Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
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Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
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I doubt I'll ever venture into the metal lathe thing, but have always been curious as to the 'mini-mills'...
I'm sure if I posted this question on a machining-site or forum, I'd get a bunch of folks telling me that if you don't spend $20,000 on a 'real' setup, you are a fool, yet those are the same folks who say that leverguns aren't useful because they can't shoot the 1/4" MOA groups that a blueprinted bull-barrel bolt gun can, and yet I kill deer every single year with a single shot from a run-of-the-mill levergun, and I'm sure tons of people make and repair stuff with their cheapie and 'junk' mini-mills, even though of course the guys with the fancier setups can do far more stuff, just as the real professional snipers and shooters favor their bolt actions versus leverguns.
So I'm curious, after watching this on a 'Mini-mill', if anyone on here messes with such stuff, and if so, what kind of use they are getting out of their setup...?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC6IgRpptJk
Again, I doubt I'll go there because I've too much else on my plate, but I'm curious...
I doubt I'll ever venture into the metal lathe thing, but have always been curious as to the 'mini-mills'...
I'm sure if I posted this question on a machining-site or forum, I'd get a bunch of folks telling me that if you don't spend $20,000 on a 'real' setup, you are a fool, yet those are the same folks who say that leverguns aren't useful because they can't shoot the 1/4" MOA groups that a blueprinted bull-barrel bolt gun can, and yet I kill deer every single year with a single shot from a run-of-the-mill levergun, and I'm sure tons of people make and repair stuff with their cheapie and 'junk' mini-mills, even though of course the guys with the fancier setups can do far more stuff, just as the real professional snipers and shooters favor their bolt actions versus leverguns.
So I'm curious, after watching this on a 'Mini-mill', if anyone on here messes with such stuff, and if so, what kind of use they are getting out of their setup...?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC6IgRpptJk
Again, I doubt I'll go there because I've too much else on my plate, but I'm curious...
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
I have made small stuff with my mini-mill (more a bench mill) and use it for drilling. My lathe I have used much more. Not a machinist, more a tinkerer if anything. Wouldn't insult a real machinist by claiming to be one.
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
Much can be done with either machine.
If I had had the capitol after school for a good lathe and a Bridgeport I would never leave the house except to go shoot new rifles and take chips to the scrap yard!
Actually a lathe with a milling attachment would do fine in any shop.
We had a horizontal mill for doing octagon barrels, multiple Bridgeport mills, one with a broach attachment. I ran all of those machines, my favorite was a South Bend lathe from the 40s.
As for the mini machines I can't comment as I've not run any of them. I suggest looking at reviews before spending your hard earned money
If I had had the capitol after school for a good lathe and a Bridgeport I would never leave the house except to go shoot new rifles and take chips to the scrap yard!
Actually a lathe with a milling attachment would do fine in any shop.
We had a horizontal mill for doing octagon barrels, multiple Bridgeport mills, one with a broach attachment. I ran all of those machines, my favorite was a South Bend lathe from the 40s.
As for the mini machines I can't comment as I've not run any of them. I suggest looking at reviews before spending your hard earned money

