Mill Choices - Advice

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joshua_

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I think I'm ready to jump off and get a mill.

I'm likely to go with Grizzly, but would listen to other suggestions as well.

I have a Grizzly lathe and drill press that are each doing everything I need and doing it well so far, so that's why I'll likely stick with them. They have been good to me with orders and when I had a small issue with my lathe.

I'm looking at three. Here are some links. If you feel like looking, you can do a side by side comparison.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill/G0758
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill-with-Stand-and-DRO/G0759

Most of the use will be for gunsmithing. I would like to cut dovetails for sights, mill off factory sights, etc. I would even mill some slides if possible.

I doubt it will run all day or that I'll have to be real fast with it. Accuracy is important since it would be used for sights and other things similar.

If that's too vague, please let me know what info I could share that would help me get good advice.

Thanks
 
I have the G0704 which I have converted to CNC. While it is a nice little machine, I feel trying to machine something like a slide would be asking a lot. Not saying it couldn't be done, I'm sure people have, but when it comes to machining steel, my opinion is that it is not rigid enough. If you are determined to stick with the 0704 class machine, at least get a power feed so you can make the slow light cuts that will be required with decent consistency.
I purchased a "RF-45" type machine and it handles the steel much better. Grizzly has a few machines in that class and IIRC some in between. If you will be cutting steel, I would look for the stepped speed change not a variable dc motor. The small dc motors effectively loose power when you start taking low rpms you will want for steel. The stepped speed changes increase your power and the motor won't have to work as hard.
YMMV.

-Jon
 
maker of things said:
I have the G0704 which I have converted to CNC. While it is a nice little machine, I feel trying to machine something like a slide would be asking a lot. Not saying it couldn't be done, I'm sure people have, but when it comes to machining steel, my opinion is that it is not rigid enough. If you are determined to stick with the 0704 class machine, at least get a power feed so you can make the slow light cuts that will be required with decent consistency.
I purchased a "RF-45" type machine and it handles the steel much better. Grizzly has a few machines in that class and IIRC some in between. If you will be cutting steel, I would look for the stepped speed change not a variable dc motor. The small dc motors effectively loose power when you start taking low rpms you will want for steel. The stepped speed changes increase your power and the motor won't have to work as hard.
YMMV.

-Jon
Click to expand...

Jon,

Thank you. I'll do some more looking. If necessary I can just wait a while longer and get something bigger. I was hoping something like what I listed would work, but I understand that hoping doesn't help much.
 
I had high hopes for the 0704 too based on so many positive comments about it's capacity. It is pretty decent in aluminum, but I just found it too flimsy when working on steel. My aha moment was when I was trying to drill some steel with a 1" drill bit. I slowed the rpms to 70 and could easily stall the motor with even the lightest feed. Even using the z axis to feed the drill down was poor. On my 12z, I duplicated the situation and could literally hang on the down feed and not slow the motor.
 
You can buy a genuine used Bridgeport in decent condition for the money you want to spend on a mill.I have the small Grizzly mill now for about 6 years and it is all I need,most of the time.
I do not have the room or I would follow my own advice.Do a search for used machine tools with your zip code.If possible take a friend who has experience with you to look at the mills.
I am not knocking Grizzly mills or lathes,just think for $2000.00 you can do a lot better than an import machine.
mike
 
I'm no milling machine expert but the 758 only weighs 176 lbs despite the catalog description as "super rigid"
joshua_ said:
I think I'm ready to jump off and get a mill.

I'm likely to go with Grizzly, but would listen to other suggestions as well.

I have a Grizzly lathe and drill press that are each doing everything I need and doing it well so far, so that's why I'll likely stick with them. They have been good to me with orders and when I had a small issue with my lathe.

I'm looking at three. Here are some links. If you feel like looking, you can do a side by side comparison.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill/G0758
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill-with-Stand-and-DRO/G0759

Most of the use will be for gunsmithing. I would like to cut dovetails for sights, mill off factory sights, etc. I would even mill some slides if possible.

I doubt it will run all day or that I'll have to be real fast with it. Accuracy is important since it would be used for sights and other things similar.

If that's too vague, please let me know what info I could share that would help me get good advice.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
kwoodhands said:
You can buy a genuine used Bridgeport in decent condition for the money you want to spend on a mill.I have the small Grizzly mill now for about 6 years and it is all I need,most of the time.
I do not have the room or I would follow my own advice.Do a search for used machine tools with your zip code.If possible take a friend who has experience with you to look at the mills.
I am not knocking Grizzly mills or lathes,just think for $2000.00 you can do a lot better than an import machine.
mike
Click to expand...

I agree with this for sure. If at all possible try to get an in person look at the mill you are thinking about and get an in person look at a used Bridgeport mill. In person impression is important to really see what you might be able to do with the tool.

Bridgeport would be a life long tool while the small mill could be outgrown depending on what you need.

For same or less money go with a nice used mill Bridgeport or clone. Keep an eye on Craigslist and check eBay with "Nearest" in the search box and might find something really close by.

Edit: Just checked eBay with nearest in the search and found two decent Bridgeport mills with power feed for $2000 and $2300 within 15 miles of home. If I looked every day for a week I'd have lots of choices.
 
I have a G0704 and it does every thing I need it to do I thing it would be fine for your use. As for drilling a 1" hole in steel I have a drill press for that but have done it in the 704 by step drilling fron 1/2 in 1/8" steps. I mill 4140 and A2 all the time just don't take big cuts. That all being said I do agree if you have the space and floor to suport the waight I would get a bridge port or calone thay can be had in good shape for under 2 grand. For me my shop floor just won't support the waight.
 
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