Milling Machine advice?
- Thread starter Casull
- Start date
peckerwood
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- PalePony, Yukon
Like this one:
Or perhaps this one:
Or perhaps this one:
Knee Mill
I have a Busy Bee mill made in 1988. Busy Bee still catalogs this mill as B048. Nothing has changed on it in all these years. You will also find it at Acklands/Grainger and KBC tools. Busy Bee is cheapest but you can get a lease to own plan from KBC for under $100 a month. With the KBC lease deal you may find that you could afford an even larger mill.
Kinda tells you something when you can still buy the identical mill 17 years later.
I have a Busy Bee mill made in 1988. Busy Bee still catalogs this mill as B048. Nothing has changed on it in all these years. You will also find it at Acklands/Grainger and KBC tools. Busy Bee is cheapest but you can get a lease to own plan from KBC for under $100 a month. With the KBC lease deal you may find that you could afford an even larger mill.
Kinda tells you something when you can still buy the identical mill 17 years later.
Jasonsmack
CGN Regular
- Location
- Sask - Southwest
I bought one from Harbor Freight Tools. About 1200 USF$$.
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa...o?itemid=42827&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=
It seems OK so far. I am not very experienced with it but I am sure it will work for me for several years. The head rotates and lift up and down. I already bought a powerfeed for the X-axis. It weighs in at over 600lbs. It runs on a 20amp 100volt circuit. I am sure I may outgrow it eventually and can already see that a Bridgeport is way superior - but this unit uses the standard R-8 tooling which will make the future upgrade easier. I cooked the first motor on the first day I had it (it was a dud from the start) but Harbor Freight sent me out a new motor at no charge and it was running again fairly quickly and has been good ever since.
Mine is very similar to the picture in Peckerwoods post - the only difference is mine has a gear head and the one in Peckerwoods pictures is a belt drive unit. The base and table are identical.
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa...o?itemid=42827&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=
It seems OK so far. I am not very experienced with it but I am sure it will work for me for several years. The head rotates and lift up and down. I already bought a powerfeed for the X-axis. It weighs in at over 600lbs. It runs on a 20amp 100volt circuit. I am sure I may outgrow it eventually and can already see that a Bridgeport is way superior - but this unit uses the standard R-8 tooling which will make the future upgrade easier. I cooked the first motor on the first day I had it (it was a dud from the start) but Harbor Freight sent me out a new motor at no charge and it was running again fairly quickly and has been good ever since.
Mine is very similar to the picture in Peckerwoods post - the only difference is mine has a gear head and the one in Peckerwoods pictures is a belt drive unit. The base and table are identical.
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Get the Model B1977 from Busy Bee, they are on sale at times during the year and I would get the stand with it, and get that 4” Kurt type vice from them also, but I have reservation about the add-on power table feed. A fraction of a turn on that speed knob and the table goes in warp speed.
I have the Model B048 mill in my hobby shop with that Kurt type vice and a bunch of other stuff, like that rotary table also from busy bee.
I have the Model B048 mill in my hobby shop with that Kurt type vice and a bunch of other stuff, like that rotary table also from busy bee.
J
JoeP's old business account
Guest
PM sent....need a reply asap please
