Let's See Your Mill

[Sunset Machine]

(04-28-2014, 01:28 PM)ironman Wrote:

(04-28-2014, 08:27 AM)Sunset Machine Wrote: You can also run a fair sized flycutter in that horizontal spindle, made from scrap and using a lathe bit. Speaking of lathes, you can mount a faceplate or chuck and have a large swing lathe of sorts.

Oh, i see :) Would love to see some examples of how i can make a set up like that. Sound like something i should experiment with.

No pics, sorry. The chuck is buried, the mill is setup for something, and worse - the batteries are dead in the camera. The setups might be simple enough for words though. I'll give it a whack:

The chuck is mounted to the spindle, and the toolbit is mounted in a vise. Realize that while the bit needs to be on-center to cut properly, that bit is at the 6:00 o'clock position at the bottom of the workpiece, rather than the usual 9:00 o'clock of a lathe. This avoids the need for a tall riser. My mill has a threaded nose, the chuck just screws on. You might need to make a spindle adapter for yours.

The flycutter is nothing special at all, just a bar slotted for a toolbit held by setscrews at one end, the other drilled to fit a home-brewed spindle adapter. It looks like the letter "L". You can go quite large (very slow RPM), it's much more stable than a vertical mill with its quill. Mine currently has its bit mounted at 45 degrees in order to reach into corners, and it swings 8 inches, cut down from the 12 inch it used to be. I've faced engine cylinder heads, hydraulic pumps, and what-all with it. You can easily square up blocks and make angle plates from scrap. The flycutter can be held sideways in that chuck mentioned above (thus making the swing adjustable), or mounted to a spindle adapter. My adapter was also drilled to accept the shank of an endmill and even has ears to drive a facemill.

Hope that helps.