# Is This Normal? Hitorque Mini Mill Table Is Not Straight



## edojan (Feb 16, 2016)

Hello folks, a couple of months ago I purchased Hitorgue mini mill (3990 - fixed column model) and only now was able to complete its installation (putting it on a removable base clamped to my workbench, tramming and DRO install). I am new to milling and not sure about what kind of precision to expect from this mill.

Here is what I noticed: When trying to use my vise with the key slots (not to tram it every time) it was not sitting straight (DTI was showing about 0.05 mm (0.002") difference over 3" (75 mm ) of the jaw length of the vise.

I put DTI over the front of the table (x axies) and it seems to be acceptible at just a 0.01mm (0.0004) over the table length - about 15 inches measurable distance.
Here is the pic




Then I measured the slot and lo and hehold - it gives 0.10mm difference




The back of the table is straight too (this is why I didn't notice this during the DRO installation) but both slots are crooked about the same amount.
Both the indicator and the holder are quality and all of the results are repeatable.
The question is this normal?  To translate metric into inches 0.1 mm (10 notches on my metric DTI which has a 0.01mm resolution) equals to about 0.004 of variance over the 15 inches.  My question is if this is to be expected for hitorque machines or should I ask for a replacement table?


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## David VanNorman (Feb 16, 2016)

Lets get this straight, the front and back of the table are parallel and the slots are not. Thats goofie. I have not herd of that one.


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## edojan (Feb 17, 2016)

David VanNorman said:


> Lets get this straight, the front and back of the table are parallel and the slots are not. Thats goofie. I have not herd of that one.


Let's get this straight... like literally?  How?


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## wrmiller (Feb 17, 2016)

It doesn't surprise me that the hold down slots are not parallel to the ways. They were not parallel on my little LMS mill either. 

Just my perspective, but on a mill in this price range, I would literally make a skim pass on the inside of any and all slots that I want to be perfectly parallel to x-axis travel. Then make some t-nuts that register only on the newly machined surface in the slots. Just my $0.02


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## edojan (May 19, 2016)

After using the crooked table for a while I have decided to replace it with (hopefully) a straight one so I wrote to LMS. They have promptly sent me a replacement free of charge!  All I can say is that I am very pleased with the way LMS deals with its customers.


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## JimDawson (May 19, 2016)

I have never checked the T-slots on a mill, but I never considered them to be a precision surface.  Maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years.   0.004 in 15 inches seems to me to be within reason, I normally use an indicator to tram in a part or a vice if I need accuracy.


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## wrmiller (May 19, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> I have never checked the T-slots on a mill, but I never considered them to be a precision surface.  Maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years.   0.004 in 15 inches seems to me to be within reason, I normally use an indicator to tram in a part or a vice if I need accuracy.



It is however, handy when you're back and forth between a vise and a rotary table (for example) to be able to just lightly snug it down, give it a couple of soft taps with a dead blow to register against the (in my case the slot surface closest to the column) registration surface, and go. Or maybe I should just plan my work better so I don't have to do as much back and forth?


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## Tony Wells (May 19, 2016)

Like Jim says....those are NOT precision surfaces. In the manufacturing steps involved in a machine table, the tee slots are machined pretty early. This is to allow the material to stress relieve, among other reasons. Because of this, they are a little over-size for fit allowance of the nuts, which are also NOT precision surfaces. Frankly, I am surprised they are as close as they are. And I will be surprised if the replacement table is as good or better than the existing one. Please let us know.


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## 62Scout (Jul 16, 2016)

I would think that the slots could be 0.100" off across the table, and it wouldn't matter, as long as the table surface itself is flat and true, as that is what the work/vise/whatever will be registering against for flatness when it's snugged down, not the underside where the slots are.  

I would also think that measuring along the top of the vise jaws wouldn't matter either - the key measurement would be the base/bottom that faces the spindle, as that's what the work/parallels/sine bar/etc will be registering against, not the top of the jaws.  Of course, I could also be misunderstanding what you're measuring on the vise, so this won't matter anyways  

Did you also check for parallel between the jaw base and the bottom of the vise?  It's possible that you have a bum vise too....


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