G0758 Arrived

[Kenny G]

Well I received my G0758 the other day was impressed by the speed of shipping I got it in 3 days.Now comes the tooling ritual the main purchase blew a pretty big hole in my budget so things are going to have to be done incrementally I am trying to put together a list of things to get a good start and able to do some very minor practice pieces. I was hoping I could post them here and get your thoughts.

1. a T slot clamping kit(a vise will come later)
2. 3 end mill holders 5/8, 1/2, 3/8( it is my impression from others that they are better than collets for holding end mills)
3. A few end mills (some 2 flute for aluminum and some 4 flute for steel)
4 a 3 piece fly cutter set

I actually have a small 2 1/2 angle vise and a couple cheap HF type compound x,y vises for a drill press, I already have a parallel set 1-2-3 blocks, and v blocks a couple indicators, calipers and a micrometer. So I ask you guys am I on the right track am I overlooking an absolute necessity is there a substitute that would be better than those I have.
TIA Kenny

 

[Dorn]

On that size machine I doubt you will want to use 5/8 end mills. In fact on a small machine a 3/16 collet or end mill holder will be much more useful if you ever plan on using the smaller size end mills since they frequently come on a 3/16 shank. Also the vise would be higher on my list than either the T slot kit or the fly cutter, but that will depend on what kind of work you do. You can make 3-4 T nuts as your first project.

 

[wrmiller]

Hey Kenny,

I had a PM25 (basically a G0704) and never used a endmill over 1/2", and I used that very seldom. The machine isn't rigid enough to take it. For hogging steel I used 3/8" coarse and fine roughers as they are easier on the machine while still removing a decent chunk of stock.

I don't agree with the end mill holders for a couple of reasons. One, they take up valuable Z-axis real estate and you don't have very much. Two, they are not very accurate and add to the tolerance stack up from spindle to cutter. I used a good quality set of Taiwan collets on my PM25 and never had a mill pull out while cutting. Never. I now have a 1500 lb. 3/4 BP style knee mill and still don't need end mill holders.

The rest of your list looks pretty good. It might help to understand what materials you are wanting to work with, and what you are looking to make/build to help with further suggestions. There's a pretty knowledgeable group of folks here who will gladly help you spend your money.

Oh, and welcome to the forums and hobby machining! And above all, have fun with the new toys.

 

[kd4gij]

I have a G0704 and agree collets hold just fine. I have never had one pull out. I got my mill way back when it first came out.

 

[Kenny G]

I definitely see a trend here and on a different forum collets vs holders, so collets it is. I plan on getting my feet wet with smaller projects that don't require as much tooling for instance I have a QCTP(A2Z) for my 7X14 lathe and plan on making some tool holders which look pretty straight forward except for the dove tails maybe. Yes I should have an edge finder that will be another added to my initial buy. I know that I may be able to score tooling off ebay and craigs list but being as green as I am, am afraid that I would wind up throwing good money after bad

 

[kd4gij]

A new machine and no pictures? This site is addicted to tool porn.

 

[Kenny G]

 

[Kenny G]

Hope this works for ya, I think it's pretty cute but I'm biased

 

[wrmiller]

Nice looking mill!

Did it come with a stand, or are you going to put it on a bench? I had my PM25 on a 40" Sears toolbox that I made some levelers for and that worked really well as I had a bunch of drawers right below the mill for tooling and stuff.

 

[Kenny G]

It will be mounted on a bench I have back issues and need to use a high stool to work from.