# Beginner Milling Necessities



## Bray D (Feb 3, 2015)

I did some general searching, but didn't like the results I was getting so I thought I'd post up a fresh thread. I know there's a sticky regarding "useful milling tools", but that list is quite extensive and compiling all of those tools would take years for a garage guy like myself. 

I'm new to home machining, as I currently have my first machine tool en route to my place. I opt'd for a Precision Matthews PM-932M mill/drill and I'm looking for some tooling so I can start making chips. 

The first order of business for the machine will be getting everything tramming true. I can handle sourcing the indicators/holders/etc. 

I ordered a vise, collets, and a clamp set with my machine, but I currently don't have any cutters on order. I don't have a chuck or a dedicated drill bit set either (my hand drill bits are less than ideal, so I may as well upgrade while I'm looking to spend some money). 

Cutters:

My first real project will be making aluminum fixtures for my fab table. From what I've read, 2-3 flute center cutting end mills should work well. Any advice regarding material, spiral, etc. for cutting aluminum? 

Chuck:

I need a chuck too. Jacobs is the name that I frequently hear/read about, but man are they expensive! I did some more research and found that Glacern Machine Tool has some keyless chucks that are more in my price range. Any advice regarding keyed vs keyless? Any reviews on GMT tool holders or suggestions for other manufacturers? My machine has an R8 taper, for what that's worth.

Drill bits:

I'll be using them mostly with mild steel and aluminum. Is high speed steel sufficient or should I opt for cobalt or coated bits? Any thoughts regarding 118* vs 135* drill angle for a general drill bit set?

Additional tooling:

An edge finder is on the list as well. Is there anything else I absolutely need to get started?

Perhaps I should've left this more open eneded: What would be your suggested "Machinist starter tool kit"?

Mods - feel free to move this if it's not in the appropriate forum. I'm a newb.


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## David S (Feb 4, 2015)

I am a hobby machinist that fixes clocks.  Most of my work is in brass or aluminum for fixtures.  I find a set of parallels is quite handy along with v-blocks if you are working with round stock.

David


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## GA Gyro (Feb 4, 2015)

I took delivery of my PM935 mill in October... was in a similar place.

I was thoroughly surprised to find Amazon has lots of stuff available, and at reasonable prices.
Some of it is name brand, some of it is off brand... and I learned to shop it, as there are multiple offerings of similar tools.

Might go to Amazon and look around.


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## dracozny (Feb 4, 2015)

Fairly well rounded list....

As far as the drill chuck, it's all personal preference. Most people like the keyless since it's one less item to get lost on your tool tray. GMT is fine, especially since Drill chucks are not used for accuracy anyways.

A fly cutter or Face mill may be a good suggestion. I use my 90 degree Face mill quite a bit on large parts.

Other End Mills. There is a huge variety on these I sometimes find it ridiculous. You can literally spend a small fortune in no time on this side of things.  Aluminum can take some heavy cuts with 2 -3 flute as you are already aware. Your mill is around the size of a 45 so Cobalt and Carbide are both good choices here. when working with steel I tend to like my Cobalt 4 flutes better. 

I don't know what kind of work you're doing, so I might as well throw in reamers, boring head and, boring bars. If you need an accurately round hole those tools are gold. 

If you don't plan on CNC conversion, a rotary table will come in handy when you need a radius on a part. Honestly, don't cheap out here. There is another thread asking about some Ebay tools and suppliers and the rotary table shown in there is the one you want to stay far far away from. Plan on spending around $300+ in this category.

A nice Brass Hammer! all too often your going to need to beat (or gently tap :whistle a part into submission on that vise or table without destroying anything in the process. You can easily make this, and it's a nice first project. It also comes in handy for tapping the draw bar to change your tooling. 

I hope that helps you in any way. I am by no means an expert, but those are the items I have come to appreciate over the last year when dealing with tooling.


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## randyc (Feb 10, 2015)

Boring head and set of C5 boring tools.
E Bay for end mills, you can score solid carbide mills for less than $4 if you're patient.  HSS for less than 1/2 that.
Set of screw machine drills (much shorter to preserve the limited headroom of the mill/drill).
Gallon of cutting oil - pipe threading oil works good on almost any material.
Dozen acid brushes.
Shop vac, if you don't have one already.
Angle plate.
It goes on and on and on.  You'll encounter problems that require special setups and new tooling.


