Benctop Mill Selection

[pntrbl]

Could I get some help on deciding how large of a benchtop mill I can get into my available real estate? Actually, there is no available, lol, but I do have an old Craftsman Drill Press I could put into temporary retirement. It's the skinny one in the background .... and if this pic is too huge would someone please let me know?



Depth would seem to be the issue. From the wall out that's a 24" bench and if you look closely you can see the drill press didn't even fit. There's a fat 3" wide piece of angle iron supporting the front of the base. I suppose that'd be OK for a mill too so call it 27" for available depth.

I have found working enevelopes for X3's, RF45's, etc. in the various manuals, but they typically include the handle, which leaves me wondering how big the actual base is.

Any help would be appreciated and please ignore the XY Table on the Drill Press in the foreground. I can categorically state that an XY on a DP does not magically make a mill ......

Thanx

SP

[tauntdesigns]

I made a 2 foot by 3 foot bench that my X3 sits on.

From the back of machine (sheet metal casing that covers the electronics and Z-axis) to the front of the machine ( front of the base casting) is 21-22 inches.

Cheers,

[hoss2006]

Keep in mind too, an X3 is about 400 lbs, an RF-45 is about 7-800 lbs.
That bench would need some beefing up.
Hoss

[pntrbl]

Thank you both for the responses. With a 20% discount coupon from Harbor Freight in my hot little hand that X3 is looking pretty good. I wish they carried the Super X3 ......

My only real reservation I have is that I'm usually working with mild steels. The extra mass of the RF45 would probably be an advantage. If it fits my available bench space. I think the envelope I saw was 33" on depth, but how much was handle and where the base ended I couldn't tell. I have to admit I put a 6" steel rule on my monitor trying to measure it but the results were inconclusive.

Strenghtwise the bench is deceptive. The legs are 2"sq 1/4 wall that are anchored to the concrete floor. The top has 1/4" plate fully welded in that's covered in 3/4" plywood with a galvanized top. The back legs and rear top rail are lagged into the wall studs. The extra bracing across the front top rails reduced flex from a 200lb load at the center of the spans from .014 to .007. The next time there's an earthquake I know where I'm going .... lol.

There's a 550lb Logan lathe just out of the pic to the left riding fine.

So obviously I'm leaning towards the RF45. I just don't know if the depth will fit. Anybody got one they could measure?

Thanx again.

SP

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I think you would find an RF45 inconveniently high sitting on a normal height bench.

Regards,
Ray L.

[pete from TN]

I have a recently converted to CNC Lathemaster milling machine. It has been a great little mill to use for nearly nine years now. It's dimensions are (including the cnc motors and mounts) 36" deep, the table including the cnc motor and mount is about 45" wide, The machine with the spindle motor attatched to my belt drive assembly I custom made and the millhead all the way up to the top of the column is about 58" tall. It is sitting on a custom welded rectangular steel tube stand that puts the base of the machine at 37" above the floor. This is a little bit higher than I had intended because when I made the stand I had some casters that I thought would hold the machine and when I put them on they did hold the machine alright but they would develop flat spots over about a weeks time so I removed them and bought some larger steel wheels and they are quite a bit taller than what I had on there. SO the mill table is at a height right now where I do not have to bend over to work on the machine but it is actually a tad too high. I am now planning a complete enclosure that will sit on this heavy steel stand and I intend to remove the tall casters and install some vibration absorbing leveling feet. That should put it at the proper height. To put it in perspective, A standard kitchen counter top is at 36". With respect to your question about which mill to buy an x3 or an RF45, I would say the RF because I own one but it would mostly be because you stated that you want to do a lot of steel machining. In any machine tool there is no substitute for weight and mass. I have machined a lot of steel manually with this machine and I intend to use it for steel now that it is cnc. It is definitely larger than the X3 which is more of a benchtop machine. The RF while it is a benchtop mill it really should be on a very heavy stand and that essentially makes it more of a standalone mill... IT is HEAVY... THe millhead alone weighs about 200 pounds.... Both of these machines are quite capable and of decent quality so you cannot go wrong either way. Bob Bertrand at Lathemaster has taken very good care of me with service long after the sale so I have no problem recommending his products altho the mill he is currently selling is not the same one I bought years ago.... good luck and peace...