Milling table for drill press - XY adjustable (2 Viewers)

[Jambine]

Yes, 60 grit. I wanted to keep the chip from moving but needed something that would stay flat against the table.
It worked well, without damaging the faces.

I should be more specific here. I wanted it to stay flat AND not compress

 

[Eloe2000]

Yes, 60 grit. I wanted to keep the chip from moving but needed something that would stay flat against the table.
It worked well, without damaging the faces.

I would suggest trying thin sheets of silicone. Certainly won’t damage the chips and they are tacky enough to hold them but thin enough so that depression isn’t a factor.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...h_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=pokchifor0d-20

 

[Jambine]

Before I embark upon milling 2,500+ paulson roulettes, I have a question. Why are people milling chips so deep?
I just mic'ed a @Gear laminated textured label. I think that's the thickest one he offers and it's only 0.214 mm thick.
Any thoughts?

 

[Josh Kifer]

I would suggest trying thin sheets of silicone. Certainly won’t damage the chips and they are tacky enough to hold them but thin enough so that depression isn’t a factor.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...h_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=pokchifor0d-20

I do felt pads for drawers. They do need to be replaced every few hundred, but grip with zero damage.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Before I embark upon milling 2,500+ paulson roulettes, I have a question. Why are people milling chips so deep?
I just mic'ed a @Gear laminated textured label. I think that's the thickest one he offers and it's only 0.214 mm thick.
Any thoughts?

Ya try not to, in the start everyone seems to go to deep then shallow up. Goal should always be just enough to flush up the label.

Funny thing is, a chunk of orders I get a message after saying they seem too shallow. I've only had 5 chips returned to be remilled tho. It's a challenge when using the drill press method. Even with a locked depth...

 

[Jambine]

Ya try not to, in the start everyone seems to go to deep then shallow up. Goal should always be just enough to flush up the label.

Funny thing is, a chunk of orders I get a message after saying they seem too shallow. I've only had 5 chips returned to be remilled tho. It's a challenge when using the drill press method. Even with a locked depth...

That's pretty much what I thought. I will start very slow and play with the depth

 

[Josh Kifer]

That's pretty much what I thought. I will start very slow and play with the depth

Honestly, ive found that if you get deep enough in light to have an edge, and the far edge looks too shallow... But when you rotate the chip around the deep edge rolls with the shadow, you are good.

Also, take a old inlay, make it not tacky anymore, and you can drop it in and feel the edge against it with your fingernail. Then it falls out when your done.

 

[Jambine]

Honestly, ive found that if you get deep enough in light to have an edge, and the far edge looks too shallow... But when you rotate the chip around the deep edge rolls with the shadow, you are good.

Also, take a old inlay, make it not tacky anymore, and you can drop it in and feel the edge against it with your fingernail. Then it falls out when your done.

Using an old label is how I discovered the depth problem. I'll continue to use that.
You are so right about the shadow illusion. I'm in the garage with the door open, and overhead light and an additional work light. Seems like that is still not enough

 

[allforcharity]

Before I embark upon milling 2,500+ paulson roulettes, I have a question. Why are people milling chips so deep?
I just mic'ed a @Gear laminated textured label. I think that's the thickest one he offers and it's only 0.214 mm thick.
Any thoughts?

Like a lot of things, probably just takes practice. I'd like to say that consistent shallow milling depth was an advantage of using a bottom router method, but am willing to temper that with loss of speed, and much messier. If there's a big noticeable shadow in the recess, you've probably gone too deep.

 

[Gear]

I would also add that flush is NOT the goal -- they should be slightly below flush.

 

[GenghisKhan]

For me it's the bit I'm using. If I mill just enough to fit the label so it's a hair below the face of the chip, I still have a concave surface in the middle of the chip. It's pretty large and noticeable.

I don't have the Magnate so don't know if that one gives a flatter appearance (I know none are 100% flat).

If I mill a tiny bit deeper with my but (lol, I'm not correcting this), the result seems flatter and more even.
But it's still not too deep in my opinion.

All these seem reasonable to me.

 

[Gear]

* convex

 

[Jambine]

I don't have the Magnate so don't know if that one gives a flatter appearance (I know none are 100% flat).

The Magnate bottom cleaning bit has both blades meeting at (virtually) the center. I'm not getting any "convex" appearance

 

[Josh Kifer]

The Magnate bottom cleaning bit has both blades meeting at (virtually) the center. I'm not getting any "convex" appearance

So, I think that happens per bit. It happens with my 7/8tg, but my 1 inch is completely flat. I might buy another one to just test it out....