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## mikey (Feb 10, 2015)

For aluminum you should look at the 2 flute Hi-helix end mills in HSS. Cobalt is fine and carbide is great but you don't need them for this application, especially in a home hobby shop. I highly recommend you purchase roughing end mills (I use only fine pitch for aluminum but my mill is small) along with your Hi-helix finishing end mills; the latter will last much longer. Center cutting end mills are the most useful, to me anyway, and I prefer no radius on the cutter tips for most things. If I need a radiused edge then I buy them that way.

The same goes for steel - get some roughing end mills. 3-4 flute finishing end mills will work well in steel. HSS is cheapest but buy good stuff - Regal, Niagra, Brubaker all work well.

I agree with a fly cutter - you will need to square almost everything in your mill before you can work on it and a fly cutter makes this go quickly.

Drill chucks: I prefer keyless chucks and Albrechts in particular. You can buy a used one on eBay for a fair price. Rohm Supra keyless chucks are also quite good and much cheaper than an Albrecht; they perform just fine. I would stay away from Jacobs Super Chucks unless you are sure it is an older US-made model. Most of the new Jacobs chucks are made in China and are not worth their cost. 

Either 118 or 135 drills will work. Most of your work will be spot or center drilled first anyway. Jobber drills are cheaper, screw machine drills are shorter and will work better if Z-travel is at a premium. I use both, mainly the jobber drills, but the screw machine drills are lifesavers when you need a short drill. I would buy good bits in sets: numbered/wire size first, then fractional, then letter, then metric. Again, ebay is your best bet. Precision Twist Drill, Chicago Latrobe, Triumph are some good brands.

I like the Starrett 827A Edge finder. Mine is over 20 years old and works as well as the day I bought it.

Parallels are a necessity. Buy them in sets. Here, imports are fine for hobby work. For general work, the 1/8" thick ones work well but you will find the thin sets are often more handy. The thin sets go up in size in 1/16" increments instead of 1/8" increments like the standard parallels do. They also allow you to drill up close to the edge of a work piece and this will happen far more often than you think.

A boring head is an absolute necessity. There are some really good ones, Criterion being the one I like. Like the rotary table, this one can wait awhile.

That should get you started and you can build from there.

Be sure you understand the difference between conventional and climb milling. Your tooling will thank you for it.


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## compsurge (Feb 10, 2015)

Shars has end mills for cheap. I've only really used a cheap Grizzly set I got at a fire sale price off of Amazon. I haven't broken any yet and I'm sure I can get better end mills, but I am still learning. I have _Made in USA_ Shars brand drill bits (screw machine/ stub length) that I have found work well.

I have the GMT keyless drill chuck, some of their ER16 and ER25 holders and collets, two 4" vises, and a face mill. They're all great.

Eventually you'll want to get a boring head. Keep an eye on eBay for a Criterion or some of the other old heads that pop up regularly. I have a Shars 3" head that I find works well, but if I did it again, I'd get a used Criterion for the sake of fit and finish (they do come on eBay for around $50 every once in a while). I can't complain on the cut quality of the Shars even when using manual downfeed, however. If you have the PDF version of the PM-932, boring will be painless.

Don't forget some cleaner and lube (grease for the screws and way oil for the ways) for the mill. You _will_ want to clean it. Plan a whole day to get it torn down, cleaned, and back up on the stand. I helped a buddy out with setting his PM-932 up. When placing it on the stand, I found that putting the PM-932 on with the back of the mill toward the engine crane worked best. We bolted the mill to the cast iron table, then lifted from the front and put the mill in its final place. I used a HF 1-1/2 ton engine crane.


*OH, and Enco has a 20% off sale for cutters... *Enter Promo Code: *TWYCT* | Offer Valid Until 2/11/15
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPAGE?PMPAGE=enco-cutting-tools.html&cm_mmc=Email-_-021015-_-NA-_-R


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## Jim2 (Feb 11, 2015)

I've got an older, used Jacobs 14N super chuck that I'm quite fond of.  I have it mounted on a 1/2" shank that I use with a 1/2" R8 collet.  I find that to be a versatile set-up that makes tool changes a little quicker especially if going from 1/2" end-mill to drill chuck.  I also will step drill with the reduced shank silver & demings in 1/2" shank, so everything works with the 1/2" R8 collet.  If you're not familiar, the 14N is the smallest super chuck that closes all the way down to the smallest drill sizes (0"-1/2").  Larger super chucks only go down to 1/8".  I've not had any need for any larger chuck than 1/2", but if you plan to use a larger reamers ("3/4"?) you may want a larger chuck.  I wouldn't want a Chinese Jacobs either, though!

