Thanks to Onshape for sponsoring this video. Check out their cloud-based CAD tool at Onshape.pro/Tested Precision Matthews Benchtop Milling Machine: www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-728vt-ultra-precision-mill/
Hello Mr. Savage. We met a long time ago, when you were at ILM. You really inspired me. Now, semi retired from Ubisoft as Lead Animator and 3d Modeler, your building and , "Imagineering" has made me the the Artisan, I am today. Thank You. Still have your needle nose pliers and red Pentel, Mechanical Pencil.
Adam, I've been a long long fan of yours since the Mythbuster days. You guys silently brought machining to the forefront of the public and as a machine shop owner I feel we are a bit forgotten as we spend our days in quiet isolation making things everyone uses. To see you shed light into this trade has inspired me and I'm sure many others to take on machining as a career. We as a country need people who can make things and use these pieces of equipment and tooling to keep our pride of things made here in USA. I've got plenty of years ahead and I hope I can continue doing what I enjoy. Other foreign countries has made it difficult for us to compete due to cost of labor being lower overseas. I'm glad your video came up on my feed, keep carrying the torch and be a light for others in the trades. Warm greetings from SoCal. -Casey
Generally while you're prototyping and machining by the seat of your pants like Adam does you have a chip brush that you use. The classic chip brush is a 2" China bristle brush. You buy them by the 3 dozen and just kill them.
I am just on the edge of watch repair, coming from carpentry and custom liquid computer building. I got hooked on the work of George Daniels, Breguet, and many of the pioneers of Horology and Watchmaking. I hopped freight trains through California after oil rig work in the early 2010's, so I immediately fell in love with railroad grade watches. I have a few crude tools salvaged from scrap, some fine preision tools, and some antiques that feel like they carry more character than your average politician. I am looking to aim for a custom watch eventually, so videos like these are invaluable to get a feel for equipment while seeing them operated by someone as passionate about the workings of things as I am. Thank you to all of you the produce this content, and those who make it popular:) Happy Making!
I've worked in machine shop for 40 years and didn't know this, I just checked it on my Starrett chart and by god it's dead on! Thank you for teaching an old dog a new trick.
This tip is true only if you want a 75% thread, which is prescribed for common soft materials, but you wouldn't want to use this method for harder materials. For example a M6x1.0mm tap would required a 5.2mm or 5.4mm drill if you wanted to tap stainless.
not a single air bearing, and several hundred thousand dollars shy on precision and cost. That being said, it is a VERY NICE etch-a-sketch. I adore my 727M, and have for years. I tend to think of it more as my most pimped out drill press though, since that's it's most common task.
Nice mill and good video. It’s a blast setting up a new mill, one of the things I learned very quickly when I set up my work area is that chips go everywhere ! Especially if you use air to blow away chips ( which I do also ) Problem is that the chips end up in your collet rack and your hold down rack and it becomes a chore keeping things clean. I found that setting these items under cover or out of the chip zone is a small price to pay in order to keep your tools clean. P.S. you ask 5 people how to do something and you will get at minimum 5 different answers, lol
I have the little cousin to this mill... The Sieg X2D. It's honestly a great machine. I've made lots of good parts on it, and can usually hold +/- 0.001 or so (if I'm super careful). I've added DRO scales, and use TouchDRO for the display. I've upgraded the spindle bearings to angular contact bearings, and swapped out all the plastic gears for metal ones. I've been using the Tormach TTS tool holders for a while, and absolutely love them. Having quick-change tooling on my mill is a quality of life upgrade that I can't recommend enough. No more changing collets! Plus, they're repeatable, which is amazing when coupled with the tool library in TouchDRO. I've even made my own TTS-compatible tooling. Always enjoy seeing, and sharing, your enthusiasm for making things, and for the tools that you use to make. I've made a few videos of improvements to the machines in my shop, and it would be amazing for you to check them out.
My mill had push buttons for for/rev, they were hard to tell which one was pushed and easy to push the wrong one. I wired a used back up horn from a fork lift to the reverse button. The horn is sealed inside the box so as to not be too loud. The odd time I use reverse I actually get a chuckle from the "back up alarm".
I've done the same on a knee mill, except with a blinking LED (panel-mounted next to the REV button) instead of a buzzer. It's good to have a reminder before you turn your 2-flute end mill into a no-flute end mill!
@@tevinvezina1766 Rarely but when you do you're glad it's there. Mostly it's for clearing a jam or unwinding some accident. Backing out a tap. I've never seen a reverse cutter or twist drill but that does not mean they don't exist.
I don't know if it was mentioned in previous posts, but that kind of vice is designed to have the screw clamp the jaw in a 45 degree angle. so that you are putting the same pressure down on the vice be the same as the material clamped. the more the angle changes from the 45 toward 90 degree the more pressure you put into the vice and not the material being held. the less than 45 degrees then more to clamping in the material but it does not hold it in the vice as secure. I hope that helps you in the future of using that vice.
I have been shopping for a bench top mail for two or three months now, and still had not decided until I watched this video. I’m very intrigued and the smell and I’m leaning toward getting this one. Thanks as always for a great video Cheers
The other nice thing about benchtop mills is that it’s easier to follow or cut tapers because it’s easier to manipulate both axes at the same time since the handles are closer together. I have a 4” machinist vise with an angle plate that I’ve found to be useful. I use a cordless 3/8” ratchet for a power drawbar. I had a gunsmith mentor that encouraged me to buy this machine first since it will do a large range of jobs and even if I needed a larger machine later, it won’t replace this one.
I especially enjoyed this video, THANK YOU! My better half presented me with a small bench-top mill for my birthday from THE LITTLE MACHINE SHOP over in Pasadena. Thankfully it has a 3 axis DRO which makes me seem to actually be fairly good at cutting what I intend! Watching your videos along with CEE ( Cutting Edge Engineering ), Blondihacks and others I have gotten a good jump-start on how to use the machine! As with my old Atlas/Craftsman lathe, it seems that you can never have enough different tools to plug onto the machine!! Of course, the best part about the videos is catching on to the hints and kinks of how to easily do the otherwise seeming impossible things!!
