New toy for the shop..........
 

Just bought this milling machine. It is small enough to be a table top model, but big enough to actually do some work! This bad boy weighs in at 600 lbs so I am in the process of building a steel frame bench for it to sit on.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363055591.jpg

That looks like fun.

Cool. Is that a Grizzly? I'll be interested to hear how well it works . . .

Actually, it was originally from Harbor Freight Tools. The PO added about $500 worth of misc. tools inc. a higher quality chuck. I've got several projects planned for it already! Now all I need is a nice little lathe!

Nice selection of collets, and I assume those are end mills...?

Did you get a vise?

(I'd love to have a small mill and a small lathe.)

600 pounds!?! Must be the finest in cast iron from a Chinese foundry.

I have basically the same machine, I bought the table/stand that they sell with it, it has a tray so you can cool and collect a cutting fluid if you want. I also got a good swivel vice and an angle vise (cheap) came with it. I picked up a bunch of zinc diodes from a boat shop and practised on those they are real soft and easy on the tooling. Its a fun machine and I also want a small metal lathe too, and a plasma cutter and a .....
Here's a pic of the coolant tray, great place to store junkhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363095216.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363095364.jpg

Where is the market for these? $500?

Prices........
 

Harbor Freight is selling these mills now for $1200 (originally $1500) plus about $100 shipping. The one that I bought is only about 6 months old and has some nice upgrades. It was on Ebay, located in north Florida not too far from my home. I paid the "buy it now" price of $1,000 because it was the size I wanted and close enough to pick up (no shipping hassles). Would have liked to have gotten it for a bit less, but, that's life. I spent the last two days building a stand for it out of steel angle and birch plywood. The stand is 2'x 2' x 3' tall. Should be strong enough to park my SC on!

Picture
 

Forgot to post a picture of the new stand. It is built from 2x2 and 1.5x1.5 angle iron with 3/4" birch plywood for the shelf and top. The top is 2'x2' with the bottom of the legs slightly wider for a steady stance. All bolted together with 3/8" bolts. The plywood is bolted to the angle with 1/4" carriage bolts.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363138107.jpg

Fred, very nice. I would like to see what project(s) you have planned.

Nice score. But it looks like a brute for the stand at 600 lbs. If I were building the stand, I'd put some diagonals on the sides & back. But that's just me.

bump! - nice milling machine you got there!

Bracing......
 

I was thinking of doing that. A cross brace on each side and the back would add a great deal to the stands' strength!

My 'Rusnok' 18" combo horiz & vert mill from WWII navy ship. Weighs about 2000 lbs. The base was made by Singer sewing mach co. $150.00 at a yard sale. listed as a heavy duty drill press. Came with about 50 collets. (Oil can points toward horiz output 'morse taper' connect). With the original light! 4 speeds. Works good.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363190984.jpg

Time for some AR15's!

Golden oldies
 

Can't help but love the old stuff! I have a workbench that I believe came out of a Navy aircraft carrier. It is 10 ft long, 30" wide and 3 ft tall. Made from hardwood with a tongue and grove working surface that is held together with thru bolts. My grandfather bought it right after WWII and used it in his gas station. Later it went to the basement at my Dad's business and now it is back at work in my workshop! Big sucker, it must weigh at least 400 lbs!

Some of the lathes in my shop are older than I am, the mills are a little newer:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363202690.jpg


Warning, hi-jack in progress:

Whatever you do, don't buy a glass bead cabinet in California.
I just found out that the glass bead cabinet in my shop requires an SCAQMD permit, which I don't have.
That means I'll get a notice of violation ($$$ fine) and the annual permit will cost more than a new blast bead cabinet.
Or .... I can spend about $25k to install a new baghouse filter, which requires a permit and annual inspection ($$).

Gee, I wonder why so many manufacturing jobs have left California?

BTW, I also have a nearly new soda blast cabinet (baking soda) that I'd be willing to sell cheap. It probably has around 5 hours of use on it.
Luckily it was not needed and taken out of service so hopefully no fine on that one.
it's pretty big, not some small tabletop unit.
I can provide more info if there's interest.

Mill stand with x-braces..........
 

I went ahead and added the x-braces to the sides and back. I think the stand was plenty strong enough, but just in case..............

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363259506.jpg

And, here is a picture showing the old workbench...........

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363259632.jpg

You need mass for the base. Bags of sand etc.