Tom Senior light X Axis power feed

In the lathe, the work rotates against a cutter. In a mill the cutter rotates against the cutter, so in both cases the motion is relative between work and cutter.

But milling cutters ,having a number of cutting edges, give an interrupted cut, It is more akin to turning an irregular object, such as square, hexagon, or octagonal bar in a lathe. But no reason, in either case, that power feed cannot be engaged, perhaps with a lower feed rate, but to produce a more even feed than is usually possible by hand,

If the method works for you, and gives the desired end result; use it,

(I am now getting brave enough to part off under power, which is a big step forward )

Howard

I am now getting brave enough to part off under power, which is a big step forward

Is that with a rear tool post, Howard?

I nearly always part off under power with mine. I don’t have a carbide parting tool.

Thought - some milling is done with single-point tools, so that is even more like turning with the lathe (I can bore on both machines?). Nothing stopping someone (with a sufficiently powerful lathe) using a multi-point cutting tool on some occasions. After all, lots of hobbyists only had a lathe a few decades ago...

I don't see any difference between using the feed on the lathe or mill. In both cases you select the speed, feed and DOC and flick the lever. If you have set too deep a cut or too fast a feed on the lathe you won't feel it and it could crash. Same with the mill.

I always part off under power but no rear post , HSS and Insert tools.

The sound your machine was making cutting the 6mm edge was way noisier than my CLEAN machine. You should be ashamed. I bet it has blackheads. Haha. Tonight before seeing this I was watching some of your video's using the shell mill,on different materials. I really do need to get used to the noises. My problem is having read so much on the forum I was scared of breaking something.

In my own defence if I have one is this. An old friend gave me 5 new, HSS 2 flute end mills. That is all I have due to the fact all the other stuff I have bought is sat on a Argos shelf waiting for the store to re-open. The small one is 4mm ranging up to the 5/8" . I was probably doing it all wrong. I did ring a mate who does a lot of milling with a big machine , but all I could get out of him was without a coolant pump & gear you are wasting your time. So I plodded on. I am trying to make some extra toolholders for the QC tool post. The steel I have is 1 1/2" square. EN1A.

I needed to take off around 6mm from the face, along it's length, about 3". So I did it with conventional up one side, down the other & last one down the centre. Today I finished it but only doing 0.2mm depth. I tried 0.5mm but my machine sounded like yours so I backed of to 0.2mm. It seems like I am being too soft with the machine after watching your video's. P.S I am listening & trying to take it all in. P.S.S Mines best.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 11/04/2020 00:44:07

Why not post a video replicating Jason's cuts on your machine to win over the sceptics?

If you are now only able to take off 0.2mm (0.008" ) per pass with the cutters you have then you would be better off putting the work in the lathe's 4-jaw to size it up and then just mill the tool slot and dovetail.

Probably best to order some other cutters as you could be waiting a long time for Argos to open though you did say they were being returned to sender.

Bill, I think steve said he can't replicate that amount of cut.

Steve, did you see this one that I did to go with a post on here at some time, the first method is what I suggested for you using the side of the cutter to save wear on the corner, second method is OK if taking a decent depth. First removing over 3 times the volume of metal per pass than your 15thou cuts or almost 7 times the volume of the 8thou that you now say you had to use.

For the job you are doing at the moment you could get yourself one of ARC, s 25mm 2 insert end mills it's available in MT2 though I don't know what the guys think about it in MT2.

I know I keep singing it's praises but it is the tool that I now use the most on my SX2 mill. Out of interest I was cutting steel down to size this morning and tried a 0.030" cut and it sailed through it and I only have 500 Watts.

It is just a thought as it sounds like you need some more tooling to improve things.

Interesting debate about the merits of power-feed on machines! Surely this is another 'it depends' question?

My lathe has power-feed on both saddle and top slide. I use them both. Good for roughing largish objects because they save me cranking the handles. Also good for fine finish and parting off because the machine cuts far more consistently than me. Setting depth of cut and feed-rate for roughing isn't critical, but getting a fine finish needs more consideration of speeds etc. Knowledge required.

My mill is completely manual, but - in my case - it doesn't matter. The reason is I mostly make smallish objects where its quicker to spin handles than set speed, direction, and press buttons. I also drive a lot on the DRO, moving the table carefully to particular X,Y locations and stopping the cut on target. For me CNC would be far more useful than a simple traverse.

But it is just me. Someone doing lots of wide sweep-across work on bigger parts would benefit far more from power traverse on a mill. The only time I regret not having power X is when it's necessary to hand-crank the table from one side to the other, but that's rare.

A big advantage of manual milling and turning is being able to feel as well as hear when a cut isn't going well, and make instant adjustments. I think it's because amateur work often involves making the best of an imperfect combination of machine, cutter, material and operator. Small motors, lack of rigidity, cutting dry or splashing lube, not bothering to reset drive belts or gear ratios etc for a small operation, and glorious bodging. In adverse circumstances, the operator can often compensate for poor cuts by backing off or pushing harder. Skill required.