My dad had a logic textbook that said, (in part), when you're looking for something you've lost, turn on all of the lights. Building lights into the spot where you're looking seems like a good proactive step.
If you ever want to find an a small item on the floor, lay a flashlight on its side on the floor and shine it around. Not only will it show you exactly how dusty your floors are, but you'll almost always find that tiny item. Doesn't work on thick carpeting, however.
You will soon find the headroom to be a little bit of an issue when using drills,the length of the chuck and the jobber drills makes it pretty tight. Screw machine drills come n very handy( plus they are more rigid) Little Machine Shop sells a lot of accessories sized to bench top machines.( 4” rotary tables etc)
Ran multi spindle 4,6,8, spindles acme gridley,conamatic, wickman @ Black and Decker Hampstead Md. In the 1980's. Sharpened a million drills by hand. Made chop saw gears. Ran 4 machines at the same time. A screw machine 6 inch collets, a barber coleman gear shaper to shape gear teath, a broach to put keyway in, and a deburing tool to debur back of gear inside diameter. Got tool and die pay. New Bridgeport son😊
This press has worked like a charm for my projects th-cam.com/users/postUgkxajoEbapTfqWaadnqb04h6U576yxXp-FE . I didn't even secure it to my table top, mainly due to the fact that I was using a 15 lbs drill vise. It's not flimsy at all as to what others have claimed it to be. Make sure the locking nuts and levers are secured and there won't be any issues with light pressure and patience. I was able to drill through aluminum, plastic, and steel (steel took a while) with no problems at all. Yeah it took a little longer than a regular drill press, but I don't have the space OR the money for one.The instruction manual was worthless, but luckily assembling the press was intuitive. However, the manual would be good for ordering replacement parts if needed. There is a nice breakdown of the parts that are included in the kit. Before ordering, make sure it is compatible with your unit, it is clearly stated what models the press is compatible with.This was an excellent purchase for $40!!
Lovely! I now have a milling machine that I built from two 17.7x6.7inch XY tables, 2x2x1/4inch square tubing, and a mini lathe. I'm still working on it and I don't have a proper table for it yet. I'll make a video of it some time in the future but right now I'm busy working on stuff for the mini lathe.
It looks like the door to the pedestal cabinet is reversible. You might consider flipping it so that it opens at the front, so you're not reaching around the door to get at something inside.
Hey Adam! Couple of useful formulas for you Metric tap drill size = dia - pitch Ex m8-1.5 = 6.5mm Standard tap drill = dia - 1/pitch RPM = cutting speed (in sfpm) x 4 / dia of cutter Example: cutting speed of mild steel is 100 so 400/.5" cutter = 800rpm They also taught us in school that compressed air can damage the precision ground ways on the table and cause innacuraces but not sure how true that is lol Cheers :)
5:03 Definitely swap your Fwd Rev selector switch action to match your memory. While you're in there you could pop in a Bourne 10 turn potentiometer or equivalent if you would prefer finer speed adjustments.
Hello Adam, great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm a retired mold maker and I love your vice. I built one exactly like that when I served my apprenticeship. I caught a small blooper. At 14:22 you mentioned indicating your vice to within .0001 with a micrometer. I know you meant test indicator! I have an Interapid test indicator I use to indicate my vice. Great video! I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Thanks, Adam, such a good video. I have a Smithy 1324, twenty years old now in my crowded basement shop, and if I had it to do all over again, I would incorporate this mill into my shop with a standalone lathe. R8 collets are an important touch, and you've done a good job accessorizing the mill.
That vice is sometimes tricky to use. You have to get the crossbar into a detent before tightening, otherwise it can slip. And it also has to be loosened a bit to clear the detent so you can easily move the jaws. Don't loosen the bolt too much, the crossbar can fall off.
LOL......I have one of these grinding or toolmakers or screwless vices and after a while I almost threw it in the bin it was so frustrating with the nut (crossbar?) at the bottom not engaging in the cross slots or dropping off the screw when wound back.......after a mod it now performs like a dream and second to the DRO is my most treasured mill tool. BTW.........better make a back panel to prevent the blown swarf from coating everything in the shop especially if you use coolant on steel.......with coolant use you will rapidly get mucky corners and everything else covered in oily residue.......that's par for the course unless you only use carbide tooling and forget about coolant.......I use a portable hand vacuum to clear the swarf instead of blowing it around the shop.
@@gangleweed I don't know why people constantly use air to remove chips. I use a shop vac and it works just as well. Using air just means you're creating 3 or 4 times the work when you have clean it all up later on. The only exception is if your machine is in an enclosure. I use air all the time at work but its a swiss lathe in an enclosure with a built in mist remover. At home I use shop vacs almost exclusively.
I know, I know, but I can't help but point out that ALL the problem with parALLel is in the middle lol. Thanks so much for the excellent entertainment you give us - please keep it up!
I heartily second the direction switch issue. I created a 3D printed "lock out" for my PM728 that screws onto the bottom right of the control panel and physically prevents reverse unless I unscrew it. Trashing two 1/2" carbide end mills with accidental reverse was getting expensive fast.
For your forward/reverse issue: move the label to below the switch, and paint over the white mark on the knob and add a new mark to the other end... its not going to help with the muscle memory, but will ease the OCD angst :)
the muscle and automated brain memory while opersting the machine is what its all about. i would without even think twice just open that panel and wire it the other way arround. its a 10min fix. and a label is printet quickly or just tape it and use edding^^
PM used to sell these already made as CNC's I have one... ditched the Mach3 controller and switched to UNCC, very versatile and customizable. I've added automation features to it. I want to buy another one as a pre made CNC... hope they offer CNC again.
Adam should get some of those flex hoses like he uses for his camera arms (only smaller ones) and put an air nozel that can blow chips away continuously
Just wondering if you need to keep using air supply hoses to blow away the shavings would it be easier to have an auxiliary one on an arm in a set position you can then activate with a foot pedal so you don't have to stop when milling?
