For aluminium, try metholated spirits (or rubbing alcohol, as we call it where I live) as a cutting fluid. It prevents edge build-up, evaporates quickly, and leaves no waxy residue like WD40. I've never used kerosene, but it does make sense that it would work. From using it for other things, though, I'd think it would leave some sort of residue. But if it slows or prevents rust, so much the better. I enjoy your channel, by the way. Thank you for sharing.
Methylated spirits are usually denatured ethanol, whereas rubbing alcohol is usually just isopropyl alcohol(potentially scented in some places). Will work just the same, Methylated spirits typically smell horrible in places where they're consumed as alcohol.
Great video. I love it how it was concise and to the point, unlike some content creators that want to tell you their life story, about their pets, etc.. Subscribed.
I don't know if you watch Rustinox, but he recently turned me on to glue bottles? I had not heard of them. It's an oil can with a brush built in to the end. When you squeeze the trigger, oil does not shoot out. Instead it flows right onto the bristles. Very clean setup, one-handed oiling.
Very good ideas. The best ones I did for mine were 3 axis magnetic DRO 30 inch 50 lbs gas spring to help lift the head. It is now pretty easy A collar to lock the top of the spindle instead of the spanner. See the one LMS sells Replace the table locking lever on the front with a large thumb screw. It snapped when it got bound up while moving the table
Zu deinem zweiten Tipp mit den Einlegeleisten für den T-Nutentisch: Magnetklebeband und Faltenbalg sind günstig, leicht zu montieren und super leicht zu säubern und arbeiten mit ihrer leichten Gewichtsklasse dem Spänefang zu. Funktioniert an meiner herrlich.
Exactly don't use WD-40 as all that stuff does is cool the bit a little, stuff in not a lubricant as opposed to actual oil coolant mixes or straight oil. If you don't wanna use a pump just mount the tank high and let gravity and a ball valve do the rest.
G’day one good thing that I learnt in plastics we used to use car X-cut past just on a rag but you can use very fine wet and dry paper. Good luck John PS it’s the cutting compound that you would use on cars.
Zu deinem ersten Tipp mit der Feder nach dem Handrad: Die Feder auf die andere Seite des Handrades zu machen ist konstruktiv, eher schlecht, da du ja bei dem automatischen Vorschub rotierende Kräfte hast. Mit der Feder an der Position ist gesichert, das du diese Handrad-Unwucht als Schwingungen nicht auf die ganze Maschine bis zum Werkstück weitergeben wirst. Sondern nur dann per Hand arbeiten sollst, wenn du gegen die Feder arbeitest.
Make your own powerfeed its easy and cheap, I used a 24v wiper motor $70 and bought a cheap speed controller $25 - $30 and used my 24v battery charger, works great
Putting a magnetic collar around the Allen wrench is a safer (and easier) choice. If you snap off the M10 bolt where you weakened it by drilling it out, you are going to have a rough time getting the stub removed.
Those shoes looked like Crocs! Very Classy! Have you considered using an old poison spray pack to put coolant on the part. Just need to be able to pump it up between jobs and you should be able to get a fine mist right where you need it. I personally have not tried this yet but I have been thinking it is a cheap way to use minimal coolant without resorting to compressor and commercial kits. By the way I have purchased myself a mill. It is a Metex DM45 and will definitely be steal...I mean using some of your ideas. Keep up the good work!
I doubt it. Transparent ABS (Strickly speaking MABS) is something of a specialized material and fairly expensive. Judging by what the plastic was salvaged from I'd say its more likely to be polycarbonate or polystyrene. I've been in the plastic industry for 32 years the last 15 or so as a process engineer. Transparent ABS is something that just doesn't come up hardly ever from a production and design standpoint. At least in the portion of the industry I work in.
Great vid, some fantastic tips, I'm looking to upgrade from the seig SX2, I had lusted after the SX3, but after seeing yours, and a few others, I'm now thinking I'll get the sx2.7, have you seen the upgrades available from the Little Machine Shop?, they're a good mob to deal with, postage to Oz sucks though. They also sell separate clutches for the power feed units, I'm going to convert mine over when I get the bigger mill, power feed's are a must have for us old farts;). Thanks for the tips, Scott.
With the fixed speed motor I have and the belt pulleys, I can't drop the rpm low enough to cut threads under power. I would change the motor but this is the first time in almost a year that I've had to cut threads this way so it's just easier to spin the chuck manually. The sherline I have has a pretty similar method to this.