Milling machines benefit enormously from a DRO. Fitting one is a no-brainer. I'm not sure about power traverse, because I don't need it. Others would find it valuable, but it all depends - as always - on what the tool is used for!

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 11/04/2020 10:16:50

Yep, even the SX2.7 will take 1mm DOC at it's full 25mm width in steel and I dare not show what the SX3.5 can do.

As has been mentioned the MT2 could well be the limiting factor with a cross section at the point it exits the taper of only about 1/3rd that of R8 there is bound to be more flex which won't allow manly cuts, OK for a bit of ring and jewelry work.

Steve, you did not say how you were holding that 5/8" cutter but if it were in the ER collet chuck that you got then that won't be as rigid as using a MT2 finger collet direct into the spindle. So maybe try a 1/2" cutter in a MT collet.

I have a Centec 2B with a 2MT taper. I don't find that the 2MT taper restricts me. It will take off metal at a higher rate of knots than my nerves will take. Sure 2MT is old hat but don't underestimate what it will cope with.

Andrew.

Jason thanks for your time & patience. The Argos thing, it would seem now the goods from ebay & others, I.E, click & collect are going to stay on the shelves until the store re-opens. Then I can pick items up. The 1st message I got was from ebay, saying the items were going back to sender. Not so. You are correct I will have to get some better tooling from somewhere else. I am using an ER25 Collet chuck 1 to 16mm. I do have a Clarkson but only 2 collets for it. I was not saying the machine slowed down or started chattering, it was me thinking I was overdoing it. Basically I had no idea if I had the right cutter & how deep to go with it. Thanks to you & all others that has helped.

Steve.

Steve,

Nothing succeeds like success!

Guess who had a "ping" moment this morning! Cleaning the electric spray gun when it blocked! Fortunately found the spring so was able to finish the first coat on the front of the workshop.

SWMBO is worried about all the garden going green so looks like a brush job from now on.

Hope the Ronseal does what it says on the plastic bucket.

NDIY,

Yes, a shop made 4 way indexing Back Toolpost. Carries the first parting tool that i was given, when I bought the ML7, about (Good heavens ) 40 years ago! Still not worn out, so may see me out.

Unlike parting in the front toolpost, Very rarely digs under hand feed, and never, so far, under power. Which must say something about my handfeeding.

. Howard

Eureka , sort of. Just editing a video of what I have managed since some advice from Jason & others.

Steve.

I have made a youtube video for anyone who may have an interest in milling, who like me is an amateur. A total cockup & then a result. I must thank Jason B & others who have been kind enough to put up with me while getting to terms with how to etc.

I spent hours milling a surface down with a cutter taking 15 thou cuts & wearing the edges off an expensive to buy cutter 5/8" HSS. Completely the wrong way to go about the job. But after some guidance from you forum members, i got my head around the way to do it. A bit of Asian versus old British came into it but just poking fun really.

We have to entertain somehow. Don't watch much TV these days. Love this forum. I am a member of 4 other forums but you always get the same questions like. I have not used my F-Type for 4 months & the battery has gone flat, what do i do.

This forum is different. There is always someone who asks a question & you think mmmm. Then someone comes along with an answer. Brilliant. It's like a knowledge base. Neil. Jason & any other moderators keep up the great work to keep this forum one of the best.

Stay safe everyone. Milling bloopers & result

Steve.

Steve,

You were actually climb milling there mate. Climb milling basically means the cutter is dragging the work into itself. That's why with gib loose it jumped at the end and why you had all those scallops in the surface. Nothing wrong with climb milling on a well set up machine and it can actually give you a better finish and with some jobs it's hard to avoid but best to not take heavy cuts. With a slab mill on a horizontal mill it can spit the job out of the vice!  Just visualise the rotation of the cutter, if it's dragging the work towards it its climb milling, if it's pushing it away its "conventional".

Have a go the other way and see how that goes, you will be able to up your feed rate.

Paul.

Edited By Paul Kemp on 11/04/2020 23:23:38

Ah I see. I know in the video it looked like the spindle was going anti clockwise but that was frame speed. The spindle was clockwise as seen from above. So was I wrong. Please advise.

Steve.

Steve,

Spindle needs to rotate clock wise or the cutter will rub as you won't be presenting the cutting edge to the material. Imagine looking down on the cutter going clockwise and presented to the job as you had it feeding right to left the cutting edges are dragging the material toward the cutter. If you had been feeding left to right it would be pushing the work away from the cutter. Do a doodle on a piece of paper. Try it again tomorrow going t'other way you will see and feel the difference.

Paul.

Will that be better. ??? I am a twit. Thanks in advance. I was under the impression that going clockwise from right to left the cutter is trying to dig down into the work & the other way around it is trying to climb out effectively trying to lift the work off the table. Got it the wrong way round. I guess if I was a youngster at school they would have a name for my condition. 

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 11/04/2020 23:36:46

Dunno why, but that toothbrush cracks me up