Help identifying this cute little horizontal mill?

[Aaron_W]

In your last photo there is a square at about the mid point that looks like it might have once been the home to an ID plate. I have a little Diamond H mill about this size, the brand is cast into the base and it has metal plates on the side of the head (?). Without the base or those plates I don't think there is anything that would identify the maker of mine either.

Mine has a power feed that runs off the pulley, just a rod with U joints. I've seen other small mills like this that use a similar power feed, so it might be something you could adapt or even make if you wanted to add power feed to yours.

Neat little mill and it looks like it is in pretty decent shape except for the missing bits.

 

[brino]

For the record, after looking around, this looks like a Sheldon #0 mill

So a B&S #9 spindle taper then?

-brino

 

[Winegrower]

Mine has a power feed that runs off the pulley, just a rod with U joints. I've seen other small mills like this that use a similar power feed, so it might be something you could adapt or even make if you wanted to add power feed to yours.

The manual shows that, but there's no evidence of this. Seems a little bit desperate, the way it looks. Do you use the power feed much? In fact, do you use your mill much? I am really looking forward to making a few chips. Bought a clamping kit that fits the 3/8" T-nut slot, need to find a little vise for it.

I have to look and see if there is a worm gear on the X axis, if so, that would make adding power feed more feasible. But really, I think this would be put pretty far down the list.

So a B&S #9 spindle taper then?

Apparently, Brino. I found a manual for a newer Sheldon #0, and it does show a drawing that looks just like my arbor, and says it's B&S #9. Seems like a much shorter length than the handbook says is standard. But knowing the taper, that's a big step forward.

 

[Winegrower]

This must have been introduced before marketing folks woke up. Calling your new product the #0 seems like some software guy named it. We always start with zero.

 

[Aaron_W]

The manual shows that, but there's no evidence of this. Seems a little bit desperate, the way it looks. Do you use the power feed much? In fact, do you use your mill much? I am really looking forward to making a few chips. Bought a clamping kit that fits the 3/8" T-nut slot, need to find a little vise for it.

I have to look and see if there is a worm gear on the X axis, if so, that would make adding power feed more feasible. But really, I think this would be put pretty far down the list.


Apparently, Brino. I found a manual for a newer Sheldon #0, and it does show a drawing that looks just like my arbor, and says it's B&S #9. Seems like a much shorter length than the handbook says is standard. But knowing the taper, that's a big step forward.

No but, that has less to do with the mill and just the fact that I've mostly done stuff to the shop, rather than make stuff in the shop since I got the mill. When I transitioned from only having a mini-mill and lathe, to acquiring some larger (still small but hundreds of pounds instead of 10s of pounds) machines it set me on a path of major renovations to my shop space, sheetrock, flooring, electrical upgrades etc.

I actually have some hopes of it being a good complement to the vertical mill now that most of that work is out of the way. The power feed is pretty basic but it seems like it should work well enough, mine has 3 speeds and since it runs off the main drive those 3 speeds should match up to the spindle speed, meaning it is really a slow, medium and fast feed for each spindle speed (6 as I recall so 18 feed speeds). At least I think that is how it works. Mine is a 5x20" and also uses a #9 B&S taper, so it is probably pretty close in size to yours.

This must have been introduced before marketing folks woke up. Calling your new product the #0 seems like some software guy named it. We always start with zero.

That seems backwards from a lot of other machinery, where the low numbers were often the largest. There is also small Burke #4 mill that is about this size, and Atlas had their MFC which is quite popular but a little smaller, of course the Benchmasters but they are quite a bit smaller. My favorite numbering is the old steam pumpers that were initially rated 1st size (the largest) to 6th size (the smallest), but as demands for bigger pumps grew they added Extra First Size and Double Extra First Size, talk about marketing.