Can anyone ID this Steniel machine?

Erik E · Nov 13, 2021

Interested in this for folding knife making. Would love a bigger mill, but at the point, it is a small one or nothing.

Does anyone know anything about it, or if it won't be useful for knife making. Most of the work will be drilling and milling ballbearing pockets. Maybe some very minor facing.

Would greatly appreciate any input

Spud · Nov 13, 2021

I have no personal expereince with it, but it is a Model # SV1

Here is a thread from 2012 on another forum about trying to modify collets to fit the machine
Steinel Mini Milling Machine - Zerspanungsbude

Erik E · Nov 13, 2021

Thank you, Spud Diamond! That's great.

rblalexander · Nov 13, 2021

If it has a quill im sure it would suit small work like that just fine, but if no quill then I would find something else.

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Bill D · Nov 13, 2021

A quick search found this. I hope it is the correct machine.
Bill D

Spud · Nov 14, 2021

Bill D said:
A quick search found this. I hope it is the correct machine.
Bill D

That's a Model # SH1, the horizontal version.

Erik E · Nov 14, 2021

rblalexanderThis would be my first mill, so could you please explain why you would pass up a machine without a quill? I do intend to use it a lot as a drill and I can see how raising the table rather than lowering a quill would be cumbersome. Is that the main reason?

I really appreciate the input.

L Vanice · Nov 14, 2021

Erik E said:
rblalexanderThis would be my first mill, so could you please explain why you would pass up a machine without a quill? I do intend to use it a lot as a drill and I can see how raising the table rather than lowering a quill would be cumbersome. Is that the main reason?

I really appreciate the input.

Yes. Cranking the knee is not a good way to drill holes. It is slow and accelerates wear on the machine. Small drill presses are much better suited and should be quite cheap for one that will do an adequate job.

If you want to enlarge a drilled hole to make an accurate bearing pocket, you will need a boring head to fit the mill and boring is well suited to knee feed.

Buying an old mill for which no collets are available is the path toward either learning a lot about machining and machine repair or giving up and looking for a different mill. In any case, you will need a good lathe.

Larry

GregSY · Nov 14, 2021

You would come to hate that thing in about a week.

Erik E · Nov 14, 2021

L Vanice said:
Yes. Cranking the knee is not a good way to drill holes. It is slow and accelerates wear on the machine. Small drill presses are much better suited and should be quite cheap for one that will do an adequate job.

If you want to enlarge a drilled hole to make an accurate bearing pocket, you will need a boring head to fit the mill and boring is well suited to knee feed.

Buying an old mill for which no collets are available is the path toward either learning a lot about machining and machine repair or giving up and looking for a different mill. In any case, you will need a good lathe.

Larry

The seller just sent me a video of a feature he didn't show me when I was there. It rapidly raises the whole table with a lever, so like a quill but the workpiece comes to the tool instead of the other way around. It also comes with 5 collets. I think I will go for this to hold me over until I can get a Bridgeport a couple of years down the line.

Erik E · Nov 14, 2021

GregSY said:
You would come to hate that thing in about a week.

I just found out that it has a lever to rapidly raise the table toward the tool. So like a quill but reversed. Do you still think I'd hate it?

L Vanice · Nov 14, 2021

Erik E said:
The seller just sent me a video of a feature he didn't show me when I was there. It rapidly raises the whole table with a lever, so like a quill but the workpiece comes to the tool instead of the other way around. It also comes with 5 collets. I think I will go for this to hold me over until I can get a Bridgeport a couple of years down the line.

If you get a 1/2" collet with the mill, you can buy a small boring head (possibly with 3/8" tool holes) with a 1/2" straight shank. You will need boring bars to suit, either HS or carbide tipped, and a way to sharpen them. Of course, you will also need a way to accurately measure those bearing pockets during the boring operation. One possibility is to get a set of pin gages of the right range.

Larry

Bill D · Nov 14, 2021

You can buy an er collet setup with a straight shank to match one of your collets. Or a MT2 shank if that is what it has. Probably cheaper and lots easier then trying to source collets. You will lose height under the spindle.
Bill D

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Can anyone ID this Steniel machine?

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