Hello Adam, To reverse the motor I would avoid rewiring the switch as it is a rather complicated setup. There is a good chance the DC motor was wired in reverse at the factory. It is easier to reverse the two wires from the motor on the control board. Being a DC motor this will solve your problem. Regards, David Dalgety Bay Scotland
Have you considered setting up your air nozzle like your light with a foot pedal. That way you could blow off your work and leave your hands free to work the axis.
One added feature you might want to integrate is a small airline that has a ball valve or something to that effect which sits alongside the cutting head to constantly keep your work piece clear without having to blow all the time or intermittently stop to use the air hose to clear the work space
Picked up a Grizzly mill G0704 and lathe G0752 late last year. Been machining ever since. Once you work the kinks out and install a few upgrades and improvements the machines are excellent and produce quality parts. Make chips!
That motor controller has a label on the side that says it's 120v single phase. That tells me that it's a VFD outputting 3 phase to the motor of the mill. Instead of needing to do something overly complicated like rewiring the switch. All you need to do is swap any two of the 3 wires that go to the motor. It will change the direction of the motor and effectively swap the operation of that fwd/off/rev switch.
Agreed. I'd have at least two on each side, unless he's milling really small and delicate parts but it's easy to under estimate just how much torque and forces are applied when machining even little parts. I quickly learned that at the beginning that even when you have a vice clamped down VERY tightly, the mill can still easily shift it even under relatively light loads. Just goes to show how large of forces are transferred from the cutters to the work piece. I think he'll soon add another clamp on each side because that vise is bound to shift on him at some point.
Would it be helpful if you set up a small, continuous air hose aimed at the mill bit to blow debris away? I'm looking forward to seeing what you create with this benchtop mill, and maybe the kind of wheel you make for it. It is an exciting addition to your workshop.
Yeah I like chip swarf all of my shop. I mean who doesn't? It's more beneficial to just use a chip brush to sweep them away while you go. I have a shop vac next to my mill too and I'm not afraid to use that either.
@@SomeGuysGarage they do but they're just not the same as those cheap China bristle brushes. The way the bristles fall out it can be a plus when you're machining. Plus every China bristle brush you trash you're saving some poor fool from trying to paint with it.
You may be breaking small endmills easily because you're not running them at a high enough RPM. An 1/8" HSS endmill should be running closer to 3K rpm in mild steel, but since it was carbide 6K should be no problem. Always do the math for cutting speeds and get as close as you can.
Hopefully you can change the "speeling" on your parallel holder. It should be "PARALLELS" - LOL! Love the review Adam. I wish I could afford that mill. I got a HF mini mill that works well.
I don't do anything at all in regards to building or creating or anything that Adam does on his videos. I'm purely here for Adams passion and excellent explaining skills. Legend
For metric threads good rule of the thumb is that the pilot drill is the size of the bolt minus the pitch of the thread like for M10 thread the pitch is 1.5mm so pilot drill for it is 8.5mm
Yes, it’s logical and super easy compared to inch sizes with all their secret codes like an #8-32 screw and a number 29 drill, and don’t even start on letter drills!
hey Adam! if you’re reading this, on a skate of 1 to 10, how much would you recommend this to a person working on starting their own shop? (same question for anyone else who may have one)
A great learning machine that is pretty capable and that can be converted to CNC without lots of hassle and cost. Good for one off jobs. Learn about Jigs for production. If you are making money in production then CNC would be the next step and Autotool change is then the issue. Says someone who is still learning his 3018, haha. I have my eye on these size mills.
Watch first vid. Other have commented on collets. There are expensive precision Collets and then there are the cheap Chinese one. They are getting closer in preformance.
A small piece of advice, it is much easier to control movement with the correct speed and feeds, recommended speed for 4140 steel is appox. 6000 rlm for a 3 mm cutter with good rigidity so here you could easily run at 4000 rpm
Flip the knob 180 degrees on the shaft. That makes the bottom of the knob the indicator, and it will point to the right for 'Forward' operation. Or make a little lever and install it in place of the knob.
The lever thing is what I would do, a bar with a cutout that the top of the knob fits into and then with the lever below the knob it would be natural to move it right for forward and left for reverse.
Flipping the knob won't change the shaft rotation. And yes that mill is bass ackwards. I've seen ratchet drives that swap forward and reverse too. It's maddening.
I've been saving for a mini mill add machining to my shop for years. Adam gets one handed to him, there's a saying about this situation... happy for you Adam, don't take it for granted.
Adam needs to learn about surface speeds. There's a formula SFPM=(PI*DIA*RPM)/12 but I use a chart to get me in the ballpark. A 1/8" diameter tool spinning 2,000 RPM is only 65 surface feet per minute which is pretty slow for free machining plastic. You can go a few hundred SFPM. Generally you want to over drive small diameter tools so you don't side load them so much. Know your speeds! Turning tools at the right speed gets best results.
My mill is similar, other than for power tapping it always is used in forward. So leave the switch in forward and turn on and off with the red and green on off buttons. Wont be an issue anymore.
I just want to applaud whoever is responsible for Tested's audio. I've very sensitive to volume changes, and whoever is doing the audio work for the channel properly understands volume normalization.
You will have to forgive me but all I can think of is rigging up the compressed air hose to some loc-line so its pointing at your work and a foot pedal to release a blast or two when needed. Great vid. JIM
The first thing I thought of when you mentioned the 'forward/reverse' switch was "Why would they do it like that? I would open it up and swap the wiring". Right there with you, Adam. Next, you might want to integrate some type of waste collection. Just sayin'
It's funny to watch. Adam knows a bit about machining. Just enough to get himself into trouble. Lol. I've been at it for a good many decades and Adam gets it. Been interesting and entertaining to watch him grow. Keep on brother.
I think that's where the passion sits. I've got a few subjects where I know just enough to get myself into trouble--model building, electronics, computer programming, plumbing--and the only one I won't try is the latter because shit can go wrong in way more spectacular ways with that one! For the others, even screwing up is fun because at worst, I learn something from the experience. Then, I can go screw up in new and more innovative ways on the next project!
