Ideal Home Shop Mill To Own?

[Michael_h359]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. I went and looked at a Rockwell 21-100 today that looked very scary in the pictures, has some rust issues as it was stored outside for some time. In person I was able to look at the ways and operate the table and she felt very tight yet traveled smoothly. It is a 115 volt 1/2 HP motor that sounded solid and spun smooth. I was able to negotiate to $700. Came with a set of R8 collets a clamping set and spare 230 volt motor as well. Extremely excited on the purchase and will upload pictures when I can. Going to need some work before she is operational. Thank you everyone and a special thanks to "Wood2Steel" for guiding me in the right direction!

 

[PDW]

Sounds like a good deal. Light rust isn't a show-stopper.

Now, BEFORE you attack whatever rust is on the ways, ASK here for the best way to proceed, with photos of the rusted areas. There are lots of ways to make something more or less cosmetic into something truly disastrous, and most of those ways involve power tools.

So - ask.

PDW

 

[L Vanice]

... It is a 115 volt 1/2 HP motor that sounded solid and spun smooth. I was able to negotiate to $700. Came with a set of R8 collets a clamping set and spare 230 volt motor as well. ..

My Rockwell has the original motor. It is 3/4 HP, 1725 RPM, 115/230 V and wired for 115 V. I have never needed more power, but cannot say for sure if 1/2 HP will always be enough for you.

Larry

 

[jgestar]

...looked at a Rockwell 21-100 today that looked very scary in the pictures, has some rust issues... I was able to negotiate to $700.

Good get at what seems like a nice price. When it comes to cosmetics, bad pictures, rust, and ugly paint, the only important color is gr$$n. If the mill doesn't work out, you can probably part it out for what you paid. But more likely than not you are off to a good start with a mill that will make you happy.

The next step is getting the mill home. There is lots of good information here about moving machines also. I recommend buying a can of Boeshield T9. Spray the rusty areas to slow down any further rusting. You can handle the rest of the clean up once the machine is home.


Tom

 

[jmm03]

Hi Michael, the Rockwell mills are a nice piece of machinery, I have had one for around 30 years that I traded work for, and although it has some size and rigidity limitations compared to say a Bridgeport, I have made or modified a bunch of things with it over the years and had no complaints. One good thing is that the whole mill can easily be broken down into several of its assemblies, making it easily moveable by a reasonably strong person. (two are better, especially when putting it back together, but if you have an engine hoist-piece of cake). Fine steel wool and oil on the ways works, razor blades also for carding off surface rust. Pictures as you proceed please. Jim

 

[ratbldr427]

Glad you found what you wanted. The space issue always comes up when folks buy their first mill. I find it hard to believe in most cases. By the time you put a mill/drill pos on a cabinet the only thing larger is the mill table and front to back.
I was going to recomend a Nantong 9x32 mill. Korean made and very nice, every bit as good as any B'port. They were sold by Enco. I believe it would be a step up from the Rockwells or Clausings.

I had one I gave 1200 for only a year old. Tried to give it to my son but he didn't want it because of the space issue. Sold it to his boss for 2500.Didn't hurt my feelings at all. He uses that mill just about every day and whenever it comes up he says he wishes he had took me up on it. Instead he bought a Smithy combo pos which takes up as much space.
I even tried to give him a nice LeBlond RH Regal with tooling.

I never thought I would ever recomend to any one buying a mill drill but I got him an MSC little used one for 400. Came with a 6"Kurt ,power feed and lots of tooling. My thought is when he gets tired of it the tooling is worth more than the mill which he can sell for at least or more than he paid for and keep the tooling for a good mill.

 

[wdTom]

I would like to get a nice milling machine for home/hobby use and am new to all of this. I have been searching for the below on craigslist, facebook market, ebay, offerup and am having difficulty finding something in decent shape in the Southern California area. My question is out of the below if I find one in rough shape what Mfr. or model would I have the best chance of finding parts and tooling able to fix up if need be? Any preferred or ones I should stay away from?

-Clausing
-Burke

I would like to get a nice milling machine for home/hobby use and am new to all of this. I have been searching for the below on craigslist, facebook market, ebay, offerup and am having difficulty finding something in decent shape in the Southern California area. My question is out of the below if I find one in rough shape what Mfr. or model would I have the best chance of finding parts and tooling able to fix up if need be? Any preferred or ones I should stay away from?

-Clausing
-Burke
-Rockwell
-Hardinge
-Rusnok
-Benchmaster

Thanks,

-Rockwell
-Hardinge
-Rusnok
-Benchmaster

Thanks,

 

[Michael_h359]

Incase anyone is curios to what condition I bought the mill in. Please be honest and do not sugar coat anything, how did I do?

 

[Michael_h359]

Hi Michael, the Rockwell mills are a nice piece of machinery, I have had one for around 30 years that I traded work for, and although it has some size and rigidity limitations compared to say a Bridgeport, I have made or modified a bunch of things with it over the years and had no complaints. One good thing is that the whole mill can easily be broken down into several of its assemblies, making it easily moveable by a reasonably strong person. (two are better, especially when putting it back together, but if you have an engine hoist-piece of cake). Fine steel wool and oil on the ways works, razor blades also for carding off surface rust. Pictures as you proceed please. Jim

Steel wool is safe to use on the ways or just be cautious on how much work I am doing with the steel wool? I have attached some pictures further in the post.

