Re-registering A Round Column Mill

The idea about using the collets in the spindle gives you back that room that you would lose with the drill Chuck in there. It's true that you can chuck any size drill bit in an ER collet, but they take up most of that room that you've gained by not using the drill Chuck, whereas if you resize your drill bit shanks so you can fit your bits into the spindle collets you've gained the maximum room. IMHO.

I havn't got a vertical clearance issue, i can put a 10" rotary on their with a vice and still have plenty of head room.

The collet chuck helps with not moving the head up and down. Most end mills are short compaired to drills, if i have an end mill in a collet then I change it for a drill bit I don't have the extra 2-3 inches of room required for the chuck, as e quill only moves 4 inches (well a bit less) that dosn't leave much wiggle room.

The collet chuck with a drill in is much shorter than a drill chuck with a drill in.

Remeber if ur trying to eek the last 1/4 inch of clearance out of ur mill/lathe then your on he edge of what it's capable of. I sure we all do it from time to time though, like rotating the head off the table to drill the end of a long thing.

Stuart
 
I havn't got a vertical clearance issue, i can put a 10" rotary on their with a vice and still have plenty of head room.

The collet chuck helps with not moving the head up and down. Most end mills are short compaired to drills, if i have an end mill in a collet then I change it for a drill bit I don't have the extra 2-3 inches of room required for the chuck, as e quill only moves 4 inches (well a bit less) that dosn't leave much wiggle room.

The collet chuck with a drill in is much shorter than a drill chuck with a drill in.

Remeber if ur trying to eek the last 1/4 inch of clearance out of ur mill/lathe then your on he edge of what it's capable of. I sure we all do it from time to time though, like rotating the head off the table to drill the end of a long thing.

Stuart
Yup. I've never been up close to one of the lathes with a milling attachment on the back, but they look like they might work fine. In the meantime, we learn the quirks of our machines, and live with them. And have all kinds of fun in the process.
 
Yup. I've never been up close to one of the lathes with a milling attachment on the back, but they look like they might work fine. In the meantime, we learn the quirks of our machines, and live with them. And have all kinds of fun in the process.

Yeah fun and enjoyment should always be present :) I was tempted by a milling attachment but the rf25 has so far served me well for a couple of years (I got it second hand) I got it at the same time as a basic 9x20 lathe which wasn't quite so hardy and I pushed it too far, the rf25 has taken the use and abuse very well.

I lust after the smaller knee mills that are bench mounted but fear I may just get a very big mill one day :) ow hang on I have a little very big mill(horizontal 1905ish rebuild nearly finished the main spindle went back in last week) humm I mean an even bigger mill :)

Stuart
 
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