Does anybody know what this mill is called?

AlfredLyon · Oct 17, 2015

A friend sent this picture of a mill to me and asked if I knew what it was called and what it was used for. I think it looks like some kind of special tool makers mill. Any ideas?

Alberic · Oct 17, 2015

It looks like a kissing cousin to an Ames Triplex, but it isn't a triplex. (3-in-1 machine from the 30's. Lathe, mill, drill press.) The neat thing about it, and this thing apparently, was that you could adjust the headstock to drill/mill at any angle you liked, by rolling it along the big curved arm. Made angle drilling *really* easy.

Never seen one like this before, just struck by the resemblance to the Triplex.
For whatever that's worth.

-Brian

rustygreen · Oct 17, 2015

Looking at the size of the screw and bolt heads, the size of the handles, the size of the motor and cord, and the fact that it seems to be sitting on a white tabletop, I'd say it's a miniature. Functional and beautiful to be sure! I want one. :-)

Iridium77 · Oct 17, 2015

It's a NORA milling machine. Page Title

Greg Menke · Oct 17, 2015

Cool machine, I'd be all over one of those like a fat kid on a doughnut.

I'm in the middle of a little job on the Bridgeport that'd be perfect for one. At the moment, offsetting the bpt head so I can cut a 50deg dovetail with a 45deg cutter- pita having to loosen the head letting it flop around while adjusting the angle, lock it up and who knows where the adjustment goes.. I'm dubious of the scale on the machine so I have to trust the vernier protractor w/ all that reach up to the cutter? ick. Going to try one the adjustable angle tables w/ quill vertical and see if that sets up better. I really like this machine's precision adjustment on the spindle angle.

gwilson · Oct 17, 2015

Looks like it would not be real rigid with that LOOOOONG,rather thinnish arm supporting the head. And,the motor had better run VERY smoothly!

yardbird · Oct 17, 2015

gwilson said:
Looks like it would not be real rigid with that LOOOOONG,rather thinnish arm supporting the head. And,the motor had better run VERY smoothly!

I'll aagree its probably not. Looks like rigidity is not the main purpose but accuracy of head angle is. I've never seen one before.

Brent

DMF_TomB · Oct 17, 2015

AlfredLyon said:
A friend sent this picture of a mill to me and asked if I knew what it was called and what it was used for. I think it looks like some kind of special tool makers mill. Any ideas?

View attachment 151821

.
i have seen gear cutters with that ability. usually bevel gear cutters have a way of adjusting for different angles. usually swings sideways not up and down direction though

rons · Oct 17, 2015

If I was making watches then I would want one. But only if it had chrome ways.

Winterfalke · Oct 17, 2015

That's called an OMG-I-Want-One mill. Your friend probably can't use it, but I'll dispose of it for him

maxmartnl · Oct 17, 2015

Hi,
Just do a little research at:

Lathes

You probably will find some info there.
Regards,
Max

AlfredLyon said:
A friend sent this picture of a mill to me and asked if I knew what it was called and what it was used for. I think it looks like some kind of special tool makers mill. Any ideas?

View attachment 151821

IrbyJones · Oct 17, 2015

A fellow over on the OWWM site made himself a neat copy of this machine. Unfortunately you have to be logged in to the site to see it.

Irby

partsproduction · Oct 17, 2015

Real nifty little machine tool, I can imagine using it in the living room.
When my dad and mom were in one room in a nursing home we bought him one of those little aluminum lathes they sell, he used it right up the time he died.

Mike C. · Oct 18, 2015

No real advantage over a Van Norman with a real nasty bit of flimsy built in. Neat toy, but I imagine it is not really much of a mill.

Sea Farmer · Oct 18, 2015

Mike C. said:
No real advantage over a Van Norman with a real nasty bit of flimsy built in. Neat toy, but I imagine it is not really much of a mill.

You are perfectly right. In the late 1940s, and early 1950s, we did not want anyone in Germany to build a big mill.

I'm still not sure I want them to build one now.

Andy FitzGibbon · Oct 18, 2015

Considering it's diminutive size, I'd expect that rigidity was completely adequate for the miniature work it was intended for.

It does have an advantage over the Van Norman design, in that the method of head movement allows for greater daylight under the spindle when in vertical mode. This sacrifices rigidity, of course, but on a machine this small that's not nearly as great an issue. Abene overcame this limitation of the Van Norman design by designing their ram to travel in an angled plane.

Andy

partsproduction · Oct 18, 2015

And I think my wife might be persuaded to allow such a small mill into the house, but certainly not a Van Norman.

It has amazing value as a collectible, in this time of waning small shop production small old machine tools are very quickly achieving a new collector status among many people, and they want them functional and original.
One needs massive rigidity for massive cuts, but a mill like that was designed for instrument and clock work, mostly brass, and it is certainly rigid enough for that, and more.

FKreider · Feb 24, 2018

IrbyJones said:
A fellow over on the OWWM site made himself a neat copy of this machine. Unfortunately you have to be logged in to the site to see it.

Irby

Do you have a link to this build on OWWM? I am very interested in seeing this copy.

IrbyJones · Feb 25, 2018

FKreider said:
Do you have a link to this build on OWWM? I am very interested in seeing this copy.

Here is a link to the thread. It's in the "Metalworking" forum of "Old Metalworking Machines", and the name of the topic is "Small Bench Top Mill" by woodcutter.

Old Woodworking Machines - Login

Irby

Ken hosford · Feb 25, 2018

I agree with winterfalke sevre machine envy every gear head needs atleast 1

Does anybody know what this mill is called?

Aluminum

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