You could create a maze for ants very easy. :D BTW, it's good to tighten the vise only a little, tap the workpiece down, tighten a little more, tap again, etc. to make sure it's parallel to the vise bottom. I bought an ancient mill recently, it's not set up yet as i need to weld a base for it and a VFD. It has an old car transmission on it to change speed, the VFD will improve that i guess.
Yep, those poor Yanks and their old Imperial system. Metric just makes it simpler. I do hate it when someone pinches a drill from the 0.1mm precision mill drill set for rivet holes or other simple stuff.
@@babbagebrassworks4278 We can't help it that you can't use fractions or read a chart. I don't need a chart for tap drills. I just go in my tap/drill index and remove them. They're paired together. No thinking involved. Its even stamped on the drill and tap. Can you please tell me why people who don't use the imperial system are always complaining about it and saying they don't understand it? Why must we conform to what you want?
SO jealous Adam!! I've been wanting that very machine for a few years now... Hope to get it or the equivalent in the next few years. Enjoy, it's supposed to be a really great benchtop mill.
What about setting the clamp holder kind of inset and adding a light so you can see them while your there? It would look good and they’d be out of the way.
Adams got a new watch on,he use to wear an Aqua Terra ,Omega ,very nice watch and lived the fact that he'd be working,keeping the wstch on,a proper sturdy watch.
Hey Adam! i very much enjoy your videos. Do take suggestions for projects? With regards to your tap / drill bit size chart, I think it would be really cool if you built a small interactive split flap mechanism where you enter the screw size on one side, and the the drill bit size shows up on the other side. Use some mini hand wheels to input the data. You could get really creative with the case for the mechanism. (Maybe incorporate into a drill bit case?) No more squinting to read the tiny numbers on the chart.
You can also tumble the collets for a little while to debur them. That's what we ended up doing..we just didn't have the patience to go over every collet with a file manually.
It would be easier to rehang the door before moving the mill around. You are right about the awkward open and reach over situation with the door in its current configuration.
Hello Adam Well i like your setup for machining but you said you used a micrometer to set your vise? but i think you meant an indicator? Also the rule of thumb is smaller the tool higher the spindle speed.
Adam never give up completely on or be embarrassed about the imperial system. There are plenty of makers out there that still love and use the imperial system and some may think it’s better for some applications. Let the gasps, pearl clutching, and heart attacks begin :)
The reason the x/y "feel" is better on Adams benchtop milling machine is found in the leadscrews used in the table. This smaller machine has leadscrews with 10 threads-per-inch in the x and y axis, so one full turn of the handwheel advances the table by .100". On a Bridgeport (and clone), the table leadscrews are 5 threads per inch, one full turn on the handwheel advances the table by .200", or twice as far. So yes, the table movements are more precise, which can be beneficial for small parts. And because everything is scaled down, including the workpieces, you don't feel like you're cranking forever to move the table, which would be the case if your Bridgeport had 10 tpi leadscrews.
Thanks to Onshape for sponsoring this video. Check out their cloud-based CAD tool at Onshape.pro/Tested
Precision Matthews Benchtop Milling Machine: www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-728vt-ultra-precision-mill/
Hello Mr. Savage. We met a long time ago, when you were at ILM. You really inspired me. Now, semi retired from Ubisoft as Lead Animator and 3d Modeler, your building and , "Imagineering" has made me the the Artisan, I am today. Thank You. Still have your needle nose pliers and red Pentel, Mechanical Pencil.
Adam, I've been a long long fan of yours since the Mythbuster days. You guys silently brought machining to the forefront of the public and as a machine shop owner I feel we are a bit forgotten as we spend our days in quiet isolation making things everyone uses. To see you shed light into this trade has inspired me and I'm sure many others to take on machining as a career. We as a country need people who can make things and use these pieces of equipment and tooling to keep our pride of things made here in USA. I've got plenty of years ahead and I hope I can continue doing what I enjoy. Other foreign countries has made it difficult for us to compete due to cost of labor being lower overseas. I'm glad your video came up on my feed, keep carrying the torch and be a light for others in the trades. Warm greetings from SoCal. -Casey
Have you thought about adding a pneumatic foot valve to trigger the compressed air so that you do not have to take you hands off of the hand wheels?
and having the blower mounted on a gooseneck aimed at the center point blowing to the splash back
Generally while you're prototyping and machining by the seat of your pants like Adam does you have a chip brush that you use. The classic chip brush is a 2" China bristle brush. You buy them by the 3 dozen and just kill them.
I am just on the edge of watch repair, coming from carpentry and custom liquid computer building. I got hooked on the work of George Daniels, Breguet, and many of the pioneers of Horology and Watchmaking. I hopped freight trains through California after oil rig work in the early 2010's, so I immediately fell in love with railroad grade watches. I have a few crude tools salvaged from scrap, some fine preision tools, and some antiques that feel like they carry more character than your average politician. I am looking to aim for a custom watch eventually, so videos like these are invaluable to get a feel for equipment while seeing them operated by someone as passionate about the workings of things as I am. Thank you to all of you the produce this content, and those who make it popular:) Happy Making!
Quick tip for metric tap drill size. Subtract the pitch from the dia and you have your tap drill size. (M6x1.0=5mm drill)
Thank you, bless you for this.
I've worked in machine shop for 40 years and didn't know this, I just checked it on my Starrett chart and by god it's dead on! Thank you for teaching an old dog a new trick.
This tip is true only if you want a 75% thread, which is prescribed for common soft materials, but you wouldn't want to use this method for harder materials.
For example a M6x1.0mm tap would required a 5.2mm or 5.4mm drill if you wanted to tap stainless.
@@paulblair898 thanks for the reply, I might be drilling my stainless parts too small then. They are always a pain to tap.
@@Sean-ib7pd I'd take any advantage I can get when tapping stainless, it loves to work harden and then eat taps.
