House o tools Mill?

NavyShooter

NavyShooter

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Hey gang,

Well, it's about time that I get rid of the Sherline once and for all (no reasonable offer refused for anyone who might want a mini-mill/lathe combo) and toss down on a half-decent sized machine.

I've found what I'm after too.

http ://w ww.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=12736

It's the equivalent to the King Canada PDM-25 mill I believe.

The major factor for me is actually size.

I have a limited area to fit it, and it's mostly the depth that's the concern.

This one fits into a 32" deep space, and my work-space is 31.5" deep. So, only a tiny overhang.

I'm off to sea for a month, and figure that when I get back, I'll probably order it up. (The money I'll save on gas driving to/from work will really add up!)

So, does anyone have any comments for/against this mill. (Yes, my mind seems made up already, but I'm at least asking for input before I slap money down on it)

Also, how is house - o - tools for their delivery/service/etc?

I seriously considered the mini-mills from either Princess Auto, or one of the variants at Busy Bee, but of the three available from those two spots, none seemed to be what I wanted, and there is a LOOOONNNNGGGGG thread at Homegunsmith about how to modify the mini-mill to make it workable in a shop. IE, it takes a LOT of work to make it a reasonable machine.

So, going a step or two up from the minis to this one seems like the best option at this point for me.

FRV_30_MD_25.jpg


Comments?

NavyShooter
 
Get R-8 Taper, rather than a Morse 3, if at all possible. The money spent on getting R-8 will come back 100-fold, on the availability of R-8 tooling. Morse tooling is not the end of the world, or anything like that, but the selection is far less.

You West Coast? Consider a trip to Washington State, and look at the grizzly products. They won't ship machines to Canada, but are willing to ship parts if required.

These are a pretty decent machine, once you get your head around that you must plan around all your work (for the most part) being done within the limits of the spindle travel, or having to re-dial in the zero of the machine when you raise or lower the head. Really not as big a deal as it gets made out to be.

Not an issue at all, if you are laying out scribed lines, and cutting to them.

BTDT on an RF-30, the first milling machine I used.

These are also a superior heavy duty drill press. If you can have the option of a taller main column, get it, for more headroom.

Other than that, be prepared to take a stone or fine file to a lot of sharp edges, to make it nicer to work around, stock up on way oil and cutting fluids, and prepare to spend almost as much on tooling, as on the machine. It really does add up that fast! :)

Consider a power feed. Buy or make. Makes a consistent surface finish much easier to achieve.

Cheers
Trev
 
I bought a mill drill from House of Tools similar to the one in your picture a few years back.

I picked it up in from the store in Saskatoon while I was passing through.

Last year I ordered a 12 X 36 lathe from House of Tools through their website.

They delivered it right to my farm, less than two weeks later. No hassles at all.

Since then I have not had a bit of trouble with either machine. They are Chinese machines, and I use them for light, infrequent jobs, but I am very happy and will continue to buy from House of Tools.

I agree with getting the R8 spindle taper. I have a MT3 in my mill drill since I thought it would match up with a lathe tail stock. Reality is other than a drill chuck, I am not using anything else in common between the two machines. R8 tooling is way easier to find.

My two cents...
 
The king PDM30(the one I am waiting to buy) has the R8 taper.Last time I checked the local dealer wanted about $1500 for it.

Dimensionsare only a couple inches more
 
Guys,

This one is more about the available space than about the capability of the machine.

Unfortunately, there's always trade-offs, so in my case, where I'm lacking space, I have to find something that fits, and gives me decent quality for the money I'm putting out.

NS
 
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