@@artisanmakes Me too....I have an old 1930 Colchester Bantam lathe and the chuck screws on so reversing is not an option......for screwcutting I made a handle that plugs in the end of the spindle and makes possible reversing the spindle at the end of each screw pass....... many times I just wind the spindle by hand for small or short threads and internal ones.......the handle is removed for normal turning.
@@artisanmakes Do you mean because it is too fast and the risk of crashing the chuck is too high? Turn the threading tool upside down and run the lathe backwards. That way the tool runs off the end of the stock, rather than into the chuck.
Yes, with the current pulley ratios I have the lowest speed I can drop the spindle down to is about 400rpm. And unfortunately the motor won't reverse. I would change the motor out if I cut threads more often. Cheers
Thank you for all the tips. I wonder why not use plumbing PTFE tape on the drain joint, rather than silicone grease ? Best wishes from a Brit/Ozzie in Japan ! [ Sieg SC4 lathe; SX2P mill coming shortly. X2.7L mills not available in Japan, unfortunately. ]
10:48 du benutzt sicher einen Zyklonabscheider für die Späne, du weißt ja, das scharfe Aluminium-Späne dir den Beutel zerschneiden können und bis in den Motor rein einen Schaden anrichten können.
now that you have both, which one would you buy first: lathe or mill ? I will be mostly drilling the 23 mm hole in the rectangular aluminium block, and a few smaller holes in the corners, which I can handle with my drill press. but that large 23 mm hole is a tough one to make in batches, and I don;t feel safe doing it on the drill press either. I clamped it as hard as you can imagine, and the drill press is still vibrating like mad, and the table is bending slightly downwards from the force, and that also makes the hole slightly out of perfectly parallel to the block's walls. unfortunately I can't afford 2 machines, and I need to wait maybe a year to buy another machine. your advice would be greatly appreciated
Great tips mate. I’ve ordered the Sieg SX2.7 and should be here next week. I was going start building a stand for it. What height did you build your stand ?
Not sure how other people prefer it, but I like my mill and lathe table to be a little higher than most. The mill table is about 1m high. It just means I don't have to lean over as much when looking at the table.
I bought this from a company called Ausee off eBay. I looked into the X2L mill but ultimately settled on this due to the larger table and fixed column. I'm not too familiar with the x2D but I have seen quite a few upgrades for them.
With the motor I have I can't drop the lathe rpm low enough to cut threads. Not a big issue since this is the first time I've had to cut threads on the lathe in almost a year.
Another fascinating video, well laid out and narrated, always good to see other peoples work, I have the next size down mill, and have done a few mods myself, unfortunately it was damaged in our garage fire and I had to rebuild it, this is the video if you would be interested ua-cam.com/video/clPzFCg6Fas/v-deo.html Regards Nigel.
I don't see why not, it's fitted with the dro and the worm gear allows me to make much finer adjustments than I can by moving the head. It's certainly rigid enough to do so.
Cheers, this one is a bed mill and I do move the head for most stuff, however having a dro on the quill which I can set origins is an advantage to me. Either way I still have to use the quill lock to unlock the quill for drilling, and to be honest, drilling is probably 80% of what I use the mill for.
Drop a strong magnet into the jar with the cutting fluid. It helps it to stay in place, but is movable
The magnet in the Hex head screw was outstanding!
For aluminium, try metholated spirits (or rubbing alcohol, as we call it where I live) as a cutting fluid. It prevents edge build-up, evaporates quickly, and leaves no waxy residue like WD40. I've never used kerosene, but it does make sense that it would work. From using it for other things, though, I'd think it would leave some sort of residue. But if it slows or prevents rust, so much the better. I enjoy your channel, by the way. Thank you for sharing.
Methylated spirits are usually denatured ethanol, whereas rubbing alcohol is usually just isopropyl alcohol(potentially scented in some places). Will work just the same, Methylated spirits typically smell horrible in places where they're consumed as alcohol.
It's great that you show the things that don't work out, too.
Great video. I love it how it was concise and to the point, unlike some content creators that want to tell you their life story, about their pets, etc.. Subscribed.
I think I missed something. Why is it that you cannot use your lead screw under power? Is that just a characteristic of mini lathes?
Great tips in a very concise and organized video. Thanks!!
I highly recommend the rubber mat. It lowers stress on feet. Also if shop floor is cold concrete it provides some insulation against cold floor.
Reduces fatigue on all parts of your legs.
Yes, used to have wooden duckboards at benches and the like in workshops.