I've never used the hand-tightening chucks, but people seem to like them especially the Albrecht--so probably would be a good choice as well.  

I have a Chinese boring head, and I've used a Criterion once at tech school.  I've found the Chinese boring head to work well.  The only obvious differences were that the set screws were very poor quality, so I had to replace them.  Other than that the adjustment screw has very light printed lines that are difficult to see.  The Criterion had engraved lines that were nicer.  Personally there are areas where I don't want to compromise, but I think the Chinese boring head was a good value.

I did buy a cheap rotary table of Indian make, and that is the single worst purchase I've made in tooling up.  Only one of the table locks did anything.  The worm and wheel is far enough off-center that the table will bind during part of it's 360 degree rotation and then be excessively loose 180 degrees away from there.   The screw also had other binding issues with the scales, which are cheaply made of aluminum.  The castings themselves are of good quality, but that is little consolation given the poor quality of machining.  If I was to buy a rotary table, I would buy used, older American or Yuasa (Japanese), Vertex or possibly Phase II.  I would *not* buy anything without a brand name!  A rotary table is too expensive to buy cheap and then step up like some expendable items like end mills.

I bought a 115 piece drill index of USA make from Enco on one of their % sales w/ free shipping when I was getting started.  It has the 118 grind, and it is generally serviceable.  I don't think the quality compares to Triumph or Precision Twist drill.  I find that the edges chip easily.  I have other drills and have never experienced that with other sets.  OTOH, I don't have any issues with poor sharpening or drills failing in other ways that you often hear about when discussing cheaper, foreign drills.  I've replaced any broken drills with Triumph 135 degree points.  Those are nice drills!  The go through steel like it's butter--definitely a noticeable difference.  I don't know if they are recommended for aluminum, though they certainly work with aluminum.  I don't have any experience with cobalt drills, but wouldn't pay a premium for them.  I believe they are supposed to chip/break easier than HSS.  I'm a home-shop guy.  I try to take everything slow.  I treat recommended speeds as an upper limit, and usually go for 50-75% of that.  Tools last longer, and my time is my own, so no rush on anything.  Cobalt and expensive finishes don't add value for me.

Jim


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## Uglydog (Feb 11, 2015)

All these posts are great and accurate!

But, the cheapest and best is eye protection.
Please be sure that you purchase and use safety glasses.

Daryl
MN


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## Bray D (Feb 12, 2015)

Thanks for all of the advice guys!

I just placed my first tooling order yesterday. I ordered a 20pc endmill set (2 flute and 4 flute), edge finder, center drills, parallels, countersink, and a fresh fractional twist drill set to get me started. I have an indicator with a holder and mag base that I use for setting up automotive gear sets, so I'm hoping that will suffice for a while. I'm sure I'll be picking up more indicators/holders as needs arise. 

All PPE is readily available and used regularly. Thanks for mentioning it though - it's worth the awareness.


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## T Bredehoft (Feb 12, 2015)

I didn't see any mention of a vice.  No, not that kind of vice.  The clamping kind. Money spent on a vice will be well spent. Don't scrimp.  I've been out of the trade long enough that I'm sure new products are available, I don't have any recommendations.

Mia Culpa, I still think a very good vise is far better than a cheap one.


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## compsurge (Feb 12, 2015)

The OP posted they ordered a vise, collets, and a clamping set with their mill.

I can recommend the 4" Shars 440V as a friend has bought this and he has been very pleased with it. It has a 6" opening (the older 440V's did not have such a large opening). The only downside is that I believe it is a standard 60° thread and not an ACME leadscrew . I have two Glacern 4" vises which I find work great.


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## samthedog (Feb 12, 2015)

I didn't see mention of a decent indicator stand, a dead center for aligning the spindle with pre existing holes, a counter sink set, an arbor for slitting saws and some blades also will go a long way. I would also recommend adding a good worklight in order to save your eyesight.

The above items are relatively cheap and greatly increase the tasks you can carry out with your mill. For me, the mill needs to be a jack of all trades and needs to function as a secondary drill press in order to avoid having to change set-ups.

