Small Milling Machine for Gunsmith Work

[MachIVshooter]

Oh if converters are that reasonable you will save that up front 3 phase machines go for much less than single phase ones do.
Good hunting.

You can get statics for as little as $50 or $60. But you're running at ~65% power, they behave like single phase, and it can hurt motors over time.

VFDs are pretty reasonable now, too, but I'm not a huge fan. Rotary gives you true 3 phase

https://www.ebay.com/itm/American-R...520874?hash=item417299426a:g:IkUAAOxybi9RcwrJ

I have that exact one.

I now have to buy the 30 HP version to power that Pedersen beast above and the 22.5 HP CNC I'll be buying in the not-too-distant future. They're a bit more expensive at $1,800, but that's still a lot less than $17K to bring in 3 phase utility! Just don't tell on me; local power company doesn't want anything over 10 HP on single phase, even with the 400 amp 50 KVA service I'm bringing into my new shop. Shhhhh!

 

[tark]

I have never found a small machine that had the rigidity or accuracy to produce decent work. Mass of a full size machine minimizes flex and vibrations which will show up in your work. I would find a way to buy a decent used large machine and make room for it.

This says it all. And small machines and carbide cutters DO NOT like one another. If you get a small machine you will have to stick to Hi-speed cutters. And the small machines don't hold their adjustments. I would tighten up the play in the table on my Smithy, only to have it loosen up again ten minutes later. There was a thread on the forum recently about this subject that had a lot of good info.

 

[Denny Gibson]

I’m believin’

 

[grampajack]

The overwhelming trend with Grizzly seems to be that they're pretty good for the money once you go through them and sort all the problems they come with from the factory. Their customer service is slow, but they will supply you with whatever you need to make it right.

 

[Denny Gibson]

Grampajack ... after the issues are worked out do you find the grizzly adequate for, at least light gunsmith work?

 

[tark]

Grampajack ... after the issues are worked out do you find the grizzly adequate for, at least light gunsmith work?

I have found that is exactly what they are best at....LIGHT gunsmithing work. But for serious, build guns from scratch out of blocks of steel kind of work, they are really kind of unsuitable.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I have found that is exactly what they are best at....LIGHT gunsmithing work. But for serious, build guns from scratch out of blocks of steel kind of work, they are really kind of unsuitable.

Yup. You can do it, and many people have, but it will take forever and be very aggravating, and there will be some things you just can't do. Try boring and reaming an 8" deep hole in a 10" long piece on a bench top mill:



Or profiling an outside radius with a rotary table on a tall piece:

 

[tark]

Yup. You can do it, and many people have, but it will take forever and be very aggravating, and there will be some things you just can't do.

I know all about that! I have built five guns on a Smithy benchtop machine. Last one was a 30-06 rolling block copy. Took me seven years and countless broken end mills.