Mystery Horizontal Mini Milling Machine (Northern Illinois Machinists LMG-3) made in USA?

I am starting to think that as well or at the least I think it is capable of being used as a surface grinder as long as I make the right changes, if possible
BaronJ said:
Hi Guys,

I think that LMG is definitely a small surface grinder.
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I am waiting to hear back from the seller to see if I can look at it today and hopefully buy it. He did respond this morning. He said he doesn’t know much about it which in some ways is a good thing. I’m definitely interested in setting it up as a grinder or to mill keyways and such. My mill doesnt handle 3” or larger slitting saws very well and hopefully this machine can do that. He also said that it doesn’t seem like it has been used very much but then again he said he doesn’t know much about how it works so ....
Eddyde said:
I would buy that in a minute. Looks like it could be set up to grind or mill.
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Hi Guys,

Just guessing, but I think that the wheel collets may be missing and someone has discovered that 5C ones fit the spindle. It is also missing the wheel guard. It would be mounted using the two holes next to the spindle, there should be a pinch screw somewhere to nip the mounting rods.

Can't really see much else.
 
That is an awesome machine and never knew these existed. It looks very sturdy and well-built. Do you know if Burke allowed or relabeled the names on their machines ? I am thinking this machine might be a variation of one of these but scaled down but then again it seems like some of the parts like the column and made opposite of all of the Burkes I have seen so far.
On this machine I do not see a way of raising the table like some of them do, kinda like a knee on a Bridgeport. It looks as though you can only move the spindle up and down on the column
projectnut said:
I believe the second machine in the pictures is a US Machine Tools #1 horizontal mill. They were built through the 1940's and were very popular in Defense Department plants throughout WWII. US Machine Tools was later bought out by Burke. The early Burke #1 was almost identical.

The lever on the left side of the table is the X axis handle. They were used in production to make small parts so the table had to be able to move quickly in either direction. There is a similar handle to raise and lower the milling head to accommodate taller parts.

My machine is an earlier version that uses a crank handle for raising and lowering the table, and a wood handle lever arm for the X axis rather than the hand wheels. It isn't as pretty as the one in the picture, but it still owns its keep. It was originally purchased for a machine shop at the company I worked for. When it was retired one of the engineers bought it for his violin and cello making business. I bought it about 20 years ago from his son.

View attachment 273889View attachment 273890
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9t8z28 said:
That is an awesome machine and never knew these existed. It looks very sturdy and well-built. Do you know if Burke allowed or relabeled the names on their machines ? I am thinking this machine might be a variation of one of these but scaled down but then again it seems like some of the parts like the column and made opposite of all of the Burkes I have seen so far.
On this machine I do not see a way of raising the table like some of them do, kinda like a knee on a Bridgeport. It looks as though you can only move the spindle up and down on the column
Click to expand...

If it is an adaptation of a surface grinder the handle at the top of the column should have a dial with graduations of .0001". The dial for the Y control handle should have graduations of .001" or .002". As Mark said this machine does not have the pulley ratio for grinding. Grinders of this era were fixed at 3,600 rpm + or- a few rpm.

Some of the smaller benchtop horizontal mills didn't have an over arm. There is currently a Burke #1 and a Goodell Pratt on eBay that don't have over arms. The Goodell Pratt table is at a fixed height with the head being able to be raised and lowered by the crank at the back of the machine. Given the age of the machine you are looking at I believe it is and always was a horizontal mill. I also googled "antique bench top horizontal milling machine" and found several images of similar size machines without an over arm.

Burke:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Burke-Horizontal-Milling-Machine-No-1/292670008749?hash=item44247dedad:g:I2MAAOSwk1NbaAx0&_pgn=1&_sacat=0&_nkw=horizontal+milling+machine&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0|0

Goodell Pratt:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Goodell-Pratt-No-644-Miller-Horizontal-Bench-Top-Milling-Machine-refurb/202311081530?hash=item2f1aae1e3a:g:eek:X0AAOSwUQlavQYP:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!53711!US!-1&_pgn=2&_sacat=0&_nkw=horizontal+milling+machine&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0|0

I don't believe the collets are 5C. They may be 2S or 3C, both of which I believe go up to 9/16". The 5C collets need a bore large enough to handle a collet that will accept 1 1/8" stock. Looking at the picture of the collet in hand I can't believe the body is big enough to accept 1 1/8" stock. Also note the arbor which is .750" where the cutters fit, but probably no larger than .500" where it enters the collet.
 
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Definitely not a grinder; this is a production mill for small parts with repedetive operations such as cutting flats or slots, they have the hand lever table feed for fast operation, the same idea as is used in hand screw machines.
 
My guess is that its a tool and cutter grinder, with some bits missing.
 
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