Newbie Questions Re X2 Mini Mill

[MeredithJL]

Hello everyone,
Wanted to introduce myself and also had a couple of questions re setting up the Seig X2 mini mill I just bought. Sorry in advance, but this ended up being a little long.

I'm a welder fabricator in the entertainment industry, and I run the metal shop for a scenery and staging company here in Orlando. I do a lot of tig on a lot of aluminum, and I've been itching to learn how to machine stuff for myself--thus, the mini mill. I am also a competitive amateur BMX racer, so I've been practicing welding scrap bicycle tubing as I have an interest in trying to build a frame for the experience of it, and it occurred to me that I could make fixtures to hold down the tubing if I had a mill--thus the REAL reason for the mill, LOL.

I have gotten it unpacked, I made a nice 1-1/2" MDF base for it to bolt to, and that's currently clamped down to a new welding bench I made for the shop. So it's rock solid. I cleaned all the packing grease off it, and wiped down the machined surfaces with mineral spirits as suggested by the operator manual, and then I oiled those surfaces with Mobil 1 synthetic oil, which they also suggested as a good alternative.

I adjusted all the gibs as well, and the next thing I want to do is tram it. Remember, I'm starting from zero experience here with this type of machine, so I want to stumble through every step!

I'm looking for suggestions and recommendations on a few more items, listed below:

1) A decent dial indicator set up that I can mount in the arbor--as well as links to any tutorials on how to do this, LOL. I have never used one before and I understand the theory but am not sure about how to set it up to get the proper reference point, ie, zero
2) A decent set of calipers that won't break the bank
3) Any and all suggestions for keeping this machine rust free that don't include Mobil 1 Oil, lol. As I said, we are in Orlando, and there's humidity in the air even when it doesn't feel like it. Are there any spray lubricants out there, or should I just keep using oil? I was thinking of using paste wax on the table, but obviously can't use that on the column very easily.

I think that's it for now -- I'm very excited by this purchase, and I'm very glad I found this forum. I've been lurking here for a few days, LOL Thanks in advance, and glad to be here!

 

[brav65]

Hi Meredith welcome to the forum. One of your best resources can be YouTube. A couple of good channels ar Oxtoolco, and Toms Techniques. iGaging makes a set of calipers at around $50 that reviewers say beat the top brands. I have a set and have been very happy. Noga makes the best indicator holders, and you can start with a cheap indicator as you will probably drop it a few times. Once you are comfortable using one, invest in a higher quality, and your skills will be good enough to to much the accuracy. There have been a number of posts here on protecting your equipment from rust, I live in the deser, so can't be of much help.

 

[Baithog]

welcome Meredith, So in reverse order -


Rust is our bane. The hot time of the year is near, and once our shops heat up, touching our machines with our sweaty paws is near instant rust. Oil is our friend. Mobile-1 is real nice oil. I used it in my sports car when I had it, but it is way too expensive and poorly suited for slathering our mills. Additives in the oil absorb moisture. That is great in the crank case of an engine, but not in a rust preventative. Vectra-2 way oil is formulated to be used on machines. It is also sticky and will hold onto the surfaces. You may be able to get it in Orlando. It is about $18/gallon from Enco. If you don't have an Enco catalogue yet, got to their web site and get one. They have frequent discount and free shipping promotions. I apply the oil to all bright surfaces with a chip brush.

My primary calipers is an electronic one from Harbor Freight. I got it in a pinch when my old Sterrett dial caliper died. I prefer a dial one, but this one is 5 years old and does about 75% of my measuring. Micrometers are more accurate, and I have accumulated a set of 1"-6" ones from Ebay. I have a number of dial indicators. A couple of .001 units from Harbor Freight, and others from SPI, Phase II, and others that will do .0005 and .0001 resolution. You can survive with the HF caliper until you can afford more accuracy.

There are a number of ways to attack the tramming issue. You can get a Zero-set indicator holder for about $120 for a decent one or about $30 for a floppy cheaply made one and pair it with a dial test indicator for about $50 more. Or you can get an Edge technology tram system for $100. Sounds expensive either way and it is tempting to hack together a solution. I've done both the home brew and cheap import routes before getting my edge. I used to dread tramming the mill and never used the head tilt because of it. The edge is so easy and accurate, I check my tram frequently. It will move. Especially with an X2.

I apologize for being so wordy. There is a lot to getting started. We would like to invite you to join the Central Florida Group. We are just reorganizing after the software upgrade. We are beginners to pretty darned decent machinist and do projects in our shops ranging from cutting gears to casting metal.

Larry

 

[brav65]

welcome Meredith, So in reverse order -


Rust is our bane. The hot time of the year is near, and once our shops heat up, touching our machines with our sweaty paws is near instant rust. Oil is our friend. Mobile-1 is real nice oil. I used it in my sports car when I had it, but it is way too expensive and poorly suited for slathering our mills. Additives in the oil absorb moisture. That is great in the crank case of an engine, but not in a rust preventative. Vectra-2 way oil is formulated to be used on machines. It is also sticky and will hold onto the surfaces. You may be able to get it in Orlando. It is about $18/gallon from Enco. If you don't have an Enco catalogue yet, got to their web site and get one. They have frequent discount and free shipping promotions. I apply the oil to all bright surfaces with a chip brush.

