beginners metal mill
#21
Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: East Central Florida
Posts: 7,273

Connected one of these to a customers computer network last year. Table is about 13' x 30'. Cuts 6" thick structural steel plate with a 94,000 psi water jet with extreme precision.
This is THT. Go big or go home : )
This is THT. Go big or go home : )

#22
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 10,903

This is mine.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Gri...th-Stand/G0704
No it is not a Bridgeport.
No it does not weigh 3000lbs
No it is not 3 phase
But it does great on small aluminum items.
Tooling can be bought on eBay
Doug
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Gri...th-Stand/G0704
No it is not a Bridgeport.
No it does not weigh 3000lbs
No it is not 3 phase
But it does great on small aluminum items.
Tooling can be bought on eBay
Doug
I could spend a lot of money on that site!!!
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 194

you do NOT want a waterjet anywhere near your home! they make a MESS!
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Almont, MI
Posts: 147

Used J head(fixed pulley) or 2J head (variable speed) Bridgeport(3 phase or use a variable frequency drive) for a manual mill or a Tormach 770 or 1100 if you want a 220v single phase CNC mill with a tool changer(optional).
The Bridgeport is the most universal, widely available parts, tooling is very economical. A very easy to learn, pay as you go type of machine.
The Bridgeport is the most universal, widely available parts, tooling is very economical. A very easy to learn, pay as you go type of machine.
#26
Senior Member

Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ocean Springs MS
Posts: 365

They can perform some pretty amazing things with water jets, those things are amazing.
RD, that milling machine looks pretty nice, I've been wanting a Grizzly mill to compliment my Grizzly 12" x 36" lathe for too long.
As already stated, the tooling can easily cost more than the machine. The trick is to just buy what you need now and add to your collection of tooling/tools with time.
OP, buy more machine than you think you need, you will find uses for it.
RD, that milling machine looks pretty nice, I've been wanting a Grizzly mill to compliment my Grizzly 12" x 36" lathe for too long.
As already stated, the tooling can easily cost more than the machine. The trick is to just buy what you need now and add to your collection of tooling/tools with time.
OP, buy more machine than you think you need, you will find uses for it.
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 474

I own Sherline. I have touched Taig. Sherline has a lot of accesories and it well supported. Taig is more rigid, more custom. I think a retired machinist looking for a hobby would go with Taig if they wanted to do small parts. Any good machinist will tell you not to blame the machine. They could make much of the chinesium at little machine shop work just fine.
I want a bridgeport. I don’t have the space at this time. Bigger = more rigid and more power.
I want a bridgeport. I don’t have the space at this time. Bigger = more rigid and more power.
#28
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 3,386

I've done it this way too. Also smashed the ever-livin' crap of my left index finger doing it when the blade caught and yanked the work piece out. It's doable and 99 times out of 100 it's "safe". It's that 1 time that gets ya. My index finger is still mis-shaped after 8 + years since that happened.