You have just demonstrated the most expensive and most precise etch-a-sketch ever made.
not a single air bearing, and several hundred thousand dollars shy on precision and cost. That being said, it is a VERY NICE etch-a-sketch. I adore my 727M, and have for years. I tend to think of it more as my most pimped out drill press though, since that's it's most common task.
I dunno, a nice big CNC using a manual control panel could be a pretty expensive etch-a-sketch ;)
Not even close.
Good luck with shaking it over your head! 😀
Adam you are one of the reasons I am proud to be a machinist. Its been exciting watching you grow and learn and be excited about it with all of us.
Nice mill and good video.
It’s a blast setting up a new mill, one of the things I learned very quickly when I set up my work area is that chips go everywhere ! Especially if you use air to blow away chips ( which I do also )
Problem is that the chips end up in your collet rack and your hold down rack and it becomes a chore keeping things clean.
I found that setting these items under cover or out of the chip zone is a small price to pay in order to keep your tools clean.
P.S. you ask 5 people how to do something and you will get at minimum 5 different answers, lol
That could be clear plastic cover. So you can see what you want.
You should get a set of screw machine length drill bits for your small mill. They are about half the length of standard "jobber" bits
Since I am single, I replaced my living room furniture with a modest size mill and 12 x 36 lathe. Sometimes life is good!
I have the little cousin to this mill... The Sieg X2D. It's honestly a great machine. I've made lots of good parts on it, and can usually hold +/- 0.001 or so (if I'm super careful). I've added DRO scales, and use TouchDRO for the display. I've upgraded the spindle bearings to angular contact bearings, and swapped out all the plastic gears for metal ones.
I've been using the Tormach TTS tool holders for a while, and absolutely love them. Having quick-change tooling on my mill is a quality of life upgrade that I can't recommend enough. No more changing collets! Plus, they're repeatable, which is amazing when coupled with the tool library in TouchDRO. I've even made my own TTS-compatible tooling.
Always enjoy seeing, and sharing, your enthusiasm for making things, and for the tools that you use to make. I've made a few videos of improvements to the machines in my shop, and it would be amazing for you to check them out.
My mill had push buttons for for/rev, they were hard to tell which one was pushed and easy to push the wrong one. I wired a used back up horn from a fork lift to the reverse button. The horn is sealed inside the box so as to not be too loud. The odd time I use reverse I actually get a chuckle from the "back up alarm".
I've done the same on a knee mill, except with a blinking LED (panel-mounted next to the REV button) instead of a buzzer. It's good to have a reminder before you turn your 2-flute end mill into a no-flute end mill!
Do you ever actually have to utilize the reverse?
@@tevinvezina1766 i use all the time when power tapping
@@tevinvezina1766 Rarely but when you do you're glad it's there. Mostly it's for clearing a jam or unwinding some accident. Backing out a tap. I've never seen a reverse cutter or twist drill but that does not mean they don't exist.
@@Guranga93 Ahh I see! I’ve only ever hand-tapped so I didn’t think about that possibility.
I don't know if it was mentioned in previous posts, but that kind of vice is designed to have the screw clamp the jaw in a 45 degree angle. so that you are putting the same pressure down on the vice be the same as the material clamped. the more the angle changes from the 45 toward 90 degree the more pressure you put into the vice and not the material being held. the less than 45 degrees then more to clamping in the material but it does not hold it in the vice as secure. I hope that helps you in the future of using that vice.
You don't need excuses for a new machine dude, we want more too
I got the exact machine 2 weeks ago and I have used it everyday since. I also own a PM 1130V Lathe. Great stuff.
I have been shopping for a bench top mail for two or three months now, and still had not decided until I watched this video. I’m very intrigued and the smell and I’m leaning toward getting this one.
Thanks as always for a great video
Cheers
The other nice thing about benchtop mills is that it’s easier to follow or cut tapers because it’s easier to manipulate both axes at the same time since the handles are closer together. I have a 4” machinist vise with an angle plate that I’ve found to be useful. I use a cordless 3/8” ratchet for a power drawbar. I had a gunsmith mentor that encouraged me to buy this machine first since it will do a large range of jobs and even if I needed a larger machine later, it won’t replace this one.
I especially enjoyed this video, THANK YOU! My better half presented me with a small bench-top mill for my birthday from THE LITTLE MACHINE SHOP over in Pasadena. Thankfully it has a 3 axis DRO which makes me seem to actually be fairly good at cutting what I intend! Watching your videos along with CEE ( Cutting Edge Engineering ), Blondihacks and others I have gotten a good jump-start on how to use the machine! As with my old Atlas/Craftsman lathe, it seems that you can never have enough different tools to plug onto the machine!! Of course, the best part about the videos is catching on to the hints and kinks of how to easily do the otherwise seeming impossible things!!
My dad had a logic textbook that said, (in part), when you're looking for something you've lost, turn on all of the lights. Building lights into the spot where you're looking seems like a good proactive step.
If you ever want to find an a small item on the floor, lay a flashlight on its side on the floor and shine it around. Not only will it show you exactly how dusty your floors are, but you'll almost always find that tiny item. Doesn't work on thick carpeting, however.
@@sundaynightdrunk What if I'm looking for the thick carpeting?
@@PlatypusVomit
😃👍
You will soon find the headroom to be a little bit of an issue when using drills,the length of the chuck and the jobber drills makes it pretty tight. Screw machine drills come n very handy( plus they are more rigid) Little Machine Shop sells a lot of accessories sized to bench top machines.( 4” rotary tables etc)
Ran multi spindle 4,6,8, spindles acme gridley,conamatic, wickman @ Black and Decker Hampstead Md. In the 1980's. Sharpened a million drills by hand. Made chop saw gears. Ran 4 machines at the same time. A screw machine 6 inch collets, a barber coleman gear shaper to shape gear teath, a broach to put keyway in, and a deburing tool to debur back of gear inside diameter. Got tool and die pay. New Bridgeport son😊
This press has worked like a charm for my projects th-cam.com/users/postUgkxajoEbapTfqWaadnqb04h6U576yxXp-FE . I didn't even secure it to my table top, mainly due to the fact that I was using a 15 lbs drill vise. It's not flimsy at all as to what others have claimed it to be. Make sure the locking nuts and levers are secured and there won't be any issues with light pressure and patience. I was able to drill through aluminum, plastic, and steel (steel took a while) with no problems at all. Yeah it took a little longer than a regular drill press, but I don't have the space OR the money for one.The instruction manual was worthless, but luckily assembling the press was intuitive. However, the manual would be good for ordering replacement parts if needed. There is a nice breakdown of the parts that are included in the kit. Before ordering, make sure it is compatible with your unit, it is clearly stated what models the press is compatible with.This was an excellent purchase for $40!!