Thanks,

 

[Michael_h359]

Sounds like a good deal. Light rust isn't a show-stopper.

Now, BEFORE you attack whatever rust is on the ways, ASK here for the best way to proceed, with photos of the rusted areas. There are lots of ways to make something more or less cosmetic into something truly disastrous, and most of those ways involve power tools.

So - ask.

PDW

What is your input on how best to attack these rusted ways. The vertical ways seem to be the worst, the others after a really light touch seem like they will clean up fine with a rag.

Thanks,

 

[eKretz]

I'd start with a steel scraper. Get as much rust off with that as possible, then switch to WD40 or mineral spirits and steel wool or a brass wire brush. Alternatively I've used Bar Keeper's Friend powdered cleanser mixed with some warm water and scrubbing with the wire brush with pretty good success also. After everything is all cleaned up, a good flat hone and some mineral spirits or kero to flatten and knock down any high spots.

 

[Terry Keeley]

That's gonna be some work but if you keep at it I'm sure you'll have a usable machine. I've had good luck with Evapo-Rust in the past.

How someone can leave a nice machine like that out to rust is beyond me...

 

[jmm03]

Iv'e seen a lot worse brought back from the dead. No power tools on the way surfaces, however tempting. eKretz has good suggestions on scraping off the worst first and using steel wool and oil. Tackle one area at a time and you are less likely to get overwhelmed then if you take everything apart, e.g., take the table apart so you can check the condition of the feed screw and the way surfaces and if anything is clogging up the drive mechanism. You mainly don't want to move sliding surfaces over each other if they are covered in rust or swarf. You have a project on your hands but I think you did ok, especially seeing what cleaned up examples go for. Pictures as you go are always interesting, (at least to me anyway...) Jim

 

[marka12161]

I think you did pretty well. There's value in being able to find something that fits a small envelope. The smaller machines tend to be more desireable to hobbiests because of ease of transport, powering and space. Given that, I'd say you did quite good for $700. As you clean it up and find & fix issues, keep in mind you're likely to be in a marathon, not a sprint. Do a little each evening and enjoy the process. It can be quite rewarding and you'll learn all about your machine so future maintenance willbe easier.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

As you disassemble it, degrease the smaller pieces and put them in Evapo-Rust, I find that scrubbing them with a wire brush under a hot water stream after the E-R soak works best, if any black spots (half converted rust) remain, soak/scrub again. For the table and ways a razor blade held at the right angle and with the right amount of pressure will shave the rust right off, if the spot is still brown, you did not get it all, practice on the non-critical areas before doing the ways. I prefer to scrape dry, some prefer to scrape wet, what works best for you is to be found out.

 

[Doozer]

As cautioned before...
Don't move the table/knee on rusty ways.
Loosen or take out the gib strips before you
end up scratching the ways. This is imperative.
Cleaning with a razor blade to scrape is good.
Followed by steel wool and oil. I like ATF, but
what ever. ScotchBrite has abrasive. It does
clean rust quicker, but it will abrade the surface.
Use at your own risk is all I will say.
But absolutely take everything apart. No short
cuts with this, because you won't get all the
abrasive dirt out of the slideways unless you do.
And a machine this small is so easy to take apart.

-Doozer

 

[JST]

Light oil seems to work best.

And, if you have ever scraped a machine, you will appreciate how hard it is to remove any significant material from a largish surface, even one dovetail way. I can do a scraping pass, complete with a pile of chips, and the mic reveals a minute change, a tenth or two.

I've tried to work down a small surface with 400 grit and 600 grit "wet or dry" sandpaper, and it took forever to get a tenth off of it.

I'd not worry too much about abrasives. The rust already took off an "uncontrolled" amount of what the hobby forums like to call "the precious precision surface". What you have is what you have, and you cannot damage it measurably even rubbing with fine sandpaper.

Rust is an abrasive. Remove it with whatever hand means you can (no power tools). Then see what you have.

 

[Scottl]

Steel wool is safe to use on the ways or just be cautious on how much work I am doing with the steel wool? I have attached some pictures further in the post.

Thanks,

Use ONLY 0000 steel wool with plenty of oil. Try to blot up/wipe off the oil/rust slurry as much as possible with something like the blue Scott shop towels, available at most auto parts stores.

Above all BE PATIENT. Let the penetrating oil do its work. Although it probably won't end up pretty like a mint machine with careful cleaning, adjustment and lube you'll probably have a nice usable machine.

One thing to watch for on the Rockwells is the aluminum gear ring that rotates the head assembly. Never force it and make sure it is clean and lubed with a high pressure grease.

 

[Michael_h359]

So she is all in pieces. About to start the cleaning process. Here is the current condition of the ways.... My question is should I start with some elbow grease first or use evapo-rust over night on them first beforehand then elbow grease? There is a rough transition from the smooth surface then to the rusted area. I am assuming as mentioned above "What you have is what you have, and you cannot damage it measurably"

 

[eKretz]

Step 1 should be scraping all that you can get off with a steel scraper. I agree with the person who said to do that dry. Scrape and vacuum. Once all that is able to be gotten loose that way is off, then switch to a wet method.