I clearance most of my frames for decoder installs by hand with a Dremel tool and a carbide cutting bit. Not quite as pretty as using a mill but for me faster and usually not much material needs to be removed. I've found that doing sound decoder installs at times I need about all the room I can create, especially if I want to use a 9x16mm speaker and enclosure. I like the sound from the larger speaker so use it if I can otherwise an 8x12 mm might be what needs to be used. I have a 6 speed mill/drill that is plenty large enough to mill frames but you control the vertical depth of cuts with the spindle. It has a wheel for adjustments in the thousands but with my larger Bridgeport clone mill I can make vertical adjustment with the knee where the whole table goes up and down. It is also variable speed so has more flexibility in that regard. It is very accurate and easy to use so prefer using it for frame milling. The negative is that it has an 8 inch vise on it. When you tighten the vise and grip something small and delicate like a N scale frame it is hard to feel how hard you are pressing on the frame. So far I haven't ruined one with the vise but feel kind of lucky in that regard. With that in mind I decide to see how a 3D printer frame holder might work in the vise. It took a couple hours to design using the free version of Fusion 360 and about 4 more hours to print using the Ender 3 Pro. I love it and will probably make some for other frames also. The filament print has more 'squish' to it than say a metal holder. The frame lays in the holder and the holder lays on top of the vise. So basically no setup required. Put the frame in the holder and the holder in the vise and you are ready to mill right away. I tighten the vise just to the point where the holder and frame don't slide in the vise. The holder grips the frame and using a small bit there is no movement. I also have a resin printer but felt the filament print might be a better option as it is more flexible than a resin print but maybe try one if that is the only printer your have. Let's move onto the pictures showing using it.... . . . . . . . I have the print files up on my thingiverse.com account ( HERE ). If you print and use the frame holder and find out that it works for other frames please let me know at ( login (at) 1fatgmc (dot) com. Sumner
Good idea! The shape is also conducive to a stick of clear pine (or other strong, soft wood) and the same mill, or even a table saw, if you don't have a 3d printer. Even if you don't have a mill, a work holder like that would still be very handy for cutting/filing a loco frame by hand, while held in a sturdy vise, or even a hand screw,* itself clamped to a bench top. Just use a very light lubricant (e.g. WD-40 or similar) to keep the file from clogging on the soft metal. *Hand screws are extremely versatile, square-jawed, wooden-bodied clamps that are super versatile, since their flat, parallel sides can easily be clamped to a table or bench top, in lieu of a vise. Good ones, like Miro-Moose, are still made in Dubuque Iowa, are available at better woodworking tool suppliers like Woodcraft, Lee Valley, etc.
We have the same milling machine here. I don't know if you have a digital read out but if you're ever looking for one try the Electronica 4 axis. https://www.dropros.com/Electronica...m#Electronica_Magnetic_Scale_4_Axis_Mill_Kits:
Thanks for the link. I don't have a DRO but at times wished I would of. I see the prices have come way down on them. At my age now I just don't use the mill enough now to justify going that route. When I was making stuff for my race care and Hooley's Bonneville car it would have been nice. I actually got the mill from Harbor Freight back in the days when they were selling larger machinery and the maximum freight charge was $50. What a deal considering how heavy it is and that it had to come truck. It is the same mill that Enco and other places were selling, probably all made in the same factory. It has been good and looks like the price of one now is about 80% more than what I paid then. Also got a 36" metal lathe at the same time for a little under $2000 and the $50 freight (in the background above). Both have been good. I had two life insurance policies and was single at the time so I wasn't going to get the money from them so cashed them out and got the mill, lathe and car lift and have been a happy live person and they are probably worth about as much as the life insurance policies would of been so a good deal. Sumner
Hey it is only a little over 2000 lbs. . I just looked and the prices have even gone up more since the last time I looked. Enco/MSC has them in the $11k-$12K range now plus shipping. I paid a little over $4k and as I said that was $50 shipping max with Harbor Freight then. I don't think I'll be selling it locally when the time comes if I'm the one to sell it. One of my wife's fears is that I'll die and the shop will still have everything in it that it does now. I have actually started to de-clutter and have sold things and the '51 Desoto, sailboat and camper are all on the market now. Sumner
I'm glad you drew the circle around the frame, wouldn't be able to find it in all that metal otherwise... Next windfall I'm going to get some sort of mill, too useful for locomotive stuff. Probably a Sherline lathe with the mill headstock, no room for behemoths in my leetle office/workshop. I think I'm in here by design; when I go, there's only so much stuff to sort through...
