Using my drill press as a mill

[strantor]

Don't blame the drill just yet. An x-y drill vise is way different than an x-y table. Way too tall and floppy. Any flex and it will grab. You also need to use the right mill and depth of cut. What was your depth of cut? Were you climb milling or conventional? For something like that i would be using a roughing mill.

Depth of cut, not sure. It was very little each pass though. I'd say probably 30 passes to make each 1/4" groove, which works out to .0083".

Climb seemed to work best. It resulted in much less flopping around of the vise. That is, until I got out to the end of the work piece, and then then it wanted to take a 90 degree turn and follow the square on around. That's what sent the vise flying, and also knocked my drill press table sideways.

I'm not not sure but I don't think I was using a roughing mill. It was a 4 flute 1/2" end mill, looked like a regular end mill to me.

 

[strantor]

Climb milling would be your problem then. It will provide the best finish until it grabs and breaks something.

Thanks for the tip. I'll defer to your knowledge and experience (because I don't have any) but I think that if you were there and saw it, you might say otherwise. Trying conventional, it was crazy, chattering and banging all around. Imagine tattooing someone while they're having a seizure.

 

[strantor]

Just saying my drill pres isn't much different than yours and I mill in it all the time. I would never try to mill using an x-y drill press vise. All machines have their limitations and you just have to experiment to find what works.

How do you mill on the DP without an xy vise? What do you use?

 

[Bill Gruby]

I would also like to hear the answer to that. Without XY and Z axis what are you doing? ------ "Billy G"

 

[Bill C.]

I have seen several times on forums "professionals don't mill on a drill press" - Luckily I'm not burdened with the label "professional." The more helpful of the naysayers give the reason that the chuck, with morse taper, will fall out of the spindle if side load is put on it.

Well, my drill press has a locking chuck. I don't see how it could possibly fall out. So unless I'm missing something, the only reason I shouldn't do it is because it won't be as super accurate as a mill would. Am I missing anything?

I have a X/Y vise coming soon. If anybody has life-saving caution, I would appreciate it, as I plan to start milling as soon as I get that box open. Or if you wish to specifically give your blessing, that would set my mind at ease. Any info at all is great.

My drill press is a Rockwell 15-665. Manual attached.

Thanks!

I would be concerned that a harden end mill would mess up the chuck. The end mills I have used were not very long I never liked power taping for the same reason.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

i have used the old rockwell to mill, go slow and lots of bacon grease!

 

[tarmo120]

Whenever I had to use my drillpress as an emergency mill, I used plunge milling technique.
Takes a while but doesnt put alot of side load to the machine.:idea2:

 

[bjmh46]

so, since I am planning to replace the bearings anyway, would using these bearings give me a better shot at being able to mill on the drill press? Would there be any negative consequence of replacing with these?

Only the fact that cylindrical roller bearings have NO thrust capacity. You would require a separate thrust bearing as well. End mills generate axial thrust loads as well as radial loads. Bad idea to use the drillpress to mill. Save your money and look for a used mill.

Bob

 

[Jimbo]

I tried this at my first attempt at milling and just like you it did not turn out well. Learned alot of lessons about rigidity and just how far even a small drill press can throw a piece of metal. Looking at the picture of the QCTP you did, makes me thing that you have a medium size lathe. Before you stick anymore money into a drill press as a mill you may want to check out what it takes to make a milling attachment for the lathe. Will it take the place of a mill-No but it will be much more rigid and safer than trying to use a DP as a mill. Be forwarned that securing the work peice well is still a high priority.

 

[keltg]

I unfortunately, have been so silly to try to use my drill press to mill a slot in a piece of wood not metal but just wood, Birds eye maple, about as tough and hard as some softer metals. didn't work well...Now i use my router and router table with jigs, this works not bad, a mill once i get one will be even better suited to cutting slots. Any lathe or mill i purchase is going to be used on both wood, and metal, that is just the nature of gunsmithing.