Tim Wiltse-RCU

Well the picture sucks as my focus on my camera has crapped out I guess. Anyways this is my new Mini Milling machine!! All I have to do is order up some R8 tooling, a rotary table and a pile of other goodies and I am on my way to making a bunch of neat 1/2a stuff(I hope).

Later,
Tim

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Tim,

Congratulations on the new toy!!!!... Wish I could work in metal the way you do.. but.. I'll just stick to fiberglass/wood/foam/balsa. Let me know when I can expect that Sniper engine... by the way.. did you ever hook up w/anyone else who could do that machine work for you? I've got contacts at a crackerjack metal tool shop in NJ.... let me know.


Dan

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Extra Cool Tim, The picture is fine. This is somthing I hope to do too, someday. It would be nice to just make even some of the simplest parts one needs instead of shopping around in a RC industry that, in general. Ignores the 1/2A fuel crowd. Congradulations and good luck.

Darren

BMatthews

Another congrats on the new toy. A really good vise is a top priority for any milling machine. Be particularly fussy about the slop in teh jaw. It should be precise but smooth. Similar to [link=http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=5512]THIS ONE[/link] at Harbour Frieght.

If you can find one that uses the Kurt type hold down system for the movable jaw that's a big bonus.

In my case I found a Record brand drill press vise that looked promising. The castings were stout and massive and the jaw design looked promising. I bought it for $50 and then ran it though a Mill-Drill to flatten and tune the surfaces all over. A new jaw spacer was made and it is now a very tight tolerance milling vice. Granted some of this was due to care but some was luck as well. I fully expected to have to fine tune it with an oil stone but the need never materialized. Jaw rack is only a thou or two and the fixed jaw is vertical within a thou compared to the bed. Play on the sliding jaw is set by a one thou shim of common house hold aluminium foil. With it slides easy, without it's tight. I'd post a pic as it would be a nice first project but the Record tools site is down just now.

DICKEYBIRD

Hoo-ahh....man I'm jealous now! I have to make do with my little cobbled up milling adaptor on my lathe. I hope to get a real mill someday!

I second Bruce's advice on the vise....get the best one you can afford. Here's a chinese one I got at Enco. It's called a "screwless" vise. Not really true since it has a screw but it's set at 45 deg. which pulls the jaw down against the base as it's tightened. It holds stock with a tenacious grip and doesn't allow the movable jaw to rise. Enco's clamping set (studs, t-nuts & clamps) is a great value for mill use but I think H/F has one made just for your Mini-Mill that's even cheaper. You'll need a buncha stuff to get productive.

H/F's cheapo ($19.95) H.S.S. endmill sets, 1-2-3 blocks & V-blocks work great for the price by the way.

Happy machining!

BMatthews

Ooo yeah, I forgot about those. If the scale of your machine fits those little toolmaker's screwless vises they DO work slick.

Bipe Flyer

I thought you were making beautiful stuff before. I can only imagine what you'll be able to do now!

Japanman

Cool!
One nice way to save money for tooling is to use carbide tipped router bits for radius tools if you need them. Even the cheapo chinese ones seem to last as long or longer than ones made for milling at a darn site cheaper price. You just want to make sure they are *well* nipped up in a drill chuck before you start out...

J.M

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

cool , congrats on the new tool, so you gonna crank out a few of the CV clones on that thing..Hey how are our engines we discussed coming along? You can pm me with that info,, I have your replacement engines if you need them now or I'll just bring them to the swap meet in Jan,, you ARE coming this time right? no trips to Md to buy another car....Rog

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Tim, PM me with you needs, I may have some helpful extras

Tim Wiltse-RCU

DB,

I do like the vise you have. I have the big fat Enco catalog too!!

Rog,

I haven't tooled around with the project in a bit due to my day job and I am still working on a huge pile of diesel engines for another guy. But ....here's the but I just learned a new masking method and when these things get done they are going to kick *****!

JM,

Thanks for the heads up on the tooling idea!

Later,
Tim