Looking at an RF 30 tomorrow...any advice appreciated

[daveghil]

I have one as well as a Bridgeport my RF31 is a CNC mill and works well

Get the tools that he is offering unless you feel it is not worth the money. Likely things you need and lower than new cost. Ask him to throw in all the tools he can.

That was my thought too…crazy question…I do a lot of woodworking too…could this replace my drill presses?

 

[daveghil]

I started out with one and not really found something better for my use. If it’s not been too abused it will serve you well. Being a round column mill you have think ahead about height changes because you will lose registration. Depending on what he’s got for tooling it might be a good deal to buy it from him. It’s very easy to pay way more for tooling than what you paid for the mill.

I’m learning that tooling is part of this rabbit hole! https://www.zoro.com/palmgren-milling-starter-kit-wclamping-9670173/i/G1652931/?recommended=true

 

[OCJohn]

…problem is that I haven’t been able to part with machines I don’t need or are duplicates.

My brother.

 

[pontiac428]

One thing to be aware of is that most of the slop in movement can be easily adjusted out with the Rong Fu design. In other words, don't let feel of the handwheels and outer quill to head play put you off. From the pics, it looks to be in good shape, so I wouldn't expect any wear issues. When you go look at it, keep it in the back of your mind that you can dial the fit of the gibs, trapezoid nuts, leadscrew ends, quill feed backlash, and quill sleeve clearance to a satisfying degree very easily. They're a little rough around the edges, but were made to be tuned up to run well.

 

[Cadillac STS]

That was my thought too…crazy question…I do a lot of woodworking too…could this replace my drill presses?

From the metal working side it is best to have a drill press for some drilling for example drilling into steel which can require heavy down pressure on the quill. Best not to reef hard on the milling machine quill feed.

Regarding wood on metal working tools you can do it but need to be sure all the sawdust is cleaned off because that can hold moisture and cause rust. Also there is a risk of getting oil on your wood project maybe ruining your project.

Others might chime in about this

 

[bulgie]

kinda hoping it will be 3 phase…so I can try out a vfd.

Yeah I got a cheap used 2 hp 3ph motor and added a good quality vfd from KB. Big quality of life improvement to not have to change the belts so often. I still do the belt swap to get max torque for something that needs it, like running a large holesaw thru steel. Changing belts is enough of a PITA that I include it in planning my order of operations — try to do all the low-speed things together, and all the high-speed things together, not back and forth if I can avoid it. This is a hobby, so max efficiency isn't too important by itself, but everyone likes to "minimize the suck", right?

With a VFD it's nice to have a tach too. The cheap (like $10) hall-effect sensors are crap quality but good enough so far, and it's a function I can live without if the thing dies. I put mine right where that useless "Warning" plaque is on yours. (I had the exact same plaque)

VFDs on my lathe, drill press and belt grinder too — I'm a fan. I buy them used or "New-Open-Box" or whatever, usually on ebay, haven't been burned yet. I stay away from the cheap Chinese ones though, heard too many stories of them lasting less than a year. I shop for KB, Hitachi or Teco, which are all maybe 4x as expensive as the Chinese bottom dwellers. So maybe buy two if you buy Chinese, so you have a spare on hand, and still come out ahead in dollars? But I'd rather not support such business practices.

I've heard mixed reports of using treadmill motors, but never tried one. You'll want a good controller, which aren't cheap. I don't think the one from the treadmill is suitable, though some components from it may be, if you're an electronics whiz who can DIY. There are probably threads about that here if you want to go that way.

 

[daveghil]

Agree. Free treadmills are everywhere ...harvested 3 so far... but low end torque is not the best. Treadmill controllers have boards that add voltage when RPM drops off..like when walking on incline....but my $20 SCR controllers don't do this. Otherwise works well for light duty applications (sanders, bandsaws, wood lathe). A buddy of mine runs a big lathe and a Bridgeport on 3phase with VFD and swears by it....thanks for the advice...

 

[daveghil]

From the metal working side it is best to have a drill press for some drilling for example drilling into steel which can require heavy down pressure on the quill. Best not to reef hard on the milling machine quill feed.

Regarding wood on metal working tools you can do it but need to be sure all the sawdust is cleaned off because that can hold moisture and cause rust. Also there is a risk of getting oil on your wood project maybe ruining your project.

Others might chime in about this

Good points...think I'll hold onto at least 1 drill press.

 

[Makintrax73]

Check the fit of the quill in the head- that's the one thing that can really suck if it's loose and wiggly, just like on a drill press- no easy fix
It's probably wired for 110 volts but for serious heavy work you want to wire it for 220v. Help available here if you need it

Ditto this.

This is one thing I forgot to check on mine before I bought it that I wish I had thought about. It's not terribly noticeable until the quill is really extended, but the problem is that with a round column you may not have the option of leaving it in tight depending on the job. It does make plunging an end mill exciting. sometimes.

Backlash I manage to work around with a dro. Gib wear I shimmed out. The quill slop just doesn't have a practical fix AFAIK. If there is I'd love to hear it.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

if and when you get it, give me a shout if you need tooling. I have a couple of clamp sets I need to move on and a few other bits'n'pieces