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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
To me, this guy has the best mini-mill and lathe content.
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
I've owned a cheap lathe/mill combo for about 30 years, and I use it occasionally for small projects. I'd use it more if it had two changes I'd like. First an automatic feed so it could cut threads, and second a larger bore through the head stock to allow longer and larger metal stock to be worked.
I've made firing pins, and used the lathe and mill for those. I've also used the mill part by putting the chuck in the mill and spinning bits from my router to do barrel inletting for forearm wood. It sits a lot as I sometimes just use my drill press to do some fabrication work using a file as I spin parts. It's sometimes faster to do that for small quick projects. My drill press has a machinist's vise and end mills that I find works really well for small stuff.
I've made firing pins, and used the lathe and mill for those. I've also used the mill part by putting the chuck in the mill and spinning bits from my router to do barrel inletting for forearm wood. It sits a lot as I sometimes just use my drill press to do some fabrication work using a file as I spin parts. It's sometimes faster to do that for small quick projects. My drill press has a machinist's vise and end mills that I find works really well for small stuff.
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
A couple of UK based airgun forums I infest have a considerable number of tinkerers that use the both/either mini-mills and/or mini-lathes, including one retired operator that used to use top end CNC and other professional grade equipment. He's tweaked his a bit here and there, but turns out amazing work with these less than ideal machines.
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
I've had a 12x36: Grizzly lathe for 23 years to satisfy my gunsmithing needs. I also use a mill attachment on it for making small parts , cutting sight dovetail. It has about same travel as small mini mill. I run small endmills and flycutters in collet out of the lathe spindle bore.
To pull off anything precise you must exercise patience .
Really thing about what your doing. Outcome can be as good as any mill. I've made entire rifle actions on it before.
To pull off anything precise you must exercise patience .
Really thing about what your doing. Outcome can be as good as any mill. I've made entire rifle actions on it before.
Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
I bought an ancient Craftsman, (Atlas) lathe that had been in a flood.
I had to take it completely apart and reassemble it.
It had some funky tooling, but a good 4-jaw chuck. I just made a part
so that I could mount a modern tool post, and am on the cusp of fitting
a good 3-jaw chuck.
I've made many little things on it over the years. It's a little worn, and
a work in progress, but as the man said, "A small lathe with problems is
very much better than no lathe at all!"
The fact that it won't cut metric threads is it's biggest impediment.
And you can't take big cuts - you must be patient.
One of the best $100 dollar bills I ever spent!
-Tom
I had to take it completely apart and reassemble it.
It had some funky tooling, but a good 4-jaw chuck. I just made a part
so that I could mount a modern tool post, and am on the cusp of fitting
a good 3-jaw chuck.
I've made many little things on it over the years. It's a little worn, and
a work in progress, but as the man said, "A small lathe with problems is
very much better than no lathe at all!"

The fact that it won't cut metric threads is it's biggest impediment.
And you can't take big cuts - you must be patient.
One of the best $100 dollar bills I ever spent!




-Tom
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
As a retired tool and die maker, I knew I would miss access to a mill and a lathe (and grinders, edm, etc.) once retired. Bought a NICE heavy 10" Southbend lathe and got her downstairs, but the mill was another issue. I have access to my brothers full size Bridgeport and wound up using that after retirement, but got tired of the drive there all the time. So I looked at what I did (gun stuff and telescope stuff) and realized most of it was pretty small. Wound up buying a mini-mill from Little Machine Shop figuring when I needed a full size mill I still would have access to my brothers. Well, in the 9 years I have used the mini mill, I have had to go use the full size only once, when line reaming a revolver cylinder. I am talking HUNDREDS of jobs were done on that mini mill. I even finally line reamed another revolver cylinder on the mini mill with no issues. If you get one you will have a bit of a learning curve compared to a full sized mill, but I find if I treat aluminum or brass as if it were steel (regarding depth of cut) and go way less on a depth of cut on steel, the issues are not too bad.
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Re: Lathes and 'Mini-mills'...???
I agree mini mills and lathe milling attachments are like learning a new process. You can't crowd either. You better know the diffferance climb cutting and conventional milling makes. Or you'll be in for a rude awakening.
I use collets to run endmills and flycutters with spindle of my 12x36 lathe. 7" of cross slide travel which has power feed.
5" of milling attachment feed by hand.
Machinist by day for over 38 years , gunsmith by hobby I've been able to satisfy my needs at home. Can't do government jobs at shop anymore too many eyes watching.
Small endmills 3/8" or less and small flycutters do a wonderful job on small machines.
I've done countless broaching jobs on mine too. Imagination is the limit.
I'll show few projects later
I use collets to run endmills and flycutters with spindle of my 12x36 lathe. 7" of cross slide travel which has power feed.
5" of milling attachment feed by hand.
Machinist by day for over 38 years , gunsmith by hobby I've been able to satisfy my needs at home. Can't do government jobs at shop anymore too many eyes watching.
Small endmills 3/8" or less and small flycutters do a wonderful job on small machines.
I've done countless broaching jobs on mine too. Imagination is the limit.
I'll show few projects later