Milling machine advice circa £2500

[aytactParticipant @aytact]

Hi all,

I need a milling machine and I am beginner at this point. Till now I have always used my small cnc to process aluminium. But my cnc is not rigid enough, so it takes ages to process. So I have decided to buy a milling machine.

My budget is max £2500, I can not spare more than this, if I need to buy tools etc it should fit inside this budget and I am so confused.

Shortly I need to use mostly aluminium, later on mild steel, so less amount of stainless steel (plates and rods). To summarize briefly, if I can do a any operation needed to make t-nut  (drilling, tapping, surfacing), it is enough for me, the rest is changing lengths and widths to handle all projects in my hand. Table length is important, I am thinking to use 2 vice on each end to hold longer pieces with an angle. But I need certainly DRO, because all the projects are requiring processing at same locations with same distances. Some items will be processed on lathe at first, some items will be processed only on milling machine.

For DRO, I do not know is it better to get with the machine or adding shahe brand from aliexpress with DIY idea, at the end it may easily damage and changing may cost a fortune or finding parts can be difficult after 5 years from today.

I am looking into SIEG SX3.5ZP HiTorque Mill, Warco WM16(B) DRO, etc. There are belt drive options and geared metal versions (I think). Although my crane is rated 1 ton, I do not want to go above 180 kg. Moving between warehouses can be a bit costly otherwise. I am thinking the machines which I can put inside a L2 van somehow.

And you are the experts, which kind of milling machine do you suggest? Which one is better than other? Which feature needs to get higher attention? I am not asking for only these 2 milling machines. Which kind of tools do you suggest at the beginning? I know I can not fit all the tools into this budget at first, but if I buy a good machine and bare minimum amount of tools at the beginning, at least I can do something, and later on I can purchase when I need it.

And additionally, how can I get precise xyz=0 point according to material. It is so easy on cnc with correct tool, but as I said I am so beginner to milling. In cnc everything integrated with each other, but here DRO seems totally self contained.

Thank you so much for your helps

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

A friend of mine has the Sieg SX3 and it has worked well for him for many years. I have a Weiss VM25 that has served me well for over a decade without any problems. I would go for the biggest most rigid milling machine you can afford and get into your workshop.

The Warco WM18 is now on sale for under £2k so you should be able to buy some tools too.

Thor

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If it is mostly going to be aluminium then go with the SX3.5. With it’s 5000rpm top speed combined with smallish carbide cutters you will get the job done. And tapping mode will be handy for tee nuts.

Fit a proper DRO not the ones that use similar scales to a digital calliper. The functions on that will help with setting up work and they are generally a lot more reliable.

Assuming you already have measuring tools etc for your CNC then you would need

ERCollet chuck and some collets

Vice(s)

Set Parallels

Clamping set for larger odd shaped items

Face mill and range of carbide cutters, aluminium specific for ali and non ferrous

 

[Les RileyParticipant @lesriley75593]

Reading this quite by chance this morning. Today our club members are clearing a deceased members workshop and we will have a Warco VMC to sell shortly. It would come with clamps, vice and some tooling. It would be within your budget. Send me a message if you are interested.

[Hugh Stewart-Smith 1Participant @hughstewart-smith1]

Amadeal might have something suitable:

AMAVM25L R8 WITH 3 AXIS DRO, Z & X Axis POWERFEEDS, BELT DRIVE & BRUSHLESS MOTOR – all within your budget.

We also now have manual machines with ballscrews on all three axes and high spindle speed (5000rpm) milling machines

Hugh                                                                                                                Amadeal Ltd

 

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

With an R8 taper spindle you could consider R8 collects instead of ER32 chuck. Less overhang, more headroom.

[duncan webster 1]

On duncan webster 1 Said:

With an R8 taper spindle you could consider R8 collects instead of ER32 chuck. Less overhang, more headroom.

Ah but!

The ER32 has 16 jaws, the round collet a mere 3.

An octopus with 8 limbs will have better grip on its prey, than a human being with just 2. The same principle may apply

On the other hand – it may not!

Hugh                                                                                                                   Amadeal Ltd

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Fitting a mill with DRO is almost a no brainer – apart from the cost!   So consider adding one later, or starting cheap.

Mills can be driven on the dials, it just means the operator has to concentrate, and make use of marking out blue, stops, and anything else he can think of to reduce mistakes.   A DRO is a huge boon rather than essential.

My mill came without a DRO, which were more expensive back then.  However, dials being slow and my concentration poor, I soon upgraded to this simple type, mine came from Arc Euro, still selling them I see at knock-down prices today.

Knowing them to be minimalist and not very robust, I only expected them to carry me over until I could afford better in a year or so.   A decade later they’re still going strong!

If money is short, think carefully about tooling.   It adds significantly to the bill.   Cutters, mill and drill chucks, clamps, vice, rotary table, edge finders, boring head, angle gauges,  set squares, DTI, tool lamp,  etc etc etc.   Save money by thinking about the work you intend doing, and then buy tools as needed over time.   Spreads the load rather than saving money.    The one thing that turned out to be a complete waste of my money was flood cooling.   Messy and only worth it when I hack into lots of steel, which I rarely do.   You might!

Dave

 

 

 

[Les Riley]

On Les Riley Said:

Reading this quite by chance this morning. Today our club members are clearing a deceased members workshop and we will have a Warco VMC to sell shortly. It would come with clamps, vice and some tooling. It would be within your budget. Send me a message if you are interested.

As the OP mentioned the lack of rigidity of his CNC I’m sure he’d appreciate a machine like this. I have one myself and so glad I bought a traditional knee mill over a bench top machine.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

But rigidity comes at a cost in weight. The VMC is a bit over 400KG so well over twice what the OP has said he wants.

It would be interesting to know what the CNC is that he already has, could be a gantry mill more suited to wood & plastics than metal

[Hugh Stewart-Smith 1]

On Hugh Stewart-Smith 1 Said:

On duncan webster 1 Said:

With an R8 taper spindle you could consider R8 collects instead of ER32 chuck. Less overhang, more headroom.

Ah but!

The ER32 has 16 jaws, the round collet a mere 3.

An octopus with 8 limbs will have better grip on its prey, than a human being with just 2. The same principle may apply

On the other hand – it may not!

Hugh                                                                                                                   Amadeal Ltd

I think not, it’s all down to the load in the drawbar and the angle of the taper. Friend of mine ran bridgeports commercially using collects, if the hammer he gave them didn’t make the cutter move, a hobby user can rest easy. I certainly never had any problem with my Naerok.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

The VMC can be disassembled more easily than most mills. Into 3 lumps. The head, column and base. Still heavy mind. But if rigidity is a high priority it would be a good choice.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Yes agreed, dismantling transporting and reassembling my VMC was easy when I moved house. I mounted the two heaviest parts on dollies so the removal men had no complaints either. All the heavy lifting was done single handed using an engine hoist.

I have only two complaints with the VMC. The flexible arm for the lamp needs to be at least 10-15 cm longer and I really wish that Warco made a 100mm riser for the head. I make do though, and stub drills come in handy at times! 😉 Great machine for the money.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

Yes, they definitely need to make a riser, I imagine it would sell like hotcakes.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Yes agreed. Even a modest three inch riser would be good. I’m surprised that Warco and other suppliers of this type of mill never made them.

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