new 727V on the way, what DRO / milling vise

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Driveslayer45

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I just ordered a 727V, PM doesn't have the DRO in stock can someone recommend an alternate? i really don't want to spend more than about $400 for the DRO if i can avoid it. this is my first real Mill and my skills are certainly the weak link in this equation.

Second question: I have a 4" milling vice I've used for years on my old 3 in 1, i might have got it from Shars 20 years ago i really don't know... is it worth it to get the 4" precision vise from PM? is it likely to make that much difference?
 
Did you consider the PM 2 axis DRO kit, at $350 it is within your budget and you get warranty/support. I would not recommend a 3 axis on this size machine. Alternative would be a number of US based eBay vendors and they run around $250, and then there is AliExpress vendors.There are many posts of models and recommendations for DRO's from AliExpress. DROPros carries the Easson-8A but it will be beyond your budget.

As far as the vise, rigidity and repeatability would be better with a precision vise, but depends on what you plan on doing and accuracy, YMMV.
 
You bring up a great point I had not considered a two axis dro thinking I would want one on the head, but since you mention it that might be the way to go.

Outside of planning on building an AR from a block of aluminum my projects tend to be fairly small and random in nature.
 
I'd say hold off for a while on the vise upgrade; start off with the one you have and upgrade later if you find the need to.

I would at least get a display unit that supports 3 axes, so the option to upgrade without swapping the display is there.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
These mills already come with a quill DRO, so a third access/scale on the head is a bit of a waste unless you really need it. You are also limited for space to mount the Z axis on the column. I had a much larger mill for 6 years like this one (BF30) and found I never needed an additional scale for the Z axis head travel. The DRO's head unit axis ports/display typically are specific to the kit/model, with a few exceptions, so you most likely would have to buy a full 3 axis kit at more expense. On some of these smaller mills people will use slim line scales. If you are on a tight budget then I wouldn't waste it on a 3rd axis for this size mill.

Specific to the vise, the better vises have better repeatability for multiple parts or if the part is in/out of the vise multiple times. The jaws on the better ones often will lock down as they clamp so there is less vertical movement. So you want rigidity in your vise, o you need to look at your current vise as to how well it woks for you and determine the value of the upgrade.

If you purchased your mill from PM then you will save shipping costs if purchased with the mill and they are shipped together.
 
Thanks Guys. let me ask a question, I've never had a real mill before so i know this is a noob question.. when i am milling down, lets say cutting a slot, would i typically lower the head where the tool is just above the work and use the quill for adjusting down, or would i move the whole head down into position, the depth of cut, keeping the quill at it's highest / most rigid position. i assumed the later but i really don't know.
 
I used the quill DRO to get the final depth, only use the head/knee for long travel to get the head/cutter into position. You do not want the quill hanging out at full extension due to rigidity. On a bigger mill like a knee I use a 4 axis that combines the both Z axis (quill/knee), but it is only needed if you have large traverses in height and need to maintain the same Z axis cutter position at all the levels.
 
Thanks that makes sense..

It appears PM is out of stock on their 2 axis to fit that mill as well.
 
There are many ways to solve a problem. I had a 3-axis DRO on my PM25 and used it with great success. I only moved the quill to set the initial Z-axis zero when side milling. Plunge cuts (like milling a pocket) were a different animal though and required use of the quill.

Lots of different ways to do things. :)
 
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