Risers for my MiniMill - what metal to choose?

cazclocker

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I would like to mount my new LMS MiniMill on threaded risers. What I'm looking for is about 2" O.D., 1" thick metal. Basically like a hockey puck. My question is, would it make any difference what metal they're made of? Since I don't have stock of my own, I'm looking at various suppliers and I can find 6061 aluminum, general purpose low-carbon steel, 1045 carbon steel, gray cast iron, and 7075-T6 aluminum. All the above choices are available in the size I want. The cast iron is especially inexpensive - I live in Arizona so rust is a minimal issue with my shop. Whatever I choose, I'll have to drill & tap four pucks in the center for 3/8-16 threads.

Which of my choices would you folks choose for ease of drilling/tapping? Iron absorbs vibration pretty well, as I understand it. Since they would be used as risers, I don't know if the dampening effect would be significant - I really don't have a vibration problem to begin with.

Thanks in advance........
Doug Haeussler
 
I was gonna say the same thing about just getting a few Hockey pucks and using the hard rubber for vibration isolation too. Otherwise if you are not having a vibration issue you could go ahead and use the aluminum pucks and drill and tap them. They will be about the easiest to machine and if you wanted to get really snazzy you could machine out a pocket and JB weld a hockey puck inside to dampen vibration too. It would be super easy to turn out the inside enough to drop a puck tight into the cavity and go to work. That could be a really nice looking set up too. Just thinkin out loud again with you wallet instead of my empty one I use all the time...

Bob
 
Are they overrun with hockey pucks in Arizona?

What is wrong with with good old old fashioned wood? I went with a larger block laminated up from hardwood plywood that was about the size of my mill base. Lag screws all the way down into the table. Nice and stable. Not had any vibration issues that I am aware of except some harmonics when I am swinging a big 3 in fly cutter or the boring head on some frequencies. Then the whole table is moving.
 
Are they overrun with hockey pucks in Arizona?

What is wrong with with good old old fashioned wood? I went with a larger block laminated up from hardwood plywood that was about the size of my mill base. Lag screws all the way down into the table. Nice and stable. Not had any vibration issues that I am aware of except some harmonics when I am swinging a big 3 in fly cutter or the boring head on some frequencies. Then the whole table is moving.

The lack of humidity out here destroys wood. Then we get a little bit of rain and it sucks it up like a sponge, making the problem worse.
 
My Atlas 12 inch lathe has been bolted to a plywood topped table for about 30 years now. It's far from ideal and vibrates pretty badly, but I'm too lazy to move it. Maybe one day...

Where does one find used hockey pucks? Any good sources?
 
The lack of humidity out here destroys wood. Then we get a little bit of rain and it sucks it up like a sponge, making the problem worse.

Epoxy coatings :) :)

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My Atlas 12 inch lathe has been bolted to a plywood topped table for about 30 years now. It's far from ideal and vibrates pretty badly, but I'm too lazy to move it. Maybe one day...

Where does one find used hockey pucks? Any good sources?

How much plywood? I have my mill sitting on 1-1/2 in. plywood riser on top of 2-1/2 in. thick of plywood tabletop with about 80lbs of patternmaker's vise bolted to it on top of 4x4 mortise and tenon trestle base. Lathe is on a matching table.

New pucks are about $2. Can't see hunting down used ones would be that much of a savings. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12018858
 
Read the reviews for that site selling hockey pucks, you'll have a few chuckles.

Terry
 
Hockey pucks! I shoulda thought of that when I described my idea as being "like hockey pucks"... :))

Thanks for the interesting idea...it certainly would work. Not what I was looking for, but it would work!
 
I used hockey pucks on both the lathe and mill and in my opinion they work great!

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