What vertical mill to buy?

[Efroeh]

Hey guys and gals, after seeing all the amazing builds that happen on this site I am wanting to purchase a mill. I would like a vertical mill as I've read it's the most versatile one. I am completely new to milling so any Advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Also what should I be looking for? I will be doing mostly aluminum work. I have 220 in my garage no 3 phase tho. Thanks

[tc1cat]

Main thing I can tell you is buy the largest machine you can afford. Buying a cheaper, smaller machine will leave you wanting more when you want to make something that is too large for your machine. I still regret selling my 1st bench-top mill as I had quit using it and figured I would not need it anymore. Went with Sherline equipment and have been very satisfied with them until I need to make parts for the RC semis and construction equipment. I have upgraded the mill to its limit and it is still about 2 inches too small to make the necessary parts.

Hope this helps!!

[Efroeh]

Thanks for the info. I was curious what dimensions for the table would be a good size?

[SteinHDan]

I have a 14" by 25" table (K2CNC KT-2514S) and that has been large enough for all the RC stuff I've wanted to do.

The one I have is no longer sold, but I think there are some good quite cheap alternatives, like this one:
- CNC 6040Z 3-axis, 1500W VFD spindle, 110V/220V





I've not tried it, but the spec looks ok. 1500w spindle is good for milling aluminum. Ball screws are good.

There are lots of reviews on YouTube. I saw these two:
- Review: https://youtu.be/DeRuMZKCiy8
- Cutting aluminum: https://youtu.be/kTIYiZFGcRE

The max cutting size of the 6040 is 60 cm x 40 cm. The table is a little bigger than that, but that is the largest size parts you can make in one go.


There's obviously a lot of really good alternatives in the higher price ranges, but I've not done any research into that. Maybe some of the other forum members can add some visibility into those alternatives.


I use the free Autodesk Fusion 360 to model and generate the G-code. Then I run Mach3 to output to the machine. A Mach3 license was included with my machine. A free alternative to Mach3 is LinuxCNC.



Best regards,
Stein :-)

[Mech_Eng]

Let me preface by saying: I am not a professional machinist or anything. I agree that you should buy the largest machine you can afford/handle. I'm pretty sure even a 3 phase machine can be converted to a single leg fairly easily since ou already have 220v. I personally bought the Grizzly G0463 and have enjoyed it at least for aluminum(6x20 table). One thing I can highly recommend especially if you are new to milling is a variable speed spindle without changing belts, it really helps to dial in cutting speeds for a newbie like me. Additionally I bought my mill because of the weight, at 455lb it's heavy enough to do light work but does not require a forklift to move....this machine also has the capability for a power feed table which I bought and really enjoy. Lastly be prepared to spend as much on tooling as the initial machine investment. Good luck!

[Efroeh]

Originally Posted by Mech_Eng

Let me preface by saying: I am not a professional machinist or anything. I agree that you should buy the largest machine you can afford/handle. I'm pretty sure even a 3 phase machine can be converted to a single leg fairly easily since ou already have 220v. I personally bought the Grizzly G0463 and have enjoyed it at least for aluminum(6x20 table). One thing I can highly recommend especially if you are new to milling is a variable speed spindle without changing belts, it really helps to dial in cutting speeds for a newbie like me. Additionally I bought my mill because of the weight, at 455lb it's heavy enough to do light work but does not require a forklift to move....this machine also has the capability for a power feed table which I bought and really enjoy. Lastly be prepared to spend as much on tooling as the initial machine investment. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I've been really looking at the grizzly mills go759. Just not sure if there sold in Canada. There is a ton of info out on the net it's crazy trying to figure it all out. What all extra tools will be needed?

[TRUCKMAKER]

Take some time and read the threads in the following section which is the place for this type of info:

http://www.rctruckandconstruction.co...isplay.php?f=8

[Efroeh]

Originally Posted by TRUCKMAKER

Take some time and read the threads in the following section which is the place for this type of info:

http://www.rctruckandconstruction.co...isplay.php?f=8

Thanks for the link I was going to put it there but seems like it doesn't get much traffic. It can be moved if needed.

[Jack3M]

Originally Posted by Efroeh

What all extra tools will be needed?

Well, I just recently bought a grizzly, not sure of the version at the moment, table is about 6x40 or so.

Anyhow, tooling. A good 4" vise, pref one with ability to rotate and is graduated. Parallels are a must have. Collets. Bits, lots of bits. V-blocks and 123 blocks. Clamping set. A rotory table. You will also need a dial indicator for tramming out changes in setup. About the only thing in that list that is a could get by without is the rotory table, but when you need one, you need it.

Make sure you go a version with DRO or add it. It is invaluable if doing repeat work.