Tinkerbell ain't got nothing on us machinist, great video, keep'um coming.
@@davidwillard7334 lol, good one!!
I don't know if you watch Rustinox, but he recently turned me on to glue bottles? I had not heard of them. It's an oil can with a brush built in to the end. When you squeeze the trigger, oil does not shoot out. Instead it flows right onto the bristles. Very clean setup, one-handed oiling.
Sometimes in life and while machining, you gotta let the chips fall where they may.
Great video, my next big tool will hopefully be a mill like urs.
Very good ideas. The best ones I did for mine were
3 axis magnetic DRO
30 inch 50 lbs gas spring to help lift the head. It is now pretty easy
A collar to lock the top of the spindle instead of the spanner. See the one LMS sells
Replace the table locking lever on the front with a large thumb screw. It snapped when it got bound up while moving the table
Like the glass jar idea . Nice work 🤙🏾
👍👍 yes, I learn something from every one of your episodes 😃
Zu deinem zweiten Tipp mit den Einlegeleisten für den T-Nutentisch: Magnetklebeband und Faltenbalg sind günstig, leicht zu montieren und super leicht zu säubern und arbeiten mit ihrer leichten Gewichtsklasse dem Spänefang zu. Funktioniert an meiner herrlich.
Do you works with you. I use this
Plastic can be made transparent by covering with acrylic varnish for headlights.
Spray some clearcoat on the shield.....that sould make it clear again. Not really durable but should work for a while!
For the cutting oil point, I recommend to use the FogBuster or similiar lubricant system: it oils punctually the tool with just the amount you need.
Exactly don't use WD-40 as all that stuff does is cool the bit a little, stuff in not a lubricant as opposed to actual oil coolant mixes or straight oil. If you don't wanna use a pump just mount the tank high and let gravity and a ball valve do the rest.
A quick lick of flame on the screen guard should de-haze it. Enjoying your videos dude. GG
G’day one good thing that I learnt in plastics we used to use car X-cut past just on a rag but you can use very fine wet and dry paper. Good luck John PS it’s the cutting compound that you would use on cars.
Zu deinem ersten Tipp mit der Feder nach dem Handrad: Die Feder auf die andere Seite des Handrades zu machen ist konstruktiv, eher schlecht, da du ja bei dem automatischen Vorschub rotierende Kräfte hast. Mit der Feder an der Position ist gesichert, das du diese Handrad-Unwucht als Schwingungen nicht auf die ganze Maschine bis zum Werkstück weitergeben wirst. Sondern nur dann per Hand arbeiten sollst, wenn du gegen die Feder arbeitest.
I don't have an auto feed
Drainage! DRRRRRRRRRRAINAGE, Eli! You *boy*.
"I....drink....your....milkshake!" "Drink it up!"
Very helpful recommendations and mods.
You should make a venturi coolant mister, it's an easy cheap project. (Assuming you can get the pneumatic fittings)
for a cutting fluid, i use denatured ethyl alcohol, same as datron, zero mess to clean afterwords as there is nothing to clean up
Make your own powerfeed its easy and cheap, I used a 24v wiper motor $70
and bought a cheap speed controller $25 - $30 and used my 24v battery charger,
works great
Where did you get the wiper motor, Captain?
@@markfryer9880 Online, parts store, junk yard, neighbors car in the driveway. They're all over. You really need your hand held to find a wiper motor?
Putting a magnetic collar around the Allen wrench is a safer (and easier) choice. If you snap off the M10 bolt where you weakened it by drilling it out, you are going to have a rough time getting the stub removed.
Good thought. There should be enough material left in the head to hopefully avoid this. Cheers
Cut a slot in the end with a dremel and use a screw driver to remove.
For the plastic screen (chip gaurd) try some braso to polish it up will take you awhile but it works a treat
Great video and great advice. Keep these coming!
clear coat spray paint will sometimes fix a dull scratched plastic when nothing else will
Some good ideas here.
Wonderful ideas
Thank you! 😊
Very good modifications :)
Those shoes looked like Crocs! Very Classy!
Have you considered using an old poison spray pack to put coolant on the part. Just need to be able to pump it up between jobs and you should be able to get a fine mist right where you need it. I personally have not tried this yet but I have been thinking it is a cheap way to use minimal coolant without resorting to compressor and commercial kits.
By the way I have purchased myself a mill. It is a Metex DM45 and will definitely be steal...I mean using some of your ideas.
Keep up the good work!
I know it's an older video, but I wonder if spraying that plastic with clear coat wouldn't have cleared it right up. Great video!
