Quote:
Nightingale:
Although can a drill press with a x and y axis vice allso be used as a simple mill for light work. I understand these have a thinner arbor shaft that can bend easy, but still should I go get a 70 dollar drill press or just wait like a month or two and buy the 280 dollar mill on harbor freight or that 400 dollar 3-in-1 mill.
|
A drill press is *NOT* suitable for use as a mill substitute! Along with a skinny bend prone arbor shaft, most also use a Morse or Jacobs Taper mount for the drill chuck, with no locking screw.
A taper mount for the chuck works fine as long as you are drilling in a straight line, but if you hit it with a side load it will come unstuck and drop the chuck. If you are lucky all that will do is damage your workpeice, but it might also cause further tool damage and even personal injury.
As to a cheap mill, I purchased a Smithy mill/drill combo machine, which is a better unit than the Harbor Freight job, and have hated it every time I've used it since. IMNSHO it's a total POS. I've seen the HF unit and it's even worse. I would strongly advise against wasting money on a cheap mill, as you get something considerably worse than what you pay for.
However, *IF* you have the space and don't plan to move any time soon (moving gets real expensive!), check your local used machine shop dealers. The ones in my area at least (Boston, MA) say they can get you a J-2 head manual BRIDGEPORT, delivered, with a 1/3 phase converter so you can run off 220VAC house power for around $1200 - This is less than I paid for my Smithy... Between the increased use of CNC's, and the loss of manufacturing jobs, good used manual mills are dirt cheap these days.
Gooserider