SEPA Milling Party?

[esh21167]

Controlled tool movement (starting/stopping) is also a challenge using the lathe carriage compared to an actual milling machine that is controlled with a screw. And running any endmill along a jig surface is going to cut into the jig, or potentially dull the endmill if the jig is steel (depending on RPM), or both.

[Walleye Hunter]

Controlled tool movement (starting/stopping) is also a challenge using the lathe carriage compared to an actual milling machine that is controlled with a screw. And running any endmill along a jig surface is going to cut into the jig, or potentially dull the endmill if the jig is steel (depending on RPM), or both.

We are not using the carriage to move the jig around and there is about an 1" between the jig and the lower being machined so a long shaft with short flutes wont dig into the jig. Additionally, I don't think that tolerances are so tight that we need to get that close to the jig with the bit.

[WoollyPullover]

Nobody wants to volunteer their CNC mill?

I thought I could just drop the lower in the mill and press go

[esh21167]

We are not using the carriage to move the jig around and there is about an 1" between the jig and the lower being machined so a long shaft with short flutes wont dig into the jig. Additionally, I don't think that tolerances are so tight that we need to get that close to the jig with the bit.

How are you moving in that direction then?

I've never even seen an 80% jig, so did not know it mounted with a gap between it and the lower.

There is a lot to learn if one has never done any machining before trying one of these. Speed, depth of cut, position of the tool, lubrication, chip evacuation just to name a few.

I know there's a much larger investment, but if someone wanted to do several, an actual milling machine would be 5x easier and produce far better looking results. Especially with a DRO. If you just want it to work, there are certainly some very crude ways to accomplish that.

[esh21167]

Nobody wants to volunteer their CNC mill?

I thought I could just drop the lower in the mill and press go

That is what gets people in trouble...

You're not actually doing the work of programming and setting up, so the overlords see that as someone else doing it for you.

[Walleye Hunter]

How are you moving in that direction then?

With the hand cranks.

I've never even seen an 80% jig, so did not know it mounted with a gap between it and the lower.

It was all new to me too.

There is a lot to learn if one has never done any machining before trying one of these. Speed, depth of cut, position of the tool, lubrication, chip evacuation just to name a few.

Most of that is common sense, the rest you figure out when you break bits.

I know there's a much larger investment, but if someone wanted to do several, an actual milling machine would be 5x easier and produce far better looking results. Especially with a DRO. If you just want it to work, there are certainly some very crude ways to accomplish that.

Much larger investment would be an understatement.

[WoollyPullover]

That is what gets people in trouble...

You're not actually doing the work of programming and setting up, so the overlords see that as someone else doing it for you.

So we can write our own code, run in MDI, tweak the cutting speeds... not too different from watching the guy before you.

Besides I’ll stand by to press the stop if shtf, I wouldn’t crash your mill promise.

[esh21167]

With the hand cranks.

It was all new to me too.

Most of that is common sense, the rest you figure out when you break bits.

Much larger investment would be an understatement.

I just could not see hand cranks in your photo. Fair enough. Maybe common sense to the mechanically inclined, lol. There is certainly learning through the school of hard knocks.

So we can write our own code, run in MDI, tweak the cutting speeds... not too different from watching the guy before you.

Besides I’ll stand by to press the stop if shtf, I wouldn’t crash your mill promise.

Not trying to be a wet blanket, but the whole 'party' thing might be venturing into legal gray area according to replies in another thread I started related to 80% lowers.
http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.ph...05#post4133805

[WoollyPullover]

Not trying to be a wet blanket, but the whole 'party' thing might be venturing into legal gray area according to replies in another thread I started related to 80% lowers.
http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.ph...05#post4133805

https://y.yarn.co/36bf71ff-4e87-4fe3...?1580608607016

[t1066]

Well, it has been a week since I placed my order. I tried a customer service chat and asked if they would be able to give me an estimated shipping time on my order to narrow it down, since the site said 1 to 3 weeks to ship.

The CSR just rephrased what the site said, rather than telling me that they couldn't narrow it down. I'd have preferred a no over treating me like I can't read.