Another item I highly recommend to the beginner who wants the mill to double as a drill press is this clamp:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-DRILL-PRESS-VICE-GRIP-LOCKING-CLAMP-Hold-Fast-Precision-/141543318033

These allow you to securely clamp odd jobs for drilling very quickly and safely. I also recommend a relatively flat piece of wood to use as an underlay when drilling. When you see sawdust, stop. This will save your table from damage.

Paul.


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## Tony Wells (Feb 14, 2015)

Once upon a time, we had a thread dedicated to startup needs for both lathe and mill. I'll see if a search can turn it up. It as full of great suggestions and pretty much had it all covered.


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## Bray D (Feb 17, 2015)

Just to keep you guys updated, I ordered a new indicator holder (Noga), test indicator, surface plate, and a boring set (head, shank, and bars). I also threw some V-blocks in there so I can securely clamp round stock. 

I'm hoping that will wrap up my first round of purchases. I foresee a set of numbered drill bits in my near future though.


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## FanMan (Feb 18, 2015)

Two words:  "flea market".  Also "junk shop" and "estate sale" (OK, that's six words).  I've gotten all kinds of useful stuff (end mills, tool bits, indicators, etc. from flea markets and junk shops.  For example, $20 for dozens of tool bits and endmills... even if half were junk (and they were), still worth it for the good ones.  $10 for a perfect Albrecht keyless chuck (another $10 to ebay for an R8 mandrel for it), $10 to the same junk shop for a power hacksaw needing minor restoration.  The nice thing is you find stuff you weren't looking for, didn't know you need, then six months later you're _really_ glad you have.


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## Bray D (Feb 18, 2015)

Gunrunner you need to order a set of these for the Z axis hand crank. Bill did you just spit coffee on your monitor? :rofl:

View attachment 253356


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 18, 2015)

Bray D said:


> For sure FanMan. I've been talking with my boss (another avid home machinist) and I'm sure we'll plan a couple trips in the future to go scavenge for tooling at estate sales and the like.
> 
> The tooling has been rolling in. I received my drill bit set yesterday and was quite pleased. I got these through fellow forum member davidh. It's a fractional set of American made 135 degree split point stub bits. The quality is superb, and for the price, I'll be looking to expand my collection in the near future. Shoot him a message if you're in the market for some drill bits.




 Nice set of bits!
sweet score!!!


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## Bray D (Feb 20, 2015)

Gunrunner you need to order a set of these for the Z axis hand crank. Bill did you just spit coffee on your monitor? :rofl:

View attachment 253356


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## fgduncan (Feb 20, 2015)

If you have not already discovered, a Shop Vac is an absolute necessity unless you want the Facility Manager, better known as she-who-must-be-obeyed, on your case like coolant on a deep cut. You will be amazed at how agile those chips are and how far they can run into the house even when you watch for them! Those glittering chips can be seen by a blind man on a dark night and the eagle eyes of of the Facility Manager are the envy of a Marine Drill Sergeant. Better put that high on the list of things to get or you'll wish you had.


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## Bray D (Feb 20, 2015)

Indeed! A little shop vac is definitely on the list. I may pick one up this weekend, as the chips are starting to pile up already.


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## Bray D (Mar 12, 2015)

Well, I have some time on the machine so I thought I'd update this thread for those searching for something similar in the future. I wanted to edit my first post to include this information, but I couldn't figure out how. *doh*

Starting from the core basics, this would be my recommended starter set for the stuff I have been doing (mostly building tools to aid with mechanic work and fixtures for setting up weldments).

Machine Setup
1) 0-.030" x .0005" test indicator for tramming mill, checking gibs, etc.
2) Indicator holder - I have a collet mount which works fine, but I may pick up a spindle mount in the future.
3) Oil for ways and lead screws

Work Holding
1) Vice
2) Clamp set - Import sets are very affordable and do the job just fine.
3) Parallel set - I got an import 10 pair set for a good price from Enco.

