Lathe/Mill/Drill Question

[royinidaho]

I need some milling for a project that I'm working on. (Watch out Rube Goldberg [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img])

Will be working with aluminum in small sizes, I think....

Found an old Smithy Lathe/Mill/Drill that has been in a shop fire and got nothing but scorched. It quit being used about 10 years ago when the fella got a full sized lathe. But its still on the bench. It has the xy travel I need for milling and not enough lathe length to let me get into trouble, if you know what I mean. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I've been comparing it to the mini mills from Grizzly and Harbor Freight and keep leaning towards this ancient Smithy.

It can't do threads, which is a good thing [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Any recommendations?

[Centre Punch]

Roy,
I have used the "Smithy" several times and can honestly say they are Crap [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
Unless you are a skilled machinist and can use tricks of the trade to produce "acceptable" results form these machines my advice would be to stay away from them and save yourself the frustration of inconsistant results.
Having said that it all depends on the level of accuracy you wish to achieve.
If you are looking for top class dimensional accuracy then save your sanity [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] and take your components to a machine shop [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Ian.

[James Jones]

Roy , I setup a big $4000 mill from Grizzly this past weekend for a Dr. that my wife works with. Now I'm a die hard Bridgport fan but this thing is just as accurate and true as any Bridgeport or Lagoon I have ever used. I set it up with the XY accu-rite digital readout and it was true to .0002" everytime I ran the table accross its length. For the money the Grizzly tools seem to be good.

As for you case , I'm not sure what it is that your gonna be asking this machine to do but I will advise that what everunit you get try to find one with the R-8 collets , it will greatly improve your frustration with getting tools to fit. I haven't used either one of the other units you mentioned so I can't honestly say if they are good or not but generaly you get want you pay for. I have used a small Jet benchtop that was prety nice and fairly tight and accurate I think its cost was about $900 new?

[Centre Punch]

JD,
The Smithy's are really not worth the value they might bring as scrap!
They are at the very cheapest end of the Chinese made machines
Using just the machine dials i had job holding repeatability of .016" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
Only after setting up a DTI and locking the slides did achieve a modicum of accuracy.
I then had to deal with 030" of taper over 2.5" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
Nuff said,. although the owner was very impressed with my results [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Ian.

[eddybo]

You may want to take a look at the shoptask bridgemill....but only if you spring for the ball screws. I do not have a lot of ability but it is okay depending upon your demands. Built a lot of cycle parts on mine, but never any gun work, just dont have the knack for the precision required.

[royinidaho]

Thanks ya'll for the input.

None of anyone's business should be threatened [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

This thing isn't a Smithy but I bet it comes from the same factory. Language on the name plate is 100% !@#$%^&*&&## lookin stuff.

Please note that I'll be doing nooooo "smithing" on this thing or anything else (unless jimm or buffalobob gets in a bind[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img][img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]). It'll never be used for steel of any type. I just have some ideas that I want to move ahead on and anything I can do on the front end such as come up with a decent prototype from which to take measurements will make the front end work for the CAD and CNC guy a bit easier to swallow.

The darn thing weighs more than several hundred pounds and no money changed hands to get it though I have to trade some services but that's a good thing.

And it beats the squat out of my little bench top drill press. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[James Jones]

Hey Roy , shoot me an E-mail , I might be able to "scrounge" up a few extra cutters.

jjones75@bellsouth.net