That's probably clear ABS. Acetone is the solvent for ABS, so you could possible use that.
That might be something with trying, did something similar once to some abs 3d prints. Cheers
I doubt it. Transparent ABS (Strickly speaking MABS) is something of a specialized material and fairly expensive. Judging by what the plastic was salvaged from I'd say its more likely to be polycarbonate or polystyrene. I've been in the plastic industry for 32 years the last 15 or so as a process engineer. Transparent ABS is something that just doesn't come up hardly ever from a production and design standpoint. At least in the portion of the industry I work in.
Micromesh sanding pads will work. They go up to 12,000 grit and come with a plastic polishing compound for the final pass.
For the T slot covers, alternatively just use masking tape.
Might work, not sure how it would stand up to all the coolant though.
@@artisanmakes if you continue using kerosene, not very well...
Try pledge floor polish on your screen. Used a lot in modelling for make scuffed plastic clear again.
to get the haze out of the acrylic, try hitting it gently with a blue torch
All good ideas.
Nice video mate 🤩
When soldering use a torch with a rose bud for better heating. Nice work otherwise - very good ideas.
Get yourself a fluorinated HDPE bottle for the Kerosene. It's the same material used to store Gasoline and other hydrocarbon fuels.
Great vid, some fantastic tips, I'm looking to upgrade from the seig SX2, I had lusted after the SX3, but after seeing yours, and a few others, I'm now thinking I'll get the sx2.7, have you seen the upgrades available from the Little Machine Shop?, they're a good mob to deal with, postage to Oz sucks though.
They also sell separate clutches for the power feed units, I'm going to convert mine over when I get the bigger mill, power feed's are a must have for us old farts;).
Thanks for the tips,
Scott.
A little LANOX goes a long way ;-)
Nice work thanks, how about making us a hand crank for the lathe spindle for manual threading please???
Nice video there dude for anyone new to owning a milling machine. Just out of curiosity what’s the deal with the single point cutting by hand ?
With the fixed speed motor I have and the belt pulleys, I can't drop the rpm low enough to cut threads under power. I would change the motor but this is the first time in almost a year that I've had to cut threads this way so it's just easier to spin the chuck manually. The sherline I have has a pretty similar method to this.
@@artisanmakes Me too....I have an old 1930 Colchester Bantam lathe and the chuck screws on so reversing is not an option......for screwcutting I made a handle that plugs in the end of the spindle and makes possible reversing the spindle at the end of each screw pass....... many times I just wind the spindle by hand for small or short threads and internal ones.......the handle is removed for normal turning.
@@artisanmakes Do you mean because it is too fast and the risk of crashing the chuck is too high? Turn the threading tool upside down and run the lathe backwards. That way the tool runs off the end of the stock, rather than into the chuck.
Yes, with the current pulley ratios I have the lowest speed I can drop the spindle down to is about 400rpm. And unfortunately the motor won't reverse. I would change the motor out if I cut threads more often. Cheers
Those plastic pieces on blow moulded boxes are almost certainly polycarbonate. Styrene if it is floppier than spaghetti, polycarbonate if it is stiff.
Most likely this is the case. Cheers
Paint that plastic thing with some clear coat might make it a lil clearer do like two wet coats with just a spray paint can clear coat
How about making a video on adjusting the gibs on a mini lathe. Thanks.
Thank you for all the tips. I wonder why not use plumbing PTFE tape on the drain joint, rather than silicone grease ?
Best wishes from a Brit/Ozzie in Japan !
[ Sieg SC4 lathe; SX2P mill coming shortly. X2.7L mills not available in Japan, unfortunately. ]
i don't think there is a huge difference in which method you use to make it water tight
Go over that chip shield w a torch and it’ll become clear again
10:48 du benutzt sicher einen Zyklonabscheider für die Späne, du weißt ja, das scharfe Aluminium-Späne dir den Beutel zerschneiden können und bis in den Motor rein einen Schaden anrichten können.
You could, I don't
oh no a dead Ant at 10:46
thanks
Could have glued magnets to the jar and it would keep its place on the metal table
My preference is not to magnets if I can. It tends to attract swarf
now that you have both, which one would you buy first: lathe or mill ?
