## MeredithJL (Apr 30, 2016)

Thanks for the photo tip !    So far, I've gotten the X and Y DRO's mounted and working, as well as a power feed.  The belt drive kit arrived this week, and that will go in next week.  I also bought a DRO for the Z axis.

I have the mill set up in my metal shop at work, so I've been staying late to get this stuff done.  Long days, but worth it.  I'm going to put a guard over the Y axis DRO, but tonight I ran out of time.  I need to shim the Y bracket attached to the table as well--it's a bit out of plumb.  But I'm very pleased so far.

Thanks for all the tips and advice so far


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## jpfabricator (Apr 30, 2016)

Welcome to the HM! You will find the mill will be a tool you wonder how you did without!
If you dont have a lathe yet, make room, you will be looking for one sooner than you think.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas by Jake Parker!


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## wrmiller (Apr 30, 2016)

Hello Meredith, and welcome to the HM! Love what you've done with the mill so far. 

You are getting started in a hobby that can be fun, expensive, and never ending in the things you can accomplish. I'll second jpfabricator's comment on the lathe: you will want one sooner than you think. When I had my mini-mill, I also had a 7x16 mini-lathe that complemented the capabilities of the mill perfectly. I have since grown out of those machines, but did a bunch of good stuff on them. You are only limited by the work envelope of the machines and your imagination. Have fun.


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## MeredithJL (Apr 30, 2016)

Thanks guys -- and yeah, the mini lathe is on the list for next year


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## RCWorks (May 14, 2016)

MeredithJL said:


> Hello everyone,
> Wanted to introduce myself and also had a couple of questions re setting up the Seig X2 mini mill I just bought.   Sorry in advance, but this ended up being a little long.
> 
> I'm a welder fabricator in the entertainment industry, and I run the metal shop for a scenery and staging company here in Orlando.  I do a lot of tig on a lot of aluminum, and I've been itching to learn how to machine stuff for myself--thus, the mini mill.   I am also a competitive amateur BMX racer, so I've been practicing welding scrap bicycle tubing as I have an interest in trying to build a frame for the experience of it, and it occurred to me that I could make fixtures to hold down the tubing if I had a mill--thus the REAL reason for the mill, LOL.
> ...



On of the first things you will want is to change the 16 thread per inch leadscrews to 20 thread per inch... You'll find out why when you use it as is. Currently I am looking to make a set of 10 thread per inch units for mine as well as going to at least 6 inch hand wheels and using Bridgeport dials made for 10 turn leadscrews. It will make the X2 seem like a real machine.

Most of what you are looking for can be scored on eBay or LittleMachineShop.com


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## ChipsAlloy! (May 14, 2016)

Welcome to the forums! What others have said about the lathe is true. I bought a PM932 mill a couple years ago and some tooling since then but now I cant wait to add a lathe in my shop. After a while you realize that having only the mill or just the lathe is a limiting factor. They just go together!
For now, I do my lathe operations after work hours at my day job. About a year ago people started to bring me stuff to repair or things they want to make. Since then I am saving the money I make from these small projects to buy new tools, and now its gonna be a  nice lathe (around 14x40).  Soon, soon this will happen!


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## dragos28 (May 14, 2016)

Any chance you can post a link to the power feed you bought off of ebay?


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## RCWorks (May 14, 2016)

I buy stuff from eBay with problems fixable with a lathe. I use the 8x12 Harbor Freight lathe. It's a bit smaller than I want but so far has served me well.

Among my fixes is a Green Engraver which goes back to the 1920s, while the machine wasn't broken the engraving bit with a #1 Brown and Sharp are no longer available so I made a spindle using a salvaged Snap-On .25 inch collet from worn out die grinder and used a collet adaptor to go from .25 inch to .125 inch bits making it a more versatile than it was when it left the factory. A lathe and a mill are both required for a worthy shop. Other nice things to have are a metal shear and a box and pan brake.(I don't have them yet and have some things I need them for.)

The original bits used a drawbar, I gave turning the #1 taper on the air motor a try but the slots for the vanes were too deep to drill and thread the end of the shaft for a drawbar... So I made a new spindle from scratch and eliminated the drawbar... Sometimes the repairs you make will take a turn you didn't anticipate and give you a better result. By eliminating the drawbar and using a shaft made for the collet I was much closer to the original overall length.
With this I took a power tool with no hope and gave it a much prolonged useful life.