Mill...lathe...mill.... lathe? Hard to live with one without the other. When I was doing quite a bit of machine work, all personal. I probably used the mill 60%-75% of the time but when I needed the lathe I needed the lathe. Hard decision to make For most of our work I'd get the mill. I haven't used the lathe for anything model RR related but can see it would be handy for you loco build. I know you are limited for space but since what you are buying isn't too huge I get them separately and figure how to store them. I looked a little at the mill headstock with the lathe but don't think I'd want to use it. If you couldn't buy both at the same time I'd start with the mill and then add the lathe. I don't think you would ever regret it. I also wouldn't shy away from 'used'. I've used my mill and lathe quite a bit but a busy machine shop would probably use one in a month as much as I have total. The point being if you are buying from an individual chances are if it was a good piece of machinery it is still a good piece of machinery unless they really abused it. Might make it more affordable that way. Also maybe a good chance that they have already bought a lot of the tooling you will need and it will go with the mill or lathe. Budget a fair, probably more than you think, amount for tooling and good measuring equipment. Buy as large as your budget will allow and your space will allow. Better to be machining something small in something large than something right at the limits of the equipment. I'll bet you will enjoy it, so go for it when you can, Sumner
I have a good source of observation and experience with the Sherline combo setup, a fellow I work with at the baggage car restoration has it. He happens to also be working on a HOn3 #168 model, although he's doing it all in brass. He likes the Sherline setup, but he is having problems cutting driver slots with sufficient tolerance to keep from binding the rods. I know he knows what he's doing, he does all of the fabrication of metal parts for our 1:1 scale railcars, so I'm going to ask more specific questions tomorrow at the work session. I'm already a little concerned at the smallish workspace of the combo, but if the smaller headstock bracket makes it less rigid... Oh, kinda related, I'm going through my Model Railroader collection to cull out the articles I want and recycle the rest (making space for tools!!), and today I ran across a 70's era Carl Traub article on using a drill press for milling. I think drill presses were sturdier back then...
The lathe is said to be the only machine that can make itself. Not sure I believe that, but it can probably make itself better and much more easily than other machines can make themselves.
I've heard that and also that the mill is the only machine that can make itself. I think the key might be 'itself'. So the question is can a mill make a lathe or a lathe make a mill. I'll let everyone draw there own conclusions... It has been said that the Engine Lathe is the only machine that can reproduce itself.... ( HERE ) a mill with a rotary table is the minimum combination of tooling required to reproduce itself.... ( HERE ) It sure is nice though to have both Sumner
As is a milling attachment for a lathe... All these machines need "a little help from [their] friends."
The attachment isn't going to give the same kind of stability as a stand-alone mill but realize some people have to go that way. I have a good friend that was a machinist for a number of years and bought one of the 2-in-1 mill/lathes (much larger than a Sherline) and he wasn't that happy with it and when I was looking advised me to buy separate if I could. He didn't like the fact that the setup on operations was harder and it just wasn't as convenient to use as a separate mill and lathe. Again I realize it might be the only viable option for some. One thing that does make a mill/lathe combo more doable is if one is limiting what they are doing to our hobby where one is machining very small parts with very small bits you don't need a larger mill or lathe or combo to get good results. Not sure why Glen's friend is having good luck with most but not all? Sumner
Still not sure either; he wasn't there today. I have some time to research this completely; won't have the windfall until fall, so to speak. Also, just got the printer space back in operating condition, so I'm going to concentrate on printing the static model first. I don't mind the reconfigure burden, but I do not want to take on a frustrating experience. Sumner, thanks for your perspective, it's got me thinking...
I forgot to mention why I like the Electronica DRO so much. Most importantly the scales can be custom cut to length to suit any machine. I was super cautious the first time I cut one (in the band saw of all things) because things like this usually don't work as simple as the promotional video. I have 2 read outs with glass scales and it's alway a compromise in limiting the length of travel on a slide (too short) or having way too much glass scale poking out somewhere (too long). The second advantage is with these 4 axis scales is the quill and the knee travel can be combined (or subtracted) to make the distance relative. I've been using the mill to make parts and tools for N scale as well as the live steamers .... with N scale there is just a lot more spare space on the table.
