Cheap Mini Mill

[Subwayrocket]

That little $400 looks alot better than the one you originally posted . It should do the job ...probably give you "the bug" too ...then you'll be wanting to do more/bigger . Congrats !

 

[rrjohnso2000]

Those are some nice knifes.
I would say you did real good with your purchase.
I found some videos of the original one you were considering, so you can feel even better about spending a little more.

 

[ex_isp]

Those look like burrs. I assume you have some end mills coming for your brass slotting work, too, right?

I love burled wood - beautiful patterns that only nature can make.

I've cut several guards already, just using the burrs. Remember, I am brand new to milling. If I'm correct, an end mill has less flutes? Like 2 or 4 as opposed to
8 or so like the burr has?

That burl was a drop I had that was too short to make handle scales from so a tad of high gloss spray lacquer and some holes. Made sense to me. There are so
many materials to use for scales, but I also just love the look of burl and the feel of real wood!

 

[ex_isp]

Those are some nice knifes.
I would say you did real good with your purchase.
I found some videos of the original one you were considering, so you can feel even better about spending a little more.

Thank you for the knife comment! Here are some more. http://stevespages.com/knives.htm
Page is WAY behind on being updated with new knives. I have about 35 to post but have been re-doing the shop and now
working to resolve some issues on a Kukri... A Nepalese Gurkha, curved machete. Puts a tremendous amount of stress in the steel
to forge one of them. I've normalized and annealed 4 times now to relax it enough so that it doesn't warp or shatter when I do the heat treat
on it. Heat treating 2 blades today.

I already feel good abut the X2 as opposed to my original thinking on the smaller one! Everyone was pretty convincing that
the smaller one would surely leave me wanting for better performance or hung out to dry when it failed. Then
T Bredehoft mentioned the aluminum column and the #6 screws, I knew. Thanks "T" for pointing that out! And to all
for continuing suggestions of a bigger machine!

 

[mikey]

I like/use 2-flute Hi-helix end mills for brass (all non-ferrous metals). For slotting, I would use an end mill just under the size of the slot and sneak up on the width. Be sure the brass work piece is solidly clamped, no coolant. You will be very pleased with how an end mill cuts vs a burr.

 

[ex_isp]

That little $400 looks alot better than the one you originally posted . It should do the job ...probably give you "the bug" too ...then you'll be wanting to do more/bigger . Congrats !

Next investment will be to build and auto hammer so I can (in reasonable time) make my own Damascus billets rather than buy someone elses.
Spent a week in SLC, Ut in July with a master smith, specifically to work on Damascus. While most Damascus recipes don't make near the blade
that O1 does, I have a recipe for it that uses O1, 5160, 51200 and 15N20 that should be MUCH more than a wall hanger. With the combined properties
of the above steels, I'm expecting a LOT of performance and durability.

 

[ex_isp]

I like/use 2-flute Hi-helix end mills for brass (all non-ferrous metals). For slotting, I would use an end mill just under the size of the slot and sneak up on the width. Be sure the brass work piece is solidly clamped, no coolant. You will be very pleased with how an end mill cuts vs a burr.

Thank you for that! I have only used burrs but will get some 2 fluted mills ordered tonight.

 

[brino]

Thanks "T" for pointing that out! And to all for continuing suggestions of a bigger machine!

Hey it always lots of fun to spend someone else's money!

Next investment will be to build and auto hammer so I can (in reasonable time) make my own Damascus billets rather than buy someone elses.

That would be a build thread that I would follow!

-brino

 

[ex_isp]

ex_isp said: ↑
Next investment will be to build and auto hammer so I can (in reasonable time) make my own Damascus billets rather than buy someone elses.

brino said:
That would be build thread that I would follow!
-brino

I will make a point of posting on that project! In the meantime...
There are many forms of auto hammers. Air, hydraulic, eccentric, spring, etc...
Many share component design from other hammers.
Here is a page with several "truck spring hammers", fondly called
Appalachian Power Hammers
http://www.appaltree.net/rusty/index.htm
and some other types
http://anvilfire.com/power/jyh-cat.htm

 

[T Bredehoft]

T Bredehoft mentioned the aluminum column

Glad I could help. When I noticed those screws I knew the machine wouldn't work metal.

Tom