dimond tool co universal(?) milling machine.

Cppdungeon · Nov 8, 2009

I've found an old mill made by the "Diamond tool co. " in los angeles ca. I google around and found a page about them on lathes.co.uk that indicated phony horizontal mills could still be found. Anyone have any information on these?

Thanks!

--Cpp

Oh, ill post pics tomorrow from the real computer.

peter · Nov 8, 2009

I might have or had some sales literature for that company. They made a wide range of presses, a big boring mill and a light mill. They also sold a high speed milling head, similar to Bridgeport. I believe the main product was presses, but home owner of machines tend to end up with one of the light vertical mills. There is not much I can say about the mill, your owning one pretty much makes you the expert on that piece. You can tell us.

Cppdungeon · Nov 8, 2009

By Phoneyy I meant few...heh. I don't actually have it yet but I will be going to visit soon. I shall document accordingly. I believe the owner has the manual. I'm excited!

Anyone here have one?

--Cpp

Waterlogged · Nov 8, 2009

I've seen one in person and it was well made for a small mill. Parts will be difficult to find.

SB '55 · Nov 8, 2009

I have one that I'm in the process of tearing down, refitting, and repainting. Some original parts are missing, such as crank handles, outboard arbor support plate and vent/access covers, but it is or will be operational when reassembled. It came with a Rusnok vertical head, and a bunch of arbors and tooling.

It is an M-24, as best I can determine. Thus far, it seems like a simple design, and robustly made.

rockcombo · Nov 8, 2009

they are neat mills , quite well built . if you do a search for on them on this forum there is some info on them , I have a M-30 with both the Diamond vertical head and the horizontal over arm , I have not seen any other ones of this model yet . post pics please

Brice

Bruce Johnson · Nov 9, 2009

Yes, the Diamond mills are rare. I have two of the smaller M-20 models. There are several old threads on this forum about them.

In general, you're not going to find much more than a few copies of catalog sheets. I don't think there ever were any real manuals for them, and there certainly isn't any standard source for parts. They're neat little machines, but what you see is what you get.

I think among all of us regular posters on this forum, we have maybe 8 or so of the Diamond mills total. They're aren't many around.

SB '55 · Nov 9, 2009

Rockcombo,

From what I can see in your pic, my column/chiptray casting assembly is the same as yours, right down to the zerk fittings and pinch bolt slots for the overarm bore. The difference is that mine is not fitted for the same vertical head mount. My Rusnok head mounts on the cylindrical overarm bar, and the horizontal mill spindle bore is exposed below it.

I believe that your milling table is both longer and wider than mine, but I will have to check in the next day or two. The large bronze knee elevation nut is exactly the same as well.

I'm looking forward to getting it operational again, and when I do, I'll post some pics.

Mike

JohnEvans · Nov 9, 2009

I missed out on one first of Oct. here in Phoenix . $150 on craigslist,so there is one floating about in this area. Believe it was a M 24 also.

Cppdungeon · Nov 10, 2009

by m 22 , or m #number you mean model right? I'm going to visit it tomorrow. It seems to have a different head then those mentioned here from the phone pix I've seen.

--Cpp

Bruce Johnson · Nov 11, 2009

On the name plate, there's an area which says "model", and in there is stamped "M-20" (on my two mills). That's apparently what they called it.

The M-20 is a small size horizontal mill. It almost could be a benchtop machine, but it has a full cast floor base. It weighs maybe 800 lbs. On many of them, the horizontal overarm bar at the top has been fitted with a separate small vertical mill head. On one of mine, it's a Rotex head. Other guy's machines have other brand heads adapted to them. The result looks like a little half size Bridgeport. The horizontal and vertical spindles both operate by their own motors. They're cute little machines, made for small work, but higher quality than hobby machines. It seems that their biggest customers were the movie camera and projector companies out here in the Los Angeles area in the 1950's.

The M-24 is similar in design to the M-20, but somewhat bigger and heavier.

The M-30 (of which Brice is the only owner we know of so far) is quite a bit larger and more sophisticated in design. It's not a mini mill.

Whether you buy this one or not, please take some pictures and let us know about it. Information on Diamond mills is scarce. We're building up the knowledge as we go.

