new mill options

carmen43p

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Hi, newbie here, first post so here goes. Im retired and want to try hobby machining, since i cant do both, which option would be better, powered axis (3), or dro (3)?
Thanks for any comments and/or thoughts

Carmen
 
DRO, three axis feed is over kill for a hobbyist. X becomes necessary as you get accustomed to the machine, Y and z, well, I've gotten along without them for 4 years, having spent 30 years in the trade with power X And Z, but rarely Y. When I started, in the early '70s, it was all hand feed in the tool room., production, on the other hand was automated, operators just cleared jams.
 
T,
Thanks for the responce, it appears in your experience, neither option is necessary at this point for me.
Appreciate your input.
Carmen
 
DRO is a nice option to have. A bit pricey pre-installed, cheaper if you install it yourself
Nothing wrong with learning how to use the conventional dials though
Which machine have you been looking at? New? Used?
Mark
 
I think the general opinion around here is that you should buy the biggest baddest you can afford or fit into your space.

Otherwise you’ll buy the cheapest and find out it’s not big enough later on. Then you’ll be upgrading to a bigger machine
 
DRO. Then later, if you feel the need, add a power feed if you're so inclined. I am strictly a hobby-type and have a power feed on the X-axis and on the knee (Z-axis).

I will admit though that the power feed on the knee is more for setups/tooling changes than anything else. :)
 
When I bought my PM-25, I sprung for the preinstalled 3-axis DRO. I dislike the imprecision and guesswork associated with mechanical backlash on the lead screws, and really don't trust my ability to avoid it consistently. Did I back it off just now? Did I back it off enough? Which way was I winding before I was interrupted? Etc. DRO eliminates most of that concern. It's not perfect, of course, but then, nothing is. Working by the DRO numbers, I can keep the slop below 10 mils without really trying too hard, and that's good enough for me. If I really pay attention, I can stay below 5 mils. But heck, most things that I do, 20 mils is still good enough.
 
DRO is a nice option to have. A bit pricey pre-installed, cheaper if you install it yourself
Nothing wrong with learning how to use the conventional dials though
Which machine have you been looking at? New? Used?
Mark
Hi, a new pm-30mv, was interested in pm-932 but pm told me it will be out of stock
For quite a while. I guess i could wait, but....
 
DRO most likely first for a newbie, you only need a 2 axis in my opinion (they come with a quill DRO which is fine for most work), but price difference for the 3rd column axis is usually nominal. X power feed and Z. I do not believe there is a Z axis power feed for the PM-30MV, but many people have made one (not too difficult). In many ways I would like the PM-30MV over the PM-932 because the travels are similar and the PM-30MV is belt drive with variable speed. PM-932 is heavier and a bit more sturdy. Cranking the Z axis on either model is a real PTA with time. If you can swing it, also look at the 833T, long travel high quality bench top mill, but there is the budget thing.

So what I would recommend is buy the mill with the X power feed. Buy an inexpensive DRO ($200-250) like the TPAC or similar and install it yourself. Get started with that, then make/add the Z drive at a later point.
 
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