Lovely! I now have a milling machine that I built from two 17.7x6.7inch XY tables, 2x2x1/4inch square tubing, and a mini lathe. I'm still working on it and I don't have a proper table for it yet. I'll make a video of it some time in the future but right now I'm busy working on stuff for the mini lathe.
It looks like the door to the pedestal cabinet is reversible. You might consider flipping it so that it opens at the front, so you're not reaching around the door to get at something inside.
Yeah, I was a bit surprised seeing the door open to the side, mine opens to the front (have a couple vids on my channel on my milling machine setup).
Hey Adam! Couple of useful formulas for you
Metric tap drill size = dia - pitch
Ex m8-1.5 = 6.5mm
Standard tap drill = dia - 1/pitch
RPM = cutting speed (in sfpm) x 4 / dia of cutter
Example: cutting speed of mild steel is 100 so
400/.5" cutter = 800rpm
They also taught us in school that compressed air can damage the precision ground ways on the table and cause innacuraces but not sure how true that is lol
Cheers :)
5:03 Definitely swap your Fwd Rev selector switch action to match your memory.
While you're in there you could pop in a Bourne 10 turn potentiometer or equivalent if you would prefer finer speed adjustments.
In the Sharp (and Bridgeport and all clones) Forward or Reverse depends of if you are in low gear or high gear.
Hello Adam, great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm a retired mold maker and I love your vice. I built one exactly like that when I served my apprenticeship. I caught a small blooper. At 14:22 you mentioned indicating your vice to within .0001 with a micrometer. I know you meant test indicator! I have an Interapid test indicator I use to indicate my vice. Great video! I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Thanks, Adam, such a good video. I have a Smithy 1324, twenty years old now in my crowded basement shop, and if I had it to do all over again, I would incorporate this mill into my shop with a standalone lathe. R8 collets are an important touch, and you've done a good job accessorizing the mill.
I just bought my first mini mill from little machine shop. It was great seeing some of your custom mods. And we have the same vice! Haha
That vice is sometimes tricky to use. You have to get the crossbar into a detent before tightening, otherwise it can slip. And it also has to be loosened a bit to clear the detent so you can easily move the jaws.
Don't loosen the bolt too much, the crossbar can fall off.
LOL......I have one of these grinding or toolmakers or screwless vices and after a while I almost threw it in the bin it was so frustrating with the nut (crossbar?) at the bottom not engaging in the cross slots or dropping off the screw when wound back.......after a mod it now performs like a dream and second to the DRO is my most treasured mill tool.
BTW.........better make a back panel to prevent the blown swarf from coating everything in the shop especially if you use coolant on steel.......with coolant use you will rapidly get mucky corners and everything else covered in oily residue.......that's par for the course unless you only use carbide tooling and forget about coolant.......I use a portable hand vacuum to clear the swarf instead of blowing it around the shop.
@@gangleweed Turn the air pressure down to 20-25 psi for starters.
@@gangleweed I don't know why people constantly use air to remove chips. I use a shop vac and it works just as well. Using air just means you're creating 3 or 4 times the work when you have clean it all up later on.
The only exception is if your machine is in an enclosure. I use air all the time at work but its a swiss lathe in an enclosure with a built in mist remover. At home I use shop vacs almost exclusively.
I took mine off and installed a 6" low profile vise.
I've just ordered the 727V, won't arrive for a couple months though!
You know how to reverse the switch, and it’s your mill. Go for it!
I know, I know, but I can't help but point out that ALL the problem with parALLel is in the middle lol.
Thanks so much for the excellent entertainment you give us - please keep it up!
Very clean, very sanitary, very well thought out. Wow. I think I can learn things here.
You could put the clamp assortment on a swing arm so it can be seen when needed and out of the way other wise.
Awesome!! I've been wanting one for years! Thank you for the insight into your machine. I do love the idea of lights inside of cabinets too! 👍
Great Work Mate!
I really like how you explain all the acronyms for people that might not know.
I heartily second the direction switch issue. I created a 3D printed "lock out" for my PM728 that screws onto the bottom right of the control panel and physically prevents reverse unless I unscrew it. Trashing two 1/2" carbide end mills with accidental reverse was getting expensive fast.
I'm consulting my crystal ball and I'm foreseeing an upgrade to the benchtop mill, adding a permanent air nozzle to clear chips constantly. 😀
For your forward/reverse issue: move the label to below the switch, and paint over the white mark on the knob and add a new mark to the other end... its not going to help with the muscle memory, but will ease the OCD angst :)
the muscle and automated brain memory while opersting the machine is what its all about.
i would without even think twice just open that panel and wire it the other way arround. its a 10min fix.
and a label is printet quickly or just tape it and use edding^^
13:40 “The light taunts you!” So true.
PM used to sell these already made as CNC's I have one... ditched the Mach3 controller and switched to UNCC, very versatile and customizable. I've added automation features to it. I want to buy another one as a pre made CNC... hope they offer CNC again.
Adam should get some of those flex hoses like he uses for his camera arms (only smaller ones) and put an air nozel that can blow chips away continuously
It's a Precision Matthews. You'll love it!
Just wondering if you need to keep using air supply hoses to blow away the shavings would it be easier to have an auxiliary one on an arm in a set position you can then activate with a foot pedal so you don't have to stop when milling?
Hello Adam,
To reverse the motor I would avoid rewiring the switch as it is a rather complicated setup.