Billygoat · Nov 11, 2009

I have an M-22. It is a very nice little machine. I bought it about 2 years ago. It doesn't appear to have any wear. The story was that it came out of a school metal shop some time ago. I wish I had one of those vertical heads for it.

astronowanabe · Nov 29, 2009

Hi, my name is Tom, and I am addicted to antique machinery
[chorus]

Have a 1945 Logan 10" that I use every chance I get,
and a Smithy 3n1 that I avoid like the plague...hmmm.

Bought the mill in this thread yesterday.
I think it is a M-30, can't tell for sure as I am 865 miles north.
I think someone from the hauler group is going to load it up
in the next several days. By incredible luck they happen to
be coming up to within few miles of me in a couple of weeks.
I can't get on the Haulers sub-forum yet to ask, (made blue smoke trying)
but would anyone here be close enough to South Central L.A. (zip 90047)
to lend a hand or just show up to video tape the beatings.

I do apologize if that is inappropriate but having never been anywhere near
L.A. my perception of the place is limited to bad things that show up on TV.

Bruce Johnson · Nov 29, 2009

So, the mill is in LA and someone is picking it up for you? What help do you need? I'm in Burbank, which isn't too far away. I might be able to help, although I am quite busy these days. I could also temporarily store it here at my shop if needed. My towing truck is undergoing some rework right now, so I can't offer to go pick it up for you.

Picking something up at a business during the day is okay in South Central LA, but you don't really want to go cruising around sightseeing.

astronowanabe · Nov 29, 2009

Hi Bruce,

The mill will tentatively be picked up Tuesday at 11:00 am.
Two reasons I asked for another hand, first is as you say,
its the not a place to go sightseeing, so it would be worse to go there alone

Second if I were in my seventies and went to pick up a mill,
I would rather have someone with a bit of experience around
even if it was just to keep the well meaning sellers from hurting themselves or me.

Edit: the loading is from a residence and the sellers have never touched machine tools in their lives.

tiny_machinist · Nov 29, 2009

astronowanabe said:
Hi, my name is Tom, and I am addicted to antique machinery
[chorus]

Have a 1945 Logan 10" that I use every chance I get,
and a Smithy 3n1 that I avoid like the plague...hmmm.

Bought the mill in this thread yesterday.
I think it is a M-30, can't tell for sure as I am 865 miles north.
I think someone from the hauler group is going to load it up
in the next several days. By incredible luck they happen to
be coming up to within few miles of me in a couple of weeks.
I can't get on the Haulers sub-forum yet to ask, (made blue smoke trying)
but would anyone here be close enough to South Central L.A. (zip 90047)
to lend a hand or just show up to video tape the beatings.

I do apologize if that is inappropriate but having never been anywhere near
L.A. my perception of the place is limited to bad things that show up on TV.

astro- congrats on a great mill- I wish it was closer- I'd have had a go at it- a small Diamond is perfect for me. Sounded like they were settling a guardianship estate and just wanted to be free of it. Beautiful purchase! Good luck! Tiny

astronowanabe · Dec 1, 2009

I just need to say an absolutely unbelievable Thank You to Bob Campbell
who I emailed cold a couple of days ago while waiting for the moderators to approve my account here.

Today he drove a hundred miles and spent four hours disassembling and loading
half a ton of iron on his trailer then drove another hundred miles home
for someone who emailed him on a whim. And if that wasn't enough he is going to drive it another 850 mile in a few weeks. I have not been around enough to know if this is normal behavior here ...but wow, I am humbled.

I will post more on this wonderful mill's return to making chips in the next months. I'm currently a student and finals are about to take over my life for the next couple of weeks but I really do not see how I could stay away after
such an incredable welcome.

tiny_machinist · Dec 2, 2009

Astrono- have Bob drive it another 2000 or so teeny tiny lil miles to my place. I can play with it while you are studying for finals.....

Tiny

grandtools · Dec 2, 2009

A Diamond was one of the first horiz mills I ever used, we had one when I was in high school in the 70's, nice machine. They run quiet, have Timken bearings, only drawback is the nasty #9 B & S taper. I later owned a few of them. The last one I owned I sold to billygoat here who mentioned it above.

tiny_machinist · Dec 2, 2009

If ya ever get another one, ya know who to keep in mind.... :drool5:

Tiny

dimond tool co universal(?) milling machine.

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