A voice of experience wrote that the -two speed quill feed gears- on a Clausing mill aren't strong enough for broaching, especially with a pipe extension on the handle.
A voice of experience wrote that the -two speed quill feed gears- on a Clausing mill aren't strong enough for broaching, especially with a pipe extension on the handle.
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10rue0n$1g4o1$1@dont-email.me...
On 4/17/2026 1:20 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
A voice of experience wrote that the -two speed quill feed gears- on a
Clausing mill aren't strong enough for broaching, especially with a
pipe extension on the handle.
If it needs a pipe extension that was a choice of engagement.-a Broaching
a square corner on a mill is done by nibbling. Not firing a full size
net shape projectile at Mach 5.
Maybe the gears are that fragile, but if they are how do you drill with
it?
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
----------------------
I base how hard I push it on a deflection test with an indicator.
I start with a center drill, then 1/8", then increase in steps it can handle, perhaps 1/4->1/2->3/4->1" or hole saws up to 2" or slitting saws
to 4" in mild steel. It makes chattering and other noises if pushed too hard. At ~700 Lbs it's not a very rigid milling machine, less so than an RF-30, and I don't risk breaking unavailable parts.
I like the ergonomics of my Clausing better than a Bridgeport's for
making one small precision part but it's definitely not for rapid volume production, the same as my lathe.
On 4/18/2026 4:42 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10rue0n$1g4o1$1@dont-email.me...
On 4/17/2026 1:20 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
A voice of experience wrote that the -two speed quill feed gears- on
a Clausing mill aren't strong enough for broaching, especially with a
pipe extension on the handle.
If it needs a pipe extension that was a choice of engagement.-a Broaching
a square corner on a mill is done by nibbling. Not firing a full size
net shape projectile at Mach 5.
Maybe the gears are that fragile, but if they are how do you drill with
it?
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
----------------------
I base how hard I push it on a deflection test with an indicator.
I start with a center drill, then 1/8", then increase in steps it can
handle, perhaps 1/4->1/2->3/4->1" or hole saws up to 2" or slitting
saws to 4" in mild steel. It makes chattering and other noises if
pushed too hard. At ~700 Lbs it's not a very rigid milling machine,
less so than an RF-30, and I don't risk breaking unavailable parts.
I like the ergonomics of my Clausing better than a Bridgeport's for
making one small precision part but it's definitely not for rapid
volume production, the same as my lathe.
Just checking.-a I know a lot of people step up through the drill sizes
on a drill press or mill, but its usually because of a mix of low
relative horsepower, slippage, low rigidity, and bit grip.
In even modest production you only need a pilot slightly bigger than the
web if your drills are in good condition and you have the horsepower.
Split points blur that line.
This true 5 HP (5HP 3 phase motor with 7.5kw VFD) South Bend knee mill
has definitely spoiled me.-a I've pushed 5/8 (and larger) drills though 4140HT with no pilot.-a In fact sometimes I will drill holes in a piece
on the manual mill to allow for chip and coolant drainage on the CNC
mill. I bought a set of the next size (1 to 2 inch plus) S&D drills just
for use on this machine a while back.-a If you have the power there is nothing that removes material faster than drilling.-a Some will argue a bandsaw, but only if you are cutting away pieces that you could actually
use for something else.
I have had baby and small desktop/benchtop machines, but I've sold most
of them.-a I still have the Taig (definitely can't broach), but the
noname mill drill and RF30 have long since been sold.-a I am familiar
with babying them due to low rigidity and low power.-a I do have a new
mini mill I bought to do a video series on practical tackle molds you
could make with a POS Mini Mill, but I've never had the time.-a Its still
in the crate.-a Its a WEN.-a Basically a slightly better QC maybe a larger table version of the Harbor Freight mini mill.-a I would have bought the
HF because I wanted to do the series with the cheapest mill in its
class, but it was only available online.-a After freight costs the WEN
was a few dollars cheaper.-a If I was buying one for real world use
though I would go with the fixed column version from Little Machine Shop.
I get using small machines.
I wonder though.-a Can you lock the quill and broach with the knee?
On a mini mill could you lock the quill and broach with the head?
I am just chasing dust devils here.-a I respect that you probably know
best how to use your machines.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
------------------------------
If my old machine tools were still competitive for making money they wouldn't have been available for the price.
They are a good match to my needs, which are often fitting a new part to
an existing one that may be worn or damaged. For paying jobs once I've worked out the prototype design by cut and try I draw up the result and
send it to a production shop, then return to my main tasks of electronic design and assembly.
Segway's ProtoTrak Bridgeport was no more useful on ill-defined custom
work than my Clausing, and more awkward to operate when I could get time
on it; I never got any on the CNC lathe. Their manual lathe was a Smithy Granite with broken milling gears, no competition to my toolmaker-
equipped South Bend.
For serious broaching I make a guide and use the arbor press, for
examples pulley hub key slots and ANSI splines to fit a hydraulic motor shaft. The broach for that was more work than it was worth, I should
have bought a new keyed shaft motor of lower flow rate and torque demand immediately instead of later. That was the belt driven hydraulic pump
for my tractor bucket loader and I had to overload it once by turning up
the pressure to get unstuck, then fix what broke.
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