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## DSaul (May 14, 2016)

If you need any advice on making your framebuilding fixtures, I would be glad to answer any questions.  I've made a few of them.


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## RCWorks (May 14, 2016)

dragos28 said:


> Any chance you can post a link to the power feed you bought off of ebay?


I built mine from parts on eBay, none of them were NOT specifically power feed parts. Mine is stepper motor based. I could probably make a thread on the electronics and wiring diagram.


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## RCWorks (May 14, 2016)

DSaul said:


> If you need any advice on making your framebuilding fixtures, I would be glad to answer any questions.  I've made a few of them.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I ridden pro bikes most of my life, built all the wheels I used, man I still long to build a frame! Nice jig!


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## dragos28 (May 14, 2016)

RCWorks said:


> I built mine from parts on eBay, none of them were NOT specifically power feed parts. Mine is stepper motor based. I could probably make a thread on the electronics and wiring diagram.



I actually havent received my mill yet, just ordered it yesterday LMS3990 but i'm already looking at future mods. 
I think the power feed would be a good one.


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## RCWorks (May 14, 2016)

dragos28 said:


> I actually havent received my mill yet, just ordered it yesterday LMS3990 but i'm already looking at future mods.
> I think the power feed would be a good one.


I was looking over the specs but they don't mention the pitch of the leadscrews, I'm hoping your unit will have either 10 or 20 TPI screws, Mine came with 16 TPI and I bought the 20 TPI for a little sanity.

I am planning on making a set of 10 turn to the inch leadscrews to make it closer to a real machine...

The table on yours is wider front to back so you will be making a mounting plate to match, my power feed does not have a clutch... It doesn't bother me but if I kit them they will have clutches. Mine has a Lovejoy coupler and a customed turned piece to go from the coupler to engage the leadscrew.

Power feeds like mine are a bit more complex in the electronics because it's stepper based but not out of reach for guys willing to read a little to recreate mine.


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## MeredithJL (May 19, 2016)

dragos28 said:


> Any chance you can post a link to the power feed you bought off of ebay?



Hi Dragos, I looked on EBay and they aren't listed anymore, which is surprising because it's a nice kit.  The seller's name is jsw_87    Perhaps drop him a line through EBay and see if he will be listing them again?


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## MeredithJL (May 19, 2016)

So here's an update in my experience using the mill so far.  I broke the belt that came with the conversion kit, but luckily I had noticed it starting to fray and I got on Amazon and ordered 3 more.  I had noticed that the belt had a deformation in it right out of the box.  It didn't seat in the pulley very well at all as a result.  So what happened as I was running the mill for a few nights at work is that the lump, for lack of a better word, was clipping an edge of the clear plastic cover with every revolution.  So it was loud, and it was slowly fraying.  Luckily, it didn't finally break until late Thursday night, and the new belts arrived Friday morning.  Once I put a new belt on, I was back in business.

I bought the mill for personal use and I figured I'd also end up using it at work eventually.

"Eventually" came less than a week after I had finished putting the DRO's and power feed on.  I don't know who screwed up, but at 11AM on a Friday morning, I get a cryptic text from our GM telling me to check my email
It turns out we have a big show going into Vegas in less than ten days that involves a LOT of prep, set up, and welding.  Oh, and it's all materials that I don't have on the rack, so we have to get the order in and send the new guy into Orlando rush hour in a 26' truck to go pick it up.

So instead of cutting and jigging and welding everything, I decided to do a bunch of half lap joints on the 3/4 box tube and also to notch out the pipe--I got this mill I haven't really learned how to use, right, so what the heck, let's break her in right!  Less set up, less welding, less heat warp,  in such a small frame I figured.  And it looks much cleaner.

9 straight days of 14 hr days later, I was done at 2:30 on Sat night, the painters sprayed it all black on Sunday, and the truck was loaded and left on Monday.  And my boss, the GM, (who had previously been skeptical about what having even a mini mill in the shop could do for improving our quality and efficiency) tells me that he thinks it was a GREAT idea to buy it and he will pay me a rental fee when we end up using it like I did on this job.  We are a two person department, and my guy was in the weeds on another big metal job, so this was all on me.  20 column hanger frames of two sizes (and no drawing), and a bunch of other crap as well.

