Garage Size Milling Machine?

SNE50 · Jan 13, 2016

There is a lot of information out there in mills for the hobbyist, but I would like to buy a mill for the purposes of inletting wood and composite gun stocks and small parts machining. I have limited space in the garage and want a machine with a small footprint but can handle milling receiver inlets and barrel channels. I would like a manual mill and used is fine. I also do not know the best place to search other than Craigslist and a few sites I have found on line that sell used machines.

Thanks everyone for any direction you can provide.

michiganbuck · Jan 13, 2016

I have a Stinel (German) vertical mill that is smaller but a real mill with auto feed. Wood is forgiving but still think a real mill would serve better than some of the glorified drill presses that are sometimes called a mill.

Stihl290 · Jan 13, 2016

Are you looking for a manual mill or a CNC?

Also, you might want to read up on this first.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/shop-management-and-owner-issues/scammed-out-machine-314267/

Perry Harrington · Jan 13, 2016

If you can fit it, get a Bridgeport, you won't be disappointed with a bigger/nicer machine than you're looking for.

mdshunk · Jan 13, 2016

A Bridgeport really isn't that big. I suppose the 9x42 was probably the most popular, but there's plenty out there with smaller tables.

Perry Harrington · Jan 13, 2016

The 36" table BP was much rarer, but they are out there (my Uncle has one).

Jersey John · Jan 13, 2016

Well as much as I'd like a BP ... I certainly won't fit in my "Standard" garage attached to the house. But certainly a Schaublin 13, Harrison 600 or Hardinge BB2 /UM/TM will

.. just my two penny (cent) worth from Europe

mdshunk · Jan 13, 2016

Jersey John said:
Well as much as I'd like a BP ... I certainly won't fit in my "Standard" garage attached to the house. But certainly a Schaublin 13, Harrison 600 or Hardinge BB2 /UM/TM will

.. just my two penny (cent) worth from Europe

What for kind of garages do you guys have over there? The BP is just over 2 meters tall and just over a meter square. My television and associated gear take up more room.

Jersey John · Jan 13, 2016

Hi mdshunk

The average garage door is 2m and then the turret would be placed between the roof beams once tipped through the door.

Perry Harrington · Jan 13, 2016

You turn the head upside down, that makes it about 1.5M tall. There is nothing wrong with putting the head between the roof beams.

Is your garage really 2M tall inside?

I had a shed/garage built > 65years ago with a wood over dirt floor, the walls were about 84 inches tall and the door was about 80, and my BP fit just fine on 4x4 timbers.

MetalCarnage · Jan 13, 2016

My "garage" is pretty much a standard (small) size and I had no trouble getting my Wells-Index 860 (think it's a bit taller than the standard Bridgeport) set up in there. I did have to rotate the head to get it through the door but that's pretty common.

Had to move everything else out to get it to the back. Took this pic before putting it all back in.

-Ron

Fabworks · Jan 13, 2016

My BP with a 36" table is 51" wide from handle tip to handle tip. It fits very nicely in my garage.

extropic · Jan 13, 2016

SNE50 said:
There is a lot of information out there in mills for the hobbyist, but I would like to buy a mill for the purposes of inletting wood and composite gun stocks and small parts machining. I have limited space in the garage and want a machine with a small footprint but can handle milling receiver inlets and barrel channels. I would like a manual mill and used is fine. I also do not know the best place to search other than Craigslist and a few sites I have found on line that sell used machines.

Thanks everyone for any direction you can provide.

The question is very poorly asked and indicates a total lack of familiarity with the subject. Your question doesn't include one quantification of your requirements (dreams, desires), resources (space, budget) or capabilities (age, education, experience).
Everything you wrote is non-specific and completely open to the interpretation of the reader. That doesn't prevent others from replying (some to ask questions answered in the OP) regardless of uselessness.

Read books, read catalogs, network in your local area, find a human being to mentor you, join a hobbyist forum. If somebody called you and agreed to deliver "the perfect machine" to your garage tomorrow for $1000, you don't give the impression of being prepared to tell if it was a good deal or just a crap shoot. Learn something. Quantify the variables using units of measure and quantities (tolerances also, where applicable).

dbsuthe · Jan 13, 2016

I can't make a specific suggestion, but if you are doing small detail work, you want something with a high spindle speed. That goes for wood and for metals. Many small (benchtop) mills are relatively low speed.

My knee mill is sold by Grizzly as a wood working / metal working mill.

Dan

SNE50 · Jan 14, 2016

Thanks all for your thoughts. As extropic indicated, I am an amateur with very basic skills and knowledge. I have a friend that has helped to show me around his machine and how to do some basic work. Still learning with a lot to learn. His machine is an old Bridgeport manual machine and it is very large. It works fine in his pole barn/outbuilding shop, but way too big for my suburban garage. I have also looked into joining some type of co-op with tools and machinery you can use, but there is nothing like that in Minneapolis that has a mill. The most travel I need is about 20 inches running along the axis of the rifle stock's barrel channel. The BP I have been introduced to has about double that.

SNE50 · Jan 14, 2016

This one is way too big for my garage. That's more like my freind's BP

paulz · Jan 14, 2016

Millrite vertical.

extropic · Jan 14, 2016

SNE50 said:
Thanks all for your thoughts. As extropic indicated, I am an amateur with very basic skills and knowledge. I have a friend that has helped to show me around his machine and how to do some basic work. Still learning with a lot to learn. His machine is an old Bridgeport manual machine and it is very large. It works fine in his pole barn/outbuilding shop, but way too big for my suburban garage. I have also looked into joining some type of co-op with tools and machinery you can use, but there is nothing like that in Minneapolis that has a mill. The most travel I need is about 20 inches running along the axis of the rifle stock's barrel channel. The BP I have been introduced to has about double that.

OK, quantification appears. 20" of X travel and a manual Bridgeport is "way too big". How much volume (DxWxH) can you dedicate to the mill? Do you have 3 phase power available (

had to ask)? Do you have 220 single phase available? Floor standing machine or bench mounted?

I feel this thread sliding into the realm of "Home Shop Grade" machines. Discussion of which are banned by the powers that be. Read the thread linked. That's not to say that you might not get some help here. There are some legitimate machines that might meet you needs. Just stay away from the banned type or the thread is subject to lock.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/machinery-discussion-guidelines-137724/

JLarsson · Jan 14, 2016

extropic said:
OK, quantification appears. 20" of X travel and a manual Bridgeport is "way too big". How much volume (DxWxH) can you dedicate to the mill? Do you have 3 phase power available ( had to ask)? Do you have 220 single phase available? Floor standing machine or bench mounted?

I feel this thread sliding into the realm of "Home Shop Grade" machines. Discussion of which are banned by the powers that be. Read the thread linked. That's not to say that you might not get some help here. There are some legitimate machines that might meet you needs. Just stay away from the banned type or the thread is subject to lock.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/machinery-discussion-guidelines-137724/

I thought that was relaxed somewhat in the gunsmithing forum.

GGaskill · Jan 15, 2016

I thought that was relaxed somewhat in the gunsmithing forum.

It is, and I am about to start editing out material that continually brings that up. It adds nothing to the discussion.

Garage Size Milling Machine?

Plastic

Diamond

Aluminum

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Stainless

Hot Rolled

Stainless

Titanium

Stainless

Hot Rolled

Stainless

Hot Rolled

Plastic

Plastic

Aluminum

Stainless

Cast Iron

Titanium

Similar threads