I will be mostly drilling the 23 mm hole in the rectangular aluminium block, and a few smaller holes in the corners, which I can handle with my drill press. but that large 23 mm hole is a tough one to make in batches, and I don;t feel safe doing it on the drill press either. I clamped it as hard as you can imagine, and the drill press is still vibrating like mad, and the table is bending slightly downwards from the force, and that also makes the hole slightly out of perfectly parallel to the block's walls.
unfortunately I can't afford 2 machines, and I need to wait maybe a year to buy another machine.
your advice would be greatly appreciated
You might try tooth paste or tooth powder to clear up the plastic shield.
Maybe a torch to get the plastic chip guard see through again.
9:00 probier mal einen Fein-Sieb einzusetzen, hält dir ungewünschte Partikel die später mit dem Magnet nicht rausholbr sind aus dem Kerosin
Try a heat gin to get the plastic shield back to clear (melting and reflowing the surface)
I tried flame polishing and the such bit that didn't work, I'll try with acetone, if not I can pick up some acrylic. Cheers
use carbide if you worried about tool life on small milling machines.. just dont go too big
why are you forced to manually feed for threading?
10:47 rip bug
If you glue a microwave magnet in the bottom is better, I think
You can, I know people do, but I prefer not to have magnets around the mill if I can avoid it.
Great tips mate. I’ve ordered the Sieg SX2.7 and should be here next week. I was going start building a stand for it. What height did you build your stand ?
Not sure how other people prefer it, but I like my mill and lathe table to be a little higher than most. The mill table is about 1m high. It just means I don't have to lean over as much when looking at the table.
Put clear tape on both sides of the plastic and there's a good chance it will go clear again.
10:00 if you approach the part with the fly cutter from the opposite side it’ll throw the chips away from you not towards you 🙂
You still get chips thrown at you most of the time doing other types of cuts
@@artisanmakes ok, a lot less chips,…….
I think light scratches can be removed with heat.
It would’ve been amazing if you used a bandsaw to cut that piece of wood as a joke 😀
If you can’t take out the scratches that’s mean your material is poly carbonate, It is not acrylic
That is probably it. I've removed light scratched from poly before, but nothing this bad. Cheers
Try using a heat gun to see if the plastic goes back to being clear.
Did it come with a DRO? If so, link to it or???
Wow this mill is allot better then mine :( Mine looks like X2D which is a complete junk.
Where do you this ?
I bought this from a company called Ausee off eBay. I looked into the X2L mill but ultimately settled on this due to the larger table and fixed column. I'm not too familiar with the x2D but I have seen quite a few upgrades for them.
Great series of jobs, but I don't understand the hand thing either...
With the motor I have I can't drop the lathe rpm low enough to cut threads. Not a big issue since this is the first time I've had to cut threads on the lathe in almost a year.
8:30 warum kein Dichtring aus Polyethylen oder HD PE? Fett fängt kleine Partikel die dein Bett-Metall angreifen
No, I don't think k you understood the point, it just makes a seal
The plastic would have been polycarbonate most likely, try a heat gun lightly
try a Heat Gun for plastic
I use air to cool.
Another fascinating video, well laid out and narrated, always good to see other peoples work, I have the next size down mill, and have done a few mods myself, unfortunately it was damaged in our garage fire and I had to rebuild it, this is the video if you would be interested
ua-cam.com/video/clPzFCg6Fas/v-deo.html
Regards Nigel.
Good luck keeping chips 🍟 out of the drainage port😢
tends to only be an issue if you use roughing endmills a lot. Normal chips can be sucked out with a shop vac
@@artisanmakes yha I can imagine, chip like to migrate to the lowest point. Kinda like water.
Milling Improvements: Floormats!? Really? Come on…
It’s at least worth a mention. Most machine stops have something akin to it and it’s wells worth it
That’s polycarbonate
Do not use kerosene! As soon as you take a piece of steel to the grinder you will regret it.
Kerosene is not a big risk. It mostly comes down to the flash point. its been used as a cutting fluid for aluminium for the better part of 100 years
Quill lock- you shouldn't be doing fine adjustment with the quill
I don't see why not, it's fitted with the dro and the worm gear allows me to make much finer adjustments than I can by moving the head. It's certainly rigid enough to do so.
@@artisanmakes The knee, or whatever adjustment you have for table, usually have finer, more precise adjustment with less backlash
Cheers, this one is a bed mill and I do move the head for most stuff, however having a dro on the quill which I can set origins is an advantage to me. Either way I still have to use the quill lock to unlock the quill for drilling, and to be honest, drilling is probably 80% of what I use the mill for.
@@justaguy4788 Take a look at the mill again at 0:00. Let me know what you see. Adjust that knee. 😂
are you familiar with the word "or" ?