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Vertical slide question for Mr John B. Standard..

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Darren:
The second one is very similar to what I have just bought John. I have to say I'm very pleased with it.

My first mill was similar, but I just couldn't get on with it. Funny really, almost the same but nothing like each other.
I think with mills the bigger the better, really depends on your budget.

John Hill:
Thanks guys, the sensible thing as always appears to be to spend all the money or none at all!!

Meanwhile I have been downstairs doing some 'milling' on the little Adept shaper,  cutting some .8mm deep groves that are 3/8" wide in some pieces of aluminium as spacers for the little 3/8" lathe tools I have for 'fine' work.  The little shaper worked a treat so maybe I can bear to be without a mill for a little longer.

Still, I will be looking at the drill/mill again.  My existing drill is a little knackered, it is Chinese and about 25 years old.  It is not big enough for some of the things I do and when the drill tip touches the work any downward pressure lifts the spindle/head and puts the drill off line!  So the next question is how well do the bigger Mill/Drills operate as a drill?  Any pros and cons in that regard?

Darren:
All pro's and no cons as a drilling machine John, in fact my pillar drill is still in pieces since I moved 18mths ago.

I might as well let it go....

John Hill:
Thanks Darren, being able to retire this little drill has to be part of the plan if I am going to go to a new machine instead of the original idea of a vertical slide etc.   Hey maybe I can put the cone pulleys on my lathe and have 45 spindle speeds! :lol:

Bernd:
Took a look at the company site of the machines you are looking at John.

The one that looks to be a drill press I would have to call a jig bore. Usally these are not used to mill anything but are used to drill a pattern of holes to precsion positions. Yet from what I see in the picture it has no scales on the hand wheels. I may be wrong.

You also mentioned that you felt splines in the hole of the spindle. It would be my guess that drill does not have a through hole to hold any tooling.

I'm with Bogs on getting the round column mill. My dad has a Grizzly that he's had from many years and it has given good sevice for all those years and is accurate enough. It seems all these mills are the same with just different paint and minor options for each brand. So I'd say save your money and get a machine designed for milling.

Regards,
Bernd

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