Princess Auto Mini-Mill

NavyShooter

NavyShooter

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Gidday,

Just in case anyone else has noticed it, Princess Auto now has a small collection of mini machine tools available, and recently added a mini-mill to their lineup.

I had a look at it last week, and was....underwhelmed.

Mini is a good way to put it....

It's also using 1/16 twist lead screws as opposed to 1/20, so that instead of .050 per revolution, you have .0625 per rev. Try cutting a .300 pass with that....enjoy the math....

Anyhow, my impression (as a hobbyist) is that it'd be handy for someone with no space for a real machine tool, but at the price of $999, it's not much for the money.

For a few hundred dollars more, if you have the space, there's a bunch of much more substantial stuff available at Busy Bee, or through King Canada.

Bear in mind, it's also on sale for $799 just now, but I'd say it's still not worth that much...

NS
 
Mini-mill

Yeah, I know what you mean.......and considering they're exactly the same thing that can be had in the US for 349 - 450 US then their 'sale' price is WAY out of line. I don't mind paying 'some' premium in our smaller Canadian market but our limited number of retailers are keeping the prices WAY up - that includes the 'mini' lathe offerings from Busy Bee and House of Tools also.

It amazes me that these folks haven't figured out that the internet has really changed the way people shop now - a price comparison on just about anything is just a few key strokes away.

Oh, well (sigh) - they might figure it out some day:(
 
Latest BB flyer has a small mill with DRO for about $1000. Have never seen one, can't say what they are like.
 
Have seen and used the Busybee one and found it a delight to use, accurate and with the advantage of a swivel head 90 deg. in both directions, a nice large table and good speed contraol in both high and low range from the dc motor, metric and imp. digital display on elevation makes this one of the best in this price range.
Busybee have not as yet got the MT2 collets but these are available from many other companies, will be buying one myself in the summer as I have now sold both my Cincinnati and Bridgeport mills.
 
Very expensiveboat anchor.

I've bought one too from busy bee.

Great for small jobs but would not trust it for bigger jobs.
I think I have a chuck problem, once a piece is taken out, you have a hard time centering it when you but it back in.
Maybe the Jaw just hasto get broken in ore.

Maybe I should start a thread " Do you use a break-in proceedure for your new chuck"
Its a size up from thePrincess one for the same price $989

B2227L.jpg
 
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I've been paws on with the BB one for $1098 in their store, and the non DRO one for the same price is easily twice the machine for the same money, however, with space limitations in my shop, I'm thinking that I'll probably end up buying the DRO one if something else doesn't come along.

NS
 
NavyShooter said:
I've been paws on with the BB one for $1098 in their store, and the non DRO one for the same price is easily twice the machine for the same money, however, with space limitations in my shop, I'm thinking that I'll probably end up buying the DRO one if something else doesn't come along.

NS
Click to expand...

Dude ! dont do it. Find room. Push your wifes sewing machine off the table and put your lathe there.

How about the bedroom?????
 
cdngunner said:
I think I have a chuck problem, once a piece is taken out, you have a hard time centering it when you but it back in.
Click to expand...

It depends on what kind of accuracy you are looking for. Generally you don't remove items from the chuck if you want accuracy. You can do some very good work with not the best of machinery. And the stuff out of China is not always the best. :rolleyes:

But of course we have to do it from time to time. If so then make sure you are putting it back in the chuck in exactly the same position as it was when you took it out. Then check for centering.
 
It is not unusual for a 3 jaw chuck to show variation when the work is removed and replaced, particularly well used ones. There are really accurate ones, but the price will be right up there. That's why 4 jaw chucks are preferred for some jobs. Setup is slower, but a piece can be indicated in to whatever degree of accuracy you want, or can measure. For highly accurate work, collets are great. In a mill, tool holders or collets are the best way to hold the cutters - chucks don't tend to do as good a job. My mill has an R-8 spindle, and I have a collet set for it, and a MT holder as well, so the collets can be used in the lathe.
 
all that cheap made in China machinery is a real waste of time and money.
time because you have to remove thinnest shavings to achieve anything remotely resembling accuracy. money - for all other reasons.

but where are made in the USA mini lathes and mills? crickets!
 
tiriaq said:
It is not unusual for a 3 jaw chuck to show variation when the work is removed and replaced, particularly well used ones. There are really accurate ones, but the price will be right up there. That's why 4 jaw chucks are preferred for some jobs. Setup is slower, but a piece can be indicated in to whatever degree of accuracy you want, or can measure. For highly accurate work, collets are great. In a mill, tool holders or collets are the best way to hold the cutters - chucks don't tend to do as good a job. My mill has an R-8 spindle, and I have a collet set for it, and a MT holder as well, so the collets can be used in the lathe.
Click to expand...


Hmm I ws looking at a nice table top mill, A real mill, probably weighed 600lbs or more. Took a lot of the tools used by smaller Bridgeport mills
$1500 too, not bad
 
cdngunner said:
Hmm I ws looking at a nice table top mill, A real mill, probably weighed 600lbs or more. Took a lot of the tools used by smaller Bridgeport mills
$1500 too, not bad
Click to expand...

If you look at the listings in the various catalogues, a lot of mill drills are in that price range, new. I suppose that if the powerhead moves up and down, a machine is a mill drill; if the table moves, it is a mill. A real mill for $1500 is more reasonable, a used mill drill should be less. 600 lbs is getting serious. Is this a vertical or horizontal mill?
In my post about chucks, I was referring primarily to lathe chucks. A Jacobs chuck can be used in a mill for drilling, but that is about the only 3 jaw chuck that you would mount on a mill spindle. A Jacobs chuck isn't a good way to hold a milling cutter.
 
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