It's ON! (HF mini-mill #44991)

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After battling with myself for a month I decided to buy the HF Mini-Mill! It was an extremely difficult decision to make for me. Like many I'm sure, I had to really search and understand the limitations and capabilities of the different systems.

Originally I was going to get a mini/micro-mill (Taig, Sherline) ...then I was going to make a JGRO router...then I wanted to make a Campbell design router... Then I was just going to buy a K2 router...All while I was looking into the mini-mills like Pauls and Jon's. You get the idea and I'm sure many Newb's to hobby machining do this.

I finally came to the conclusion that I needed something that would work with me, not against me. All of my questions to the various threads have been Aluminum and tougher material cutting related. While I didn't want to be limited in my machining envelop (size of work), I had to be realistic about what routers and the micro-milling machines could do.... as relatively inexpensive as possible.

I bought the Mini because it will machine Aluminum and tougher materials like Carbon Fiber, Micarta and hopefully a little Ti. And it was on sale for $449
I look at it like, you can always sell it if it doesn't work out! Anyway I hope this rant will help some newb cruising through the site. It doesn't have to break your bank and you don't need a full size shop or garage to get going in this hobby.

Here she sits... all manual like! (Don't pay attention to the dates...new camera I couldn't wait to use!)






I've ordered three 276 oz./in. Bipolars from Automation Direct. I'm going to order the Xylotex 4 axis drive board next week, as I want to add an 4th axis indexer. I want to go with ball screws right away...

I'm looking into the Ron Steele plans...anyone have any other thoughts?

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Once I'm done CNC'ing the mini, I'm going to have a crack at the router thing. I got my x-axis slides for $60... I hope to find more deals like this...

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Made little headway thus far (it's still early, but my Cats just won and I'm going out to Celebrate!)...Having issues with pay pal so I haven't been able to order Ron Steele's plans yet...

I decided to use a Craftsman 4 drawer project center as my stand. Its quite stable although I had concerns when I put the casters on this morning.

So I headed down to Lowes and picked up some .500 particle board and made a little table top to mount the mini. I drilled the four holes using the board the mini was originally attached to as a template.



Drilled with a .3125 jobber drill (5/16) / Counter-bore .75 dia. - .125 DOC / .5 counter sink to allow room for machine screw square.

As you can see (below) the head of the bolt is flush with the board.

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I used the bigger piece as the base and the smaller piece as the adjustment locater. If its not level for any reason I can loosen a screw or screws and shim as nessesary. I used 2.5" x .3125 machine screws.



Here she sits once again...untrammed (horribly) and not ready for any action...I soon rectified the situation and scribed my initials just before tip-off this afternoon. (.25 C.E.M / .025 DOC)



Sorry no action shots...It has become habit for me to finish whatever I'm doing on the machine...especially if I'm turning handles. GOD I hate turning handles...CAN'T WAIT TO CNC this thing.