My Mini Milling Machine

[Meldonmech]

Hi Guys,
             These are pics of my Mini Mill, I think it may be an early Cowells, can anyone confirm. The machine looks very similar to the one shown recently by PeteW.  Mine sits on C.I. base which houses the motor, and has back gear. The back gear cover is not original, but one I made to blend in with rest of the design. To the top knee raising handle I fitted a lever to improve the raising effort. The remaining handles are retro fits from an old T.H. engraving machine. Any information regarding the machine
 would be welcome.
                                       Cheers  David

[philf]

Hi David,

It's a beefier big brother of Pete's and it's a Flexispeed Mk 2.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/flexispeedmiller/

Nice looking little machine.

Cheers.

Phil.

[Pete W.]

Hi there, David,

I don't quite agree with Phil about the identity of your mini-mill.  Yours certainly has a lot of the features of the Mark II like the motor enclosure and the integrated counter-shaft and back-gear.  (It'd be nice if you could post another photo showing a side-on view of that back-gear please.)

However, on his 'lathes' web-site, Tony Griffiths says that the Mark II had graduated hand-wheels - your photos don't show them.

Your Z-axis handle looks like the one on my Mark I but with an added lever & knob.  Also, your table appears to be turned end-for-end compared with mine.

Maybe your machine was a factory development model, a transition from the Mark I to the Mark II?

Your pix don't show the over-bar & outrigger bearing - do you have them?

How much have you used it?

Thank you very much for posting your pictures, I look forward to more discussion about both the Mark I and the Mark II mini mills.

There must be more of them 'out there'; come on, you guys, don't be shy!

Best regards,

Pete W.

[philf]

Hi Pete,

There may be a difference in the handing of the table but if you look carefully at the pictures on here and on lathes.co.uk you can make out that they've used the same patterns for the castings for the base and the column.

Whatever model it is, I could make use of one!

Cheers.

Phil.

[vtsteam]

Such a cool little machine  The simplicity and size is really appealing.

[Meldonmech]

Hi Guys,
               Thanks for your comments, I originally looked at Lathes web site but only under Cowells. In my  post I pointed out that the handles were not original and that a lever and handle were added to the top knee raising handle (on top of the column). The back gear is identical to that shown on the  Mk 2 'Venus' and I am convinced that this is my Flexispeed model. Pete good luck with renovation. I do have the overarm and bearing bracket

                                                             Cheers David

[Pete W.]

Hi there, David,

Thank you for your good wishes.     

I hope to have some progress to report in a few weeks - I shall post that on my original thread.

Best regards,

Pete W.

[ibuildstuff4u]

Looks like a nice little machine.  I bet it will take some pretty heavy cuts compared to some of the other bench top machines out there.  I have an X2 mill and really want to find something better such as the machine that you have.

Dale P.

[Rob.Wilson]

Nice mill David  looks to be of solid construction   , whats standing on the box to the right of shot ? 


Rob

[Pete W.]

Hi there, again, David,

I've been looking at your photos and at the ones of the Mark II on the Lathes web-site, in particular at the back-gear.

I can see the lever that engages or disengages the back-gear cluster but I can't see how you couple the Vee-pulleys to the mill spindle when the back-gear isn't engaged.

                      

Please could you either describe this aspect of the machine or else add an additional photo or three?

[Meldonmech]

Hi Rob,
            The box is the base for a sensitive drilling machine which I built years ago from castings. The base houses the motor.        This little machine has been brilliant and has been used in the building and repair of many clocks.

                                                                Cheers David

[Meldonmech]

Hi Pete,
             The back gears are operated by a lever, but first a grub screw must be removed in the aluminium pulleys. The operating lever is held in detents in the robust cover (2mm thick). Lower position out of back gear, upper position in gear. See pics.
   NB The Tufnal gear is slightly damaged  and is on my list to be re cut.
                                                   
                                                               Cheers  David

[Pete W.]

Hi there, David,

Thank you for that clarification.

[Rob.Wilson]

  Hi David , not wanting to go too OT  , I have a similar drill (project machine ) ,what RPM motor are you using ?


Rob

[Meldonmech]

Hi Rob,
                The motor is the pump motor from an old AEG Lavalux twin tub washing machine, I believe it is 1425 rpm there are cone pulleys fixed to the motor shaft. The speed range has been adequate for my requirements,mainly using brass and steel.

                                             Cheers  David