My primary calipers is an electronic one from Harbor Freight. I got it in a pinch when my old Sterrett dial caliper died. I prefer a dial one, but this one is 5 years old and does about 75% of my measuring. Micrometers are more accurate, and I have accumulated a set of 1"-6" ones from Ebay. I have a number of dial indicators. A couple of .001 units from Harbor Freight, and others from SPI, Phase II, and others that will do .0005 and .0001 resolution. You can survive with the HF caliper until you can afford more accuracy.

There are a number of ways to attack the tramming issue. You can get a Zero-set indicator holder for about $120 for a decent one or about $30 for a floppy cheaply made one and pair it with a dial test indicator for about $50 more. Or you can get an Edge technology tram system for $100. Sounds expensive either way and it is tempting to hack together a solution. I've done both the home brew and cheap import routes before getting my edge. I used to dread tramming the mill and never used the head tilt because of it. The edge is so easy and accurate, I check my tram frequently. It will move. Especially with an X2.

I apologize for being so wordy. There is a lot to getting started. We would like to invite you to join the Central Florida Group. We are just reorganizing after the software upgrade. We are beginners to pretty darned decent machinist and do projects in our shops ranging from cutting gears to casting metal.

Larry

+1 on the edge, it makes traming silly easy.

 

[brino]

Hi and welcome to the site!

1) For a mill indicator it really depends what your trying to do.
(all the links below are just for example, they are not the exact ones I have used or seen)

Some good tramming advice is given above, but also dig around here. There have been a few threads on it over the years.

If it is just for setting zeroes of X and Y edge on a square-ish part then a simple edge-finder has always been good enough for me. Just remember to include the radius in the offset and beware of any backlash in your feed screws. You can also get them with a point on the opposite end for picking up a centre punch mark.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1240&category=

For centering on the inside edge of existing holes in a part I have used a simple and cheap one for years.....it works but is not ideal. It is a dial-test indicator (different from a dial indicator) with a stub mount in the spindle and with a probe long enough to reach the hole.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3709&category=
I say it is non-ideal as you need a rubber neck and/or a mirror to see the dial face as it spins with the spindle. (note that if you change the probe arm length to get more reach the dial will no longer be "direct reading" the probe tip movement will not equal the dial needle movement!)

I have recently picked up a coaxial indicator. The advantage here is that the dial face does NOT rotate with the spindle/probe so you can easily watch the needle as you finesse the X and Y feeds to get the feature centred.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2060&category=

You can also get fancy laser ones, I have never used one and cannot comment.
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2606&category=

2) I found a used Fowler 6 inch digital caliper for ~$30 at my local used tool place. They seem decent.

3) For rust prevention I use a combination approach. All of my equipment is in my garage, I can just keep it above freezing most of the winter, but humidity is totally uncontrolled all year....and we do get humidity.

For things like my table-saw table, drill press table and drill press column I use Bostik Glide-Coat
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=40952&cat=1,230,64343,64350
a quick spray and a buff and I am good for a long while.

For all my machine tools (ways, bearings, etc.) I use ISO32 hydraulic oil from the local tractor supply place, about $50 for a 19L bucket. If I coat a surface it seems oily weeks later when I touch it, even vertical surfaces.

As stated above search around here for rust prevention....it is a perennial topic.

Have Fun!
-brino

 

[tincture500]

I too have a mini mill. I have moved to use bar and chain oil for chain saws. Works well in the no spill can I made with a brush. For tapping I add a couple drops of moly Dee, for threading on my lathe I add a smidgen of finely powdered sulfur. One oil does it all

 

[royesses]

I use an edge technology mini tram:
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1249&category=
or
an indicator holder:
http://www.edgetechnologyproducts.com/indicator-holder-shank-mount/
and a test indicator:
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1249&category=

on my mini mill. The indicator and holder are a little bit less expensive together and can be used for general indicating on the mill, so more useful.

I use Fluid Film spray protectant for rust control. Even if you wipe it off it protects from rust for about 6 months. Available at asto parts stores, Lowe's and other retailers.

I use an igaging OriginCaL Absolute Origin digital caliper. It was about $34.00 on ebay and is almost in the same class as the Mitutoyo calipers:
http://www.amazon.com/iGaging-Electronic-Digital-Fractions-Stainless/dp/B001AQEZ2W

I also have the Mitutoyo and have compared the two. The Mitutoyo is a little bit smoother and dead nuts on at every test I have made(with standards and gauge blocks). The igaging is within .0005 on a couple of test points and on the money on the rest.

You will love this forum. The nicest group of people on the web. Your bank acount may get smaller as you read of the great tools and toys this hobby has to offer.

Congratulations on the new mini mill.

Roy

 

[LucknowKen]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[FOMOGO]

Welcome aboard. Great place to learn, and often entertaining. Be sure to post some of your projects. Cheers, Mike

 

[rwm]

Welcome! I have used this with good results especially on idle machinery:


Robert