Here's some pics and a bit of explanation --  The white "tiles" clip together to form walls of stage decor.  The frames in the pics are based on a prototype I did months ago so that they could create columns and returns, etc.  They are upside down in the pics.  The pipes are sleeves that fit over vertical pipe mounted to large pipe/drape bases.    so they will go anywhere from 10 to 20 feet tall, with the tiles on all four sides, and be free standing.  I personally think drapery pipe is a flimsy choice because the wall thickness is about a 16th inch, and I suggested that if they really want to do this right they should be going with schedule 40 inch and a half pipe.

At any rate, the mill was a workhorse!  Nothing fancy here in terms of machining, but a huge timesaver and a great help.   The last two photographs are of the Proto type I did a few months ago. It was thrown together out of scrap just testing the idea. When they threw the project at me we hadn't gone back to the prototype, even though I had asked if I could. So I had to scramble and come up with something that would work for an actual show with no time to speak of,  so I think we did a pretty good job overall.


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## royesses (May 19, 2016)

Very nice pro level work MeredethJL.
The first belt I got with my belt drive kit had the same tumor as yours. Must be a bad batch. I had ordered two Gates belts when I ordered the kit so I just used one of those. The clear plastic covers are not exactly formed well. I lined everything up for the best fit and then used UV glue on the joints to hold it together. Now the spindle lock pin fits properly through the plastic shield and the belt has plenty of clearance. I prefer to call these mini mills semi finished kit mills. But it amazing what you can do with them. I got lazy and purchased the LMS power feed the day I brought home the mill. I should have made my own, but the LMS/Sieg unit works well. Just a little pricey.

I think this is the powerfeed listing that you were referring to(scroll to the bottom of the page to see the original listing):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Mill-Sieg-X2-Power-Feed-Kit-For-Milling-Machine-/281657790885?nma=true&si=zVkdZVsuwq%2BcdvQAsR8Qj6L7nec%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Looks like a nice kit.


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## MeredithJL (May 19, 2016)

royesses said:


> I think this is the powerfeed listing that you were referring to(scroll to the bottom of the page to see the original listing):
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Mill-Sieg-X2-Power-Feed-Kit-For-Milling-Machine-/281657790885?nma=true&si=zVkdZVsuwq%2BcdvQAsR8Qj6L7nec%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
> 
> Looks like a nice kit.



Thanks, Roy!  Yes, that's the kit I have.  Maybe he sold them all, this link as well says the listing was removed.  As for the plastic cover--yes, it's a bit flimsy but without the belt smacking it continuously it's not moving at all with the mill running, lol.


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## RCWorks (May 19, 2016)

Charles Spencer said:


> Yes, with the belt drive the plastic gears are no longer used.  The spindle speed chart that came with mine was not too accurate.  I use a non-contact tachometer instead:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Digital...Speed-Gauge-/370952637715?hash=item565e800d13
> 
> Well worth the price.  You can also use it on drill presses, lathes, etc.



I'm using this for spindle speed... No batteries to buy and I can't misplace it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172179028474?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


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## royesses (May 19, 2016)

RCWorks said:


> I'm using this for spindle speed... No batteries to buy and I can't misplace it.
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/172179028474?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649



I'm using the [URL='http://www.machtach.com/']MachTach kit for rpm and surface speed. I love it. [/URL]
[URL='http://www.machtach.com/'][URL='http://www.hobby-machinist.com/attachments/dsc_0348-small-jpg.129304/?temp_hash=6e076204794cbe1737a3cfd5e99d869d'][URL='http://www.machtach.com/'] Henry Arnold sells the kits and is a wonderful man to deal with.[/URL]
The kit is very easy to assemble. You must solder components and wires on the circuit boards. I taught high reliability soldering and board repair at the local vo-tech and for an Aircraft manufacturer repair shop so it may seem simple for me but anyone can learn to solder quickly. I use the optional wall wart to power the tachs.


	

		
			
		

		
	
 [/URL][/URL]

I used the magnetic pickup option and made a mag ring and housing to mount on the lower spindle bearing 
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
cover.

I also added a set of flood lamps and touch switch.





I also have the MachTach on the mini lathe.


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