P is for planer, isn't she cute.

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.



I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.



Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544

WI , no picture came thru . Just an X , maybe explain it will. I'm thinking of using a VFD on my enco mini Bridgeport mill, I just traded a used Honda generator for a new GE 2hp ind, motor. That would save me from worrying about changing belts . From a wheelchair ITS hard to get up even that high just to change belts. But right now my shops a pure mess looks like a bomb went off and sent stuff flying. I sold an antique woodworkers bench which was loaded 4' high on top under and around. Being in the chair I put things where I could reach in twenty years lots of things get piled
I hate waste so I reuse as much as I can . The bench I bought from a guy for $50.00 about 25 years ago , sold it for $800.00 that's how I'm funding the parts to build the RPC and the boxes and belts and motors. Won't take long for that to be eaten up . But I'm bound to get my shop and machines set up and usable. This Tuesday I'm getting the shots in my spine , if everything's up to what they want. Pita just to get needles so much to do worse then an operation.

The photo is of an ACTech 5 horse VFD. 220 single in, 220 3phase out.

You can set them up many different ways.

IMO a better setup all around. The power is balanced, you have control of the frequency, and the cost is comparable with an RPC.



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+1 on the VFD. I've set up systems for guys to use one VFD for their whole shop. You don't need one for every machine. Just get one that's big enough to run your biggest motor. You can use a cord and plug different machines in as you use them, or set up a contactor arrangement if you want to get fancy. I plan to do this at my place eventually, but I've also got 6-7 small VFD's that I got for free, along with 1hp motors.

Kind of stuff now I'm waiting for a man in Philly who's nice enough to bring it to me . A brand new in the box wrapped 5 hp baldor 220 3 phase 1740 rpms . Found his add on craigslist and told him my plight and asked if he ever travelled to NJ . Emailed me and said he's coming my way soon and will bring it. If it shows up ill have everything to build it . I'm going to make a WHEELED frame and cushion mount , the enclosure box and plugs on it . So if I need to do anything to it I can easily move it .
Going to be going back in time building it , been fifty years since I built radios and speaker boxes and wire car radios and stuff . Plus I culled around with motors often ,anything electrically operated . One time I made a resistance hot dog cooker tested with a hammer head , YUPP two nice dimples and blown circuit breaker. Hot dog didn't cook fast enough so I cked it.
Also today I got the shot to my spine it's wait awhile to find out if it helps much. But complications caused me an emergency room visit for dehydration . Being quadrapertic my body don't react like normal , I was almost in convulsions and with to much output of urine and only a coffee input I didn't help it . But another bill to worry about what more don't I need.
Ulna ill be laying out my parts your help is appreciated , when YA wanna come over and help

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.



I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.



Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544

Ulma , yea I caught the spell Ck and won . Ulma your handle has been wrong every time I type it. I vowed to beat it. Today the man brought me a very nice baldor 5 hp 220 three phase 1740 rpm motor . The last item is on its way too. Cheapest one to the terminal block . I know I could just solder them and wrap but it's so pretty done up correctly. Even ordered some more yellow ring wire ends , I have a large selection of all sizes but the China ones was .99 delivered.
I may be poor but when I do a job I always do it to the very best of my abilities and materials . Very few repairs I've ever done in forty years as ever came back for something I did or didn't. 99 times it's because they load the engines with old or watered down gas .
Now for the fun I had yesterday , went and had the epidural shots in lower back . Did ok till an hour after getting home , kept not feeling right then around 8 last night all hell broke loose body was shaking uncontrollably, hot rapid breathing . 911 off to emergency room get there checked by doctor , blood test and more . Ivs put in fluids , I had gotten dehydrated and with my being quadrapertic things don't work like normal. I had some drinks after getting home but not enough. So 1 am got home didn't sleep all night . But all normal now and I think the shots starting to work a little . Hopefully over the next few days ill be able to get out and do some cleaning up in my shop. Got to make room for all the help ill be getting , three of us me myself and I we should be able always have.

FOMOGO said:

Just testing to see if the pic comes up for you. If you hit reply on his post you will be able to see the pic. Mike

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Update, pain doctor cancelled office visit on Tuesday snow day . New things happening with my spine , getting conclusive movements and pain. This crap really sucks. Have to reschedule to pain doc, hope they figure something out , I sure don't like what's happening to me. But in a better light I found a very old rusty lathe that looks the same time frame, I'm going to use the legs for the planer , the rest ill keep for parts or sell on eBay. My old fishing buddy lives in Delaware and it's in Maryland so he's going to get it for me. Just driving they can load on his trailer. I think the legs may look good under it. If not ill use them for my atlas horizontal mill . If I don't like it there I'll sell them to pay for steel to build them both stands . The last set I had hanging around I sold to soon. But when YA make $350.00 on trash YA picked up its pure gold. Try to post the picture of the parts department ha ha.

What a great find, I just started reading this thread. I hope the educated quacks (aka doctors) can help you out. I had 2 vertebrae fused in my neck. I had lost used of my left arm. I am fine now, glad I did it. If I wasn't at the other end of PA, I would certainly make occasional appearances to help out. Best of luck with the planer, I'll be watching this thread now.