Hobbymat MD65 – Milling Angle Piece

[Steve ColeyParticipant @stevecoley62112]

Hello,

I've now got my lathe operating ok..even managed to make the little 'dog clutch?' to enable power feed..

I'd like to be able to do some basic milling – does anyone have the dimensions of the 'stock' angle so I can try to source a similar item. Also the size of the vice i will need…

Thanks

Fats

[Steve ColeyParticipant @stevecoley62112]

Can anybody give me the dimensions?

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Having had one, frankly I wouldn't bother. The top slide is very limited when you try to use it as a vertical slide on the angle plate, and the original vice was pathetic. The vice was also flimsy, and it's quite hard to get a good small machine vice unless you splash out on the little Myford one. And I found that bolting the vice to the topslide slightly distorted it so it seized up. You might find that one of the vertical slides such as this made for the minilathes more satisfactory. They look quite robust, seem to be made of cast iron (the Hobbymat angle plate was aluminium alloy), and have tee slots. Also an integral clamping system or "vice".

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Obviously there must have been some variation over the production run of MD65's as the angle plate that came with mine is cast iron and the vice a very nice little thing. Before I got my milling machine I did a number of milling jobs with it and found it very satisfactory. Qualifying that the milling undertaken was mostly for a small 3.5" gauge loco but then again the MD65 is quite a small lathe.

As an aside I think overall the MD65 is a brilliant little lathe for its size. I have done all sorts of jobs on it that really were too big for it but providing you use sharp tools and appropriate sized cuts it does exactly what it says on the tin. Mine is now over 25 years old and only last week I turned a 1" diameter 'shaft' 8" long and it was parallel over the length by quarter of a thou. Using a nicely ground brazed tip tool I have taken 40 thou cuts on free cutting mild. I wouldn't swap it for anything else and while I have a ledger machine I still use it quite a bit.

Paul.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Still at work so can't measure but about 4in long by 3in each side. Mine is cast iron. not ali. Most milling doesn't absolutely need the versatility of a vice and vertical slide so you can clamp things to an angle plate with some care in positioning. Get a plain angle plate not a T-slotted one and drill holes for clamp bolts when and where you need them.

[Chris SheltonParticipant @chrisshelton11794]

Steve I have sent you a private message.

[Steve ColeyParticipant @stevecoley62112]

Thanks everyone…now sorted..i have managed to buy the angle and vice from a forum member.

Fats

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