 

[Jambine]

You can see the center of the tool mark here, but it is flat. Can't feel any rise in the center.
This is a 1" diameter bit (I have not tried the 7/8" bit)

 

[GenghisKhan]

* convex

Hey I have a good excuse though. I was leading a 22-person conference call, digging through my chip cabinet and chip boxes, taking pictures, posting to PCF, all while explaining to all these people how to do the job I hired them to do.

Too much multi-tasking lol

 

[GenghisKhan]

So after months of hibernation, I have set up my milling station to get back to work.
(My wife said not in the house, so I set it up when she was out playing golf. She didn't see yet lol)

I'm still super happy with this milling table. I wanted to continue milling Nevada molds. I guess when I put everything away in the fall I had been milling something different, so I was no longer aligned right for the Nevadas.

I used the first 2 Nevadas to center myself little by little by unlocking the table screws and turning the 2 knobs. Once I was centered again after only 2 chips, I locked the tiny screws in place again to guarantee zero movement.

Pics are Pre-alignment vs after alignment
That's as close as you can get to being perfect on chips that we know aren't exactly manufactured to perfection.

I don't mill very deep. But my Gear samples fit fine and are still deeper than the face to prevent spinners.

When the wife is golfing with friends on Saturday, I know what I'll be doing.

(I wish this broken rib would heal faster so I can play too though...)

 

[GenghisKhan]

Okay so after not milling for many months, I've come out of the gate doing 20 mins per rack. This seems WAY faster than last fall. I felt like it was an hour back then but don't remember timing it...

I think last fall I was way too picky with cleaning off each chip and placing them neatly in a rack. Plus I moved the shopvac closer to the chip so nothing gets in the way. It's like half a cm from the bit maybe less. Now it's just mill, flip, mill, put em in a pile to the left. Also instead of facing tv it's behind me now. Maybe that's it lol.

What are you other millers doing speedwise?

@Josh Kifer , @Eloe2000 , @arch3r , @i'm nobody @Jambine ?

 

[i'm nobody]

Okay so after not milling for many months, I've come out of the gate doing 20 mins per rack. This seems WAY faster than last fall. I felt like it was an hour back then but don't remember timing it...

I think last fall I was way too picky with cleaning off each chip and placing them neatly in a rack. Plus I moved the shopvac closer to the chip so nothing gets in the way. It's like half a cm from the bit maybe less. Now it's just mill, flip, mill, put em in a pile to the left. Also instead of facing tv it's behind me now. Maybe that's it lol.

What are you other millers doing speedwise?

@Josh Kifer , @Eloe2000 , @arch3r , @i'm nobody @Jambine ?

I like to think that I can safely and precisely do about a rack in about 25 - 30 mins. But I do include set up time and vacuuming time during that rack as well. I do want to pick up a milling table that will hopefully allow me to set up faster which will hopefully cut down and minor adjustments and save some time that way.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Okay so after not milling for many months, I've come out of the gate doing 20 mins per rack. This seems WAY faster than last fall. I felt like it was an hour back then but don't remember timing it...

I think last fall I was way too picky with cleaning off each chip and placing them neatly in a rack. Plus I moved the shopvac closer to the chip so nothing gets in the way. It's like half a cm from the bit maybe less. Now it's just mill, flip, mill, put em in a pile to the left. Also instead of facing tv it's behind me now. Maybe that's it lol.

What are you other millers doing speedwise?

@Josh Kifer , @Eloe2000 , @arch3r , @i'm nobody @Jambine ?

I'm 20-25 min a rack, depending on flow. Sometimes 30 min, but Paulson THCs I can bust out at that pace.

 

[louBdub]

You can see the center of the tool mark here, but it is flat. Can't feel any rise in the center.
This is a 1" diameter bit (I have not tried the 7/8" bit)

Have you used a 1” bit on a CSQ mold? I can’t seem to find a thread showing someone doing, and I know it looks fantastic considering the P&P set. I just haven’t found a DIY’er with a 1” CSQ chip yet.

You’re the first I’ve found using a 1” so far

Thx!

 

[Josh Kifer]

Have you used a 1” bit on a CSQ mold? I can’t seem to find a thread showing someone doing, and I know it looks fantastic considering the P&P set. I just haven’t found a DIY’er with a 1” CSQ chip yet.

You’re the first I’ve found using a 1” so far

Thx!

I have a 7/8, 1 inch, 1 1/8 and 1 1/4.....

I'm not that hard to find here, am I?

 

[louBdub]

I have a 7/8, 1 inch, 1 1/8 and 1 1/4.....

I'm not that hard to find here, am I?

Didn’t consider you a DIY haha. You’re the Pro my man. Message sent, thx for helping!