Elliot Omnimil DRO’s

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

I had a conversation with someone who has one of these machines and as I have a pair with DRO's etc I thought it might be helpfull to share information about them. In this case I have attached some pictures of the scales fitted to one of my machines.

Mark

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Fitting Elliot Omnimil’s with DRO’s

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Crikey I used one of those mills about 50 years ago. Nice to see them being used.

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

These may have been relatively new machines when you used them!

They get a lot of use (I have two of them) but they are often lacking shear size. I do not have enough head room for a BP or other "full size" machine so I have to make do. They make up for lack of size in flexibility but a more rigid machine would be better for the work I do – it would be nice to be able to get stuck in with decent sized cutters but hey-ho, such is life. If I get an industrial unit (which might be on the horizon) I will get a decent sized machining center and then I will be sorted… probably also get some bigger manual machines as well for one off and modification jobs.

I also have a couple of Boxfords, and these are always "just" too small. I have worked out that that is always the case with machine tools so I must also put up with that.

Mark

PS. last weekend I was busy altering a 25mm steel plate from a 120mm diameter hole to 160mm (that is why the boring head is still on the mill) with a series of tapped holes around the perimeter (which also had to be faced square to the bore). The plate was 300 x 400 and I can tell you that is probably what you would consider as "too big" for these mills!

Edited By Mark C on 15/01/2017 12:41:16

[Philip DParticipant @philipd]

Hi Mark,

Yes it was me that message you regarding the DRO, have you bonded that piece holding the front of the X axis ?(behind the knee handle). Currently on to sorting out the electrical side and have the base casting in primer.

I haven't got round to thinking out the DRO yet, but this will help

Philip

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Philip, the pad on the knee is attached with some c/bored cap heads and the material you can see is two part epoxy "metal" (Pratly putty or equivalent). The block was filed and fitted to the knee and then the epoxy was used to "stabilise" the mounting along with providing a fillet that needs painting (a low priority job, albeit annoying to look at). I will take some better pictures if they help.

Mounting the scale on this side will show how much movement there is across the y axis but it serves to remind you to always make movements in the same direction!

Mark

[Philip DParticipant @philipd]

Mark,

More pictures would be most welcome, thanks for the explanation. To be honest my machine was running perfectly well but with the strip down to move and the motors off, it seemed ludicrous not to tackle everything whilst it's in bits than doing it later. Painting wouldn't have come into it had it not been for this as well..

Philip

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

More pictures it is then…

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

And my other machine has the vertical scale on the other side which makes life a little difficult with the lock but it is possible and would be better on the other mill as it has the old PTO arrangement for the table feed (unlike the later machine with a separate motor).

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

And the quill readout is just a cheap as chips thing attached as follows

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

And finally, here are some pictures of the machines so you can see how I fitted the controls for them etc.

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

As you can see, I was busy with some Al bar on one of the millers and was too lazy to clean up which is very shoddy – I don't normally do it as I consider it a fire hazard if nothing else….

I was actually making the base pillar for the bass pedal I intended to make for my bass drum over the holidays!

Mark

[Philip DParticipant @philipd]

Thank you Mark, This really has helped me and I hope to be able to progress to fitment on my machine.

Mine is of the later design, the same as you used for milling the aluminium on, with the motor on the table. Two handles on the table ..luxury

Philip

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I recently acquired one of these mills for free from a neighbour,now getting used to it after downsizing from a elliot milmor,I now have two handles on the table,I took the handle off the z axis and put on the lh end of the table, same shaft size, the z axis now has a decent longer fabricated handle very similar in size to the handle on a Harrison mill,makes it a lot easier to raise the table. I also found very quickly that the vertical spindle is too light and looses tram so easily despite over tightening the securing huts,so as I tend to work in true vertical mode and rarely want to tilt the head, I have stiffened the head /quill with a one inch thick steel plate which clamps around the quill where the depth stop fitted and also to a bolt which fits in a tapped hole oin the end of the circular overarm,this has vastly improved the rigidity of the spindle,will have to find out how to post a photo, the best thing about the mill was it was free and the next best was how easy it is to switch from vertical to horizontal mode without having to lift a heavy vertical attachment,just swing the vertical head out of the way, It is a much better machine when horizontal milling.

[Philip DParticipant @philipd]

Nigel, would love to see some pics, my uncle owns one and mentioned the issue with the vertical head. I'd be interested to look at your increasing rigidity design.

Philip

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

I braced mine but I did it using the over arm shaft so I can move the head in and out still. Here are the pictures and a drawing of the brace.

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