I''ve noticed only one post concerning enclosing the milling machine and wondered if anyone had just used a angle iron frame around the table and attaching plexiglass to that?? I'm using semi-light angle iron and attaching them to the corners of the table and running them up around 36" on the back and front of the mill. I'll install piano hinges at the top so that I can lift the glass up for cleaning front and back and to get at the work pcs. On the ends I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it but will figure something out. Just wondering if anyone else has done this and could give me some suggestions.
I would like to do the same someday. Currently, I'm using a double sided blue tarp cover that I fabricated to keep the chips and coolant from spraying and shooting all over my garage.
There was another post from a guy who inclosed his bench top mill with plexiglass. I'll see if I can't find it. He had some nice pictures.
I started to enclose my machine. photos attached. the blue is the covering which I haven't removed yet. i installed a strip at the bottom of the rear pcs. to divert the coolant into the table. The rear swings up and I have a pcs. of aluminum wire to hold it up. the front will have two pcs. opening in the middle like a door.
your trouble spots will be your y axis moter hitting the glass when you move the Y all that way that direction.
2cd, it will be a pain in the but to put/take on/off the Lathe tail when going from mill to lathe, further if you use the lathe power feed on boaring/drilling it will pull in the glass or push it out.......
PoppaBear10,
Nope! the Y axis doesn't go back that far on the new Tri-Power and the hole for the tail stock is large enough to pass thru the plastic if I remove the handle..
But thanks for your input, but thought of that problem before I did it.
Ben