Need Help!- Is a head tilting machine important? what is it for?

[Micro Milling]

I was wondering what a 45 degree head tilting is used for on the mini mill?

Do you guys ever use this function? Can you get around this fuction on the micro mill?

Is it worth getting the mini-mill for this feature alone?

[laka]

Can be useful for lots of stuff. Say you need to drill some holes thru a block at at angle. You could face off the corner at a 45 degree and drill some holes. Switch back to 0 degrees and do some work on the top of the block. All in one setup, no need for an angle vise.

Some mills will tilt side to side and even towards and away from you. Every time there is another pivot point you do lose some rigidity.

[Crevice Reamer]

Originally Posted by Micro Milling I was wondering what a 45 degree head tilting is used for on the mini mill? Do you guys ever use this function? Can you get around this fuction on the micro mill? Is it worth getting the mini-mill for this feature alone?

Hi Micro Milling. Welcome to the Zone.

Actually, the tilting column works out to be a fairly useless option. Once you tillt the column, you then have to tram the mill again each time you change position. This can be a major PITA, so most people use the much easier angle vise for such operations.

The tilting column is much less rigid than a solidly mounted column. Frankly, I wish the Mini Mill didn't have it. If you look around, you'll see many threads devoted to stiffening the column on a mini mill, and when they do so, it eliminates the tilt feature.

However, should you buy the micro, and find you REALLY need a tilting column--Then LMS will be happy to sell you one for $170:

http://littlemachineshop.com/product...2296&category=

BTW, the micro mill is only a starter mill. Do not spend a lot of money trying to improve it--It will never be very rigid no matter what you do to it. Same goes for buying a KX1--You will probably quickly outgrow it. The mini mill IS much more rigid than the micro--even WITH the tilting column, so a better bet for only slightly more money.

CR.

[roninB4]

The tilting column is only useless if you have no need for it or don't know much about machining. Several full size vertical mills can tilt the head in 2 directions. The majority of the work you'll do will be with the head square to the table but there can/will be work that you'll wish you had the tilt feature. Not all work can be held in a vise that cants to the angle you wish. The table of these things is really small and you can run out of room in a hurry. Sure the column isn't very rigid but if you know how to make a proper set up vibration isn't as big an issue as many claim. This isn't the machine to be hogging metal with anyway ferchrisakes. Oh wait, you have to tram it every time you move it? Well gee whiz if you know anthing about machining that's part of planning in advance. Tramming a head doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes if you know what you're doing. With a moveable column I can at least guarantee that it will be square in the "x" axis when I'm finished tramming it. If the column is fixed in place what will you do when you discover (surprise) that the Chinese aren't as concerned with it as you are?

If the machine vibrates too much you either need a better machine, less of a cut, or you need a better set up. Pick out what it is that YOU want it to do, most people that own these lightweight machines don't know much about machining anyway and spout underinformed opinions. These machines are NOT going to do the job a full size machine is anyway. The tilt head adds versatility IMO. The mounting of the machine, work holders, length/diamter of cutter, and position of the head relative to the work have a greater effect on vibration than the adjustable column does. The larger the mill the better is what most professional machinists will tell you and it's true. A smaller working envelope will hinder your work and you'll find yourself wishing for a larger mill like everybody else does. My best advice to you is to purchase the largest mill you can afford and have room for. The increased mass of a larger machine will mean less vibration, a better surface finish, and will be easier to find/make tooling for. Bypass the micromill altogether and get something larger, you won't regret it.