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Looking for a mill

sigpros

Plastic
Joined
Feb 6, 2020
So Friday I will be closing on my new place. And I will finally have a shop. So I am looking for a knee mill. Are there any small type machines that run on 220? Something like Mill Rite size? Sorry but I’m new to this stuff and ran a Bridgeport at school and an Acer at work. I picked up a small lathe this week and have a line on a drill press and band saw. Like Johnny Cash said “One piece at a time”
 
So Friday I will be closing on my new place. And I will finally have a shop. So I am looking for a knee mill. Are there any small type machines that run on 220? Something like Mill Rite size? Sorry but I’m new to this stuff and ran a Bridgeport at school and an Acer at work. I picked up a small lathe this week and have a line on a drill press and band saw. Like Johnny Cash said “One piece at a time”

I think you meant to say "Single-phase 220-240"?

Not impossible. Just not likely. Nor, necessarily, even wanted.

You'll need to include an RPC (whole zoo) or one or several VFD (one animal at a time) in your plans so you have a source of 3-Phase 220-240 VAC.

If you liked the Acer, let that set a "size standard" and try for "condition, condition, condition" brand-name less important.

BirdPorts are popular enough they are USUALLY over-priced for sad condition.

OTOH, everybody and his Auntie can get parts and helpful guidance or actual services to rebuild a BirdPort. Not a lot of mystery to them.

I wouldn't worry about "close to me", either. Small verticals are not hard to haul. PM has MANY threads with how other folks rigged and transported mills, what was hard or easy.
 
There are single phase 220v mills out there, if you are lucky you might even find one! Small and single phase is a high demand market with little selection, you would be better off shopping for a full size machine with 3 phase 220v motor, and either get a vfd or rotary phase converter to run it.
 
A no name 3hp vfd will cost $100. Less then the price premium for a single phase mill. And it gives you variabale speed, instant reverse, power brakes etc.
Bill D
 
A no name 3hp vfd will cost $100. Less then the price premium for a single phase mill. And it gives you variabale speed, instant reverse, power brakes etc.
Bill D

A 5 HP to 7.5 HP motor can become an RPC idler stout enough to run any one machine-tool at a go he is likely to ever acquire, small one-man shop.

No re-wiring of any machine nor its OEM controls required.

Also last about 20 years longer than even a better-grade krew of VFDs @ one VFD per each machine.
 
Thanks guys. I have found a Cincinnati contour master that looks in nice shape and is a fair price. Are these mills any good? I like the X axis wheel to move it. It has the tracer stuff with it but I pretty sure I would never use it
 
Well, the Countermaster is basically a Toolmaster with a special head. Toolmasters are great mills and very capable. I believe Contourmasters could be used more or less like regular mills if necessary. In terms of removing the tracer controls, that would be a huge job more than likely, as well has probably having to make some parts to take the place of removed hydraulics.

The Contourmaster is probably not a great mill to begin with just due to all of the extra hassle involved with a speciality machine. It would, at the very least, be a lot more bulky and awkward with all the extra equipment.

My personal view is that if it is complete and working, it might be a fun project that I would use occasionally, but I wouldn’t have it as my only mill.

—although knowing my idiosyncrasies, since I already have a normal mill, I would buy it :scratchchin:
 
I have a Tree Journeyman 325 with a Dynapath Delta 20 control. About the same work area as a Bridgeport, a bit more Z I think. 40 taper, it weighs about twice as much as a BP so it is a lot stiffer than a BP. It has a Dynapath Delta 20 control. Dynapath still supports the control and Tree parts are available. That said the machine is in good condition, nice and tight. 4500.00
 
.........

Also last about 20 years longer than even a better-grade krew of VFDs @ one VFD per each machine.

Im not talented enough to run more than one machine at a time so there is a female Twist-lock on the cable coming out of the my Hitachi VFD and males on the cable to each motor. The VFD self adjusts for the slightly different motor sizes. Dont know about 20 years longer but I wont last another 20 so its a moot point in my shop.
 








 
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