There is a good chance the DC motor was wired in reverse at the factory.
It is easier to reverse the two wires from the motor on the control board.
Being a DC motor this will solve your problem.
Regards,
David
Dalgety Bay
Scotland
That's some out of the box thinking. Great idea!
14:23 the thing he uses to see if the mill vise is perfect. He calls it a micrometer. It is NOT A MICROMETER it is called a indicator.
Love my precision mathews PM-728VT. It’s converted to CNC but it’s seriously served me for years now
Have you considered setting up your air nozzle like your light with a foot pedal. That way you could blow off your work and leave your hands free to work the axis.
One added feature you might want to integrate is a small airline that has a ball valve or something to that effect which sits alongside the cutting head to constantly keep your work piece clear without having to blow all the time or intermittently stop to use the air hose to clear the work space
Picked up a Grizzly mill G0704 and lathe G0752 late last year. Been machining ever since. Once you work the kinks out and install a few upgrades and improvements the machines are excellent and produce quality parts.
Make chips!
That motor controller has a label on the side that says it's 120v single phase.
That tells me that it's a VFD outputting 3 phase to the motor of the mill.
Instead of needing to do something overly complicated like rewiring the switch. All you need to do is swap any two of the 3 wires that go to the motor. It will change the direction of the motor and effectively swap the operation of that fwd/off/rev switch.
Wrong , if the vfd has any type of encoder in it it will break since the drive will expect the reverse
I think that milling vice could do with some more clamps to hold it down, else i reckon it could move under the cutting forces.
Agreed. I'd have at least two on each side, unless he's milling really small and delicate parts but it's easy to under estimate just how much torque and forces are applied when machining even little parts. I quickly learned that at the beginning that even when you have a vice clamped down VERY tightly, the mill can still easily shift it even under relatively light loads. Just goes to show how large of forces are transferred from the cutters to the work piece.
I think he'll soon add another clamp on each side because that vise is bound to shift on him at some point.
You need a copy of the Machinery Handbook. Has every reference table you could ever want.
Would it be helpful if you set up a small, continuous air hose aimed at the mill bit to blow debris away? I'm looking forward to seeing what you create with this benchtop mill, and maybe the kind of wheel you make for it. It is an exciting addition to your workshop.
They make air blowers specifically for this purpose, some also can mist coolant at the same time :)
Yeah I like chip swarf all of my shop. I mean who doesn't? It's more beneficial to just use a chip brush to sweep them away while you go. I have a shop vac next to my mill too and I'm not afraid to use that either.
@@1pcfred cheap used paint brushes work well too
@@SomeGuysGarage they do but they're just not the same as those cheap China bristle brushes. The way the bristles fall out it can be a plus when you're machining. Plus every China bristle brush you trash you're saving some poor fool from trying to paint with it.
Decent jigsaws do this as well, making accurate cuts much easier.
Something just so satisfying about welding up a hex t handle wrench. I have 2 of em.
You may be breaking small endmills easily because you're not running them at a high enough RPM. An 1/8" HSS endmill should be running closer to 3K rpm in mild steel, but since it was carbide 6K should be no problem. Always do the math for cutting speeds and get as close as you can.
Put the clamping setup on a swinging shelf that locks to the mill base so you can have it there or out of the way if you need it
Amazing, I really want to buy one of these machines! Keep up the great content!
Rewiring that switch is worth the effort. It's nice, and safer, to have all your tools operate the same.
Hopefully you can change the "speeling" on your parallel holder. It should be "PARALLELS" - LOL!
Love the review Adam. I wish I could afford that mill. I got a HF mini mill that works well.
I don't do anything at all in regards to building or creating or anything that Adam does on his videos. I'm purely here for Adams passion and excellent explaining skills. Legend
For metric threads good rule of the thumb is that the pilot drill is the size of the bolt minus the pitch of the thread like for M10 thread the pitch is 1.5mm so pilot drill for it is 8.5mm
Yes, it’s logical and super easy compared to inch sizes with all their secret codes like an #8-32 screw and a number 29 drill, and don’t even start on letter drills!
@@emmajacobs5575 but if you don't memorise it all you're "not a real machinist"! ;)
@@mhagnew haha
I don't have a milling machine, plan on buying one soon . So thank you for showing me how you set one up.
It is all in the set up, or so I'm told.
hey Adam! if you’re reading this, on a skate of 1 to 10, how much would you recommend this to a person working on starting their own shop? (same question for anyone else who may have one)
Check out the channel Blondihacks. She has a Precision Matthews lathe and has now had two different PM mills
A great learning machine that is pretty capable and that can be converted to CNC without lots of hassle and cost. Good for one off jobs. Learn about Jigs for production. If you are making money in production then CNC would be the next step and Autotool change is then the issue. Says someone who is still learning his 3018, haha. I have my eye on these size mills.
2:18 out of the box? Does this imply one could improve the machine and reduce runout?
Watch first vid. Other have commented on collets. There are expensive precision Collets and then there are the cheap Chinese one. They are getting closer in preformance.
@@babbagebrassworks4278 He said the runout on this machine 2:11 - Collets were not mentioned as a factor in the runout
I always mounted the clamping accessories on the side of the mill so they are eye level when setting up for a job.
A small piece of advice, it is much easier to control movement with the correct speed and feeds, recommended speed for 4140 steel is appox. 6000 rlm for a 3 mm cutter with good rigidity so here you could easily run at 4000 rpm
could you just re-label the direction switch on the mill for forward and reverse? Or is it the physical direction of the switch that is opposite?
That is exactly my though. Why take apart and rewire a brandy new machine!
Flip the knob 180 degrees on the shaft. That makes the bottom of the knob the indicator, and it will point to the right for 'Forward' operation. Or make a little lever and install it in place of the knob.
The lever thing is what I would do, a bar with a cutout that the top of the knob fits into and then with the lever below the knob it would be natural to move it right for forward and left for reverse.
Flipping the knob won't change the shaft rotation. And yes that mill is bass ackwards. I've seen ratchet drives that swap forward and reverse too. It's maddening.
