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Machine Shop II
Milling Machines: Queen of Machine Tools!
When I took the Machine Shop I short course on the CUTB (University of Puerto Rico) I wanted to learn how to use the milling machine. But the milling machine was part of the Machine Shop II curriculum. Next semester I enrolled to the Machine Shop II course, but there was no quorum. I talked to the professor and arranged to take the course alone! Oh I could not let pass the opportunity to learn how to use these beauties!
A few months after the course ended I needed a milling machine. I was about to buy a new one when suddenly found one on the newspaper being sold as used. They should have specified "REALLY USED!" as the milling was in poor conditions. After spending a month refurbishing, adding all the missing parts and refitting the power outlet of my house to supply three phase power from a 240 VAC signal, the milling came to life!
To properly use a milling machine you will need other accessories such as a variety of vises an index head and others. Mill blades (called mills) are very expensive but will do the job beautifully. The trick of the mill is the X and Y table. By attaching the part on this indexed table you can cut away undesired material. It cuts metals, plastic, wood, anything!
Have a good caliper handy to take measures. My milling is rather old and the X, Y and Z dials are not a 100% precise so I rely on constantly measuring the part. Another way to know when you have reached the measure is by marking the part with a hardened metal. This often works within a few mils of the desired measure. If you want more precision you could mark the piece, eat away until you get really close to the mark and then constantly measure it with the caliper. Or better yet, buy a CNC milling machine and she will do it for you! They just cost around the $100K.
Without the milling machine my R2D2 would have never walked! This is one of the cheap tools that still works for me. After two years of use, the milling still helps me to build all the really complicated parts. My dream? To have a Bridgeport Turret with a tilting head milling machine! WAUF! Someday... You will see!
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