Work Tooling
1) Jacobs style chuck with tapered shank (collet mount would suffice as well)
2) Center drills or spotting drill sets
3) Complete fractional drill bit set. This is sufficient for most of my work, though I'm finding that I need number and letter bits on occasion for tapping holes.
4) Decent sized end mill set. My 20 piece included both 2 and 4 flute ranging in size from 3/16" up to 3/4". Interstate brand through Enco was priced right for me.
5) Collets sized to fit your end mills
6) Edge finder
7) Tap and die set
8) Countersink / Chamfer tool
9) Boring head with bars (import kits available through Enco)
10) Cutting fluid (WD40 for alum. Haven't nailed down a good fluid for steel yet but anything is better than nothing)

Cleanup
1) Shop Vac - I believe I got a 5 gallon model.
2) Brushes for keeping chips off of the ways and out of the t-slots. Don't rely on compressed air - it can force chips between the ways
3) Lots-o-shop towels

I'd say that was enough to get me going. I'm still accumulating tools as I do more jobs, but I'm able to square up stock, cut keyways and slots, accurately lay out and drill holes, and enlarge holes for shafts with these tools. Threading has been necessary on occasion so I threw those in there as well. If you're building assemblies, threading and fasteners will almost always come into play.

I've found that I need to cut larger radii and arced slots lately, so I pulled the trigger on a rotary table just this morning. I'm sure my tool collection will continue to grow as I find my way in the world of machining. It's been a fun journey thus far and I'm excited to see what I'll be making in the years to come.


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## compsurge (Mar 12, 2015)

Bray D said:


> Indeed! A little shop vac is definitely on the list. I may pick one up this weekend, as the chips are starting to pile up already.


Don't get one too small and too light. I have one of these and it clogs often when vacuuming large chips and it tips over all the time. As far as vacuuming, it does work pretty well. I did get a very good price on it at Costco, though.


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## ScrapMetal (Mar 12, 2015)

One thing that I have found that helps immensely with the shop vac is the Oneida Dust Deputy.   As I wasn't too sure about it to begin with I bought the "kit" where you use your own 5-gallon bucket.  It works fantastic!  The shop vac I bought is a floor or wall-mounted unit which I put up on the wall to keep it out of the way.  The Dust Deputy sits on the ground beneath it.  All the swarf ends up in the 5-gallon bucket and not in the vac so clean up is easy, there is no clogging of the filter, and I get increased vacuum performance.  I can't say enough good things about them.

http://www.oneida-air.com/inventory.asp?catid={6EE79B16-EB63-43E7-8F30-1E06240A24A4}

If mine should ever wear out I may look at one of the units that is a step up from what I have but this simple unit works well enough.

There are plans out on the web for making your own or you could simple replicate one from the picture.  At the price of the "kit" I figured it wasn't worth messing with.

-Ron


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## GA Gyro (Mar 13, 2015)

Uglydog said:


> All these posts are great and accurate!
> 
> But, the cheapest and best is eye protection.
> Please be sure that you purchase and use safety glasses.
> ...



I would carry this a step farther if it were me...  A face shield.  
I have worn cheap safety glasses, and had a flying chip or two find their way behind them... 

Harbor Freight has a nice face shield in the low $teens area... which is quite suitable for full face protection.


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## GA Gyro (Mar 13, 2015)

fgduncan said:


> If you have not already discovered, a Shop Vac is an absolute necessity unless you want the Facility Manager, better known as she-who-must-be-obeyed, on your case like coolant on a deep cut. You will be amazed at how agile those chips are and how far they can run into the house even when you watch for them! Those glittering chips can be seen by a blind man on a dark night and the eagle eyes of of the Facility Manager are the envy of a Marine Drill Sergeant. Better put that high on the list of things to get or you'll wish you had.



Some of us remember back when... Sears used to have a good shop vac, before they went Chinese.  

HD bought the tooling and makes them now... they are good vacs, sold under the Ridgid name.

I would get a minimum around 10-15 gal capacity, 4+ HP... 
I plan to run some 2" PVC to a closet, and a remote switch... the shop vac is NOISY...


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## Bray D (Mar 19, 2015)

The concerns about shop vac size are valid. Mine is a 5 gallon 2.5hp model, and I just clogged it last night.

It works well for relatively clean aluminum chips, but it doesn't like the spirals from twist drills or heavily oiled steel chips (what I was running through it last night). I have a larger vac that I keep in the attached garage. I may have to swap it out with the smaller unit in the shop.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Mar 24, 2015)

For squaring work on a hobby mill buy a small http://www.etsupply.com/edgetools/b52cutter.html B52 fly cutter they work a charm and use cheap TP inserts and only one, however they will launch chips 20+ feet across the shop, they are an excellent tool for firing hot chips at the guy running the machine next to you that you don't really like. They also leave a fine surface finish on aluminum and plastics when using non-coated inserts meant for the purpose. 

Run it way faster then seems prudent for best results, and use a chip guard.


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