Adam over here working with white oak 2x4s!! love it
I've been saving for a mini mill add machining to my shop for years. Adam gets one handed to him, there's a saying about this situation... happy for you Adam, don't take it for granted.
Jammy bast'd?
Adam needs to learn about surface speeds. There's a formula SFPM=(PI*DIA*RPM)/12 but I use a chart to get me in the ballpark. A 1/8" diameter tool spinning 2,000 RPM is only 65 surface feet per minute which is pretty slow for free machining plastic. You can go a few hundred SFPM. Generally you want to over drive small diameter tools so you don't side load them so much. Know your speeds! Turning tools at the right speed gets best results.
My mill is similar, other than for power tapping it always is used in forward. So leave the switch in forward and turn on and off with the red and green on off buttons. Wont be an issue anymore.
Would never expect Adam Savage to get a precision matthews mill, he does his homework... he should convert it to a CNC.
You've got my spelling ocd going crazy. Parallel. A really nice set up. I wish I had room in my garage.
Came looking for this very comment.
If you don't have room in your garage for this baby, clean up or sell the car, get a bike.
I just want to applaud whoever is responsible for Tested's audio. I've very sensitive to volume changes, and whoever is doing the audio work for the channel properly understands volume normalization.
You will have to forgive me but all I can think of is rigging up the compressed air hose to some loc-line so its pointing at your work and a foot pedal to release a blast or two when needed. Great vid. JIM
Put copper shims under the claps, the cast iron table is really soft. :)
The first thing I thought of when you mentioned the 'forward/reverse' switch was "Why would they do it like that? I would open it up and swap the wiring". Right there with you, Adam. Next, you might want to integrate some type of waste collection. Just sayin'
It's funny to watch. Adam knows a bit about machining. Just enough to get himself into trouble. Lol. I've been at it for a good many decades and Adam gets it. Been interesting and entertaining to watch him grow. Keep on brother.
I think that's where the passion sits. I've got a few subjects where I know just enough to get myself into trouble--model building, electronics, computer programming, plumbing--and the only one I won't try is the latter because shit can go wrong in way more spectacular ways with that one! For the others, even screwing up is fun because at worst, I learn something from the experience. Then, I can go screw up in new and more innovative ways on the next project!
You could create a maze for ants very easy. :D
BTW, it's good to tighten the vise only a little, tap the workpiece down, tighten a little more, tap again, etc. to make sure it's parallel to the vise bottom.
I bought an ancient mill recently, it's not set up yet as i need to weld a base for it and a VFD. It has an old car transmission on it to change speed, the VFD will improve that i guess.
The great thing about metric is that you don't need a chart to look up drill sizes. Just subtract the pitch from the diameter.
Yep, those poor Yanks and their old Imperial system. Metric just makes it simpler. I do hate it when someone pinches a drill from the 0.1mm precision mill drill set for rivet holes or other simple stuff.
@@babbagebrassworks4278 We can't help it that you can't use fractions or read a chart.
I don't need a chart for tap drills. I just go in my tap/drill index and remove them. They're paired together. No thinking involved. Its even stamped on the drill and tap.
Can you please tell me why people who don't use the imperial system are always complaining about it and saying they don't understand it? Why must we conform to what you want?
SO jealous Adam!! I've been wanting that very machine for a few years now... Hope to get it or the equivalent in the next few years.
Enjoy, it's supposed to be a really great benchtop mill.
My dream machine. Can't afford one unfortunately.
Thanks Adam!
Looks like a fun little mill.
how does the mill fine feed drive the dro?
Separate scale on the front of the mill. Not the larger DRO.
What about setting the clamp holder kind of inset and adding a light so you can see them while your there?
It would look good and they’d be out of the way.
I am insanely jealous of your shop!
If you have 2 machines that a similar function is an opposites on it would be wise to redo one to the method that you are the most comfortable.
Adams got a new watch on,he use to wear an Aqua Terra ,Omega ,very nice watch and lived the fact that he'd be working,keeping the wstch on,a proper sturdy watch.
Hey Adam! i very much enjoy your videos. Do take suggestions for projects? With regards to your tap / drill bit size chart, I think it would be really cool if you built a small interactive split flap mechanism where you enter the screw size on one side, and the the drill bit size shows up on the other side. Use some mini hand wheels to input the data. You could get really creative with the case for the mechanism. (Maybe incorporate into a drill bit case?) No more squinting to read the tiny numbers on the chart.
You can also tumble the collets for a little while to debur them.
That's what we ended up doing..we just didn't have the patience to go over every collet with a file manually.
Can the mill be rotated 180 degrees on the stand so the door opens in a more optimal direction rather than having to reach over it?
It would be easier to rehang the door before moving the mill around. You are right about the awkward open and reach over situation with the door in its current configuration.
The door is made to hi ge from either side. Holes are already there.
Adam gets so much gifted swag
call me green.
But he will use it !
and inspire !
Hello Adam
Well i like your setup for machining but you said you used a micrometer to set your vise? but i think you meant an indicator? Also the rule of thumb is smaller the tool higher the spindle speed.
Great video, Adam. I love that vise.
Adam never give up completely on or be embarrassed about the imperial system. There are plenty of makers out there that still love and use the imperial system and some may think it’s better for some applications. Let the gasps, pearl clutching, and heart attacks begin :)
Aha, immediately noticed the forward/reverse thing as well, glad I'm not the only one who would be tempted to rewire the machine to fix it
The reason the x/y "feel" is better on Adams benchtop milling machine is found in the leadscrews used in the table. This smaller machine has leadscrews with 10 threads-per-inch in the x and y axis, so one full turn of the handwheel advances the table by .100". On a Bridgeport (and clone), the table leadscrews are 5 threads per inch, one full turn on the handwheel advances the table by .200", or twice as far. So yes, the table movements are more precise, which can be beneficial for small parts. And because everything is scaled down, including the workpieces, you don't feel like you're cranking forever to move the table, which would be the case if your Bridgeport had 10 tpi leadscrews.