Looking Back

[the penguin]

Today, I was in the basement looking for an box of horizontal mill cutters, when I saw the Atlas horizontal milling machine. I got it From my FIL, before he passed, around 8-10 years ago, I made a vertical head attachment for it, it worked great. 

At that time I was doing a lot of work, with Bakelite pieces, I used the head with 1/8" and 3/16" end mills. I made the head using a spindle of a Jet drill press, with a MT#2 taper, drilled out the spindle for the use of a 3/8"-16 draw bar. On the downside, there is no quill so all cut depths, were set with the knee.

Looking back on this, with the time passed, I was think of how I would have changed the design, what I would have done different. Thinking about how to add a quill, maybe go to a MT#3 taper. But as I use the mill about 3 times in the last 4-5 years, the new vertical attachment, is another project, to add to the retirement project list.

I guess hindsight, time and additional experiences and skills learned, will always, change the way you might do a project.

[Vinny]

My old Bromson mill is also quilless, but that was by design. When I got it it wasn't a big deal. After using it for the last few years, I now want a quill but not possible on this one without it looking like something from the aftermath of Chernobyl.

[randyc]

Hey Jack,

That’s a cool way to recycle the drill press while adding versatility to the little Atlas. Love the idea of using the pipe tee for the spindle housing ! Can the configuration be switched back to a horizontal mode in a reasonable amount of time ?

I ask because after acquiring it, I found my horizontal to be very useful for squaring stock (after investing in a slab mill and a 2-1/2 inch face mill with carbide inserts). Both cutters leave an exceptional surface finish and were not all that costly (I found them on eBay after looking for a while).


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  horiz2.jpg (Size: 21.85 KB / Downloads: 61)

Since your shop-made vertical head doesn't have the capability to rotate, the following suggestion wouldn't be of use (until you upgrade it as one of your retirement projects, LOL).  BUT you started your post by "looking for a box of horizontal mill cutters" and the implication is that you already have a horizontal mill so the following might be of interest.

I have the vertical head for my Lietz machine but as you and Vinnie noted: no quill. I've used it twice in the normal mode but raising and lowering the knee is a huge PITA. I came up with a different idea. Rotating the vertical head so that the spindle is parallel with the table, I use the “X” axis table feed to feed the vertical head in what is now "Z" axis.


  horiz3.jpg (Size: 16.5 KB / Downloads: 61)

This is a LOT easier to plunge than cranking the knee up and down with the added option of using power feed.  Of course, the normal "Z" axis is now the "Y" axis so if the job requires a lot of "Y" traverse, then it's back to cranking the knee.  For pocket milling and the like, it's not an improvement.

But for drilling, boring , flycutting, etc, it's very handy and takes advantage of the greater rigidity of a horizontal mill.  Set the adjustable stops, engage power feed and go do something else - machine halts when the stop is reached.

When configured with the vertical head, the setup normally has a larger (8 x 10) angle plate rather than the little one shown in the photo. The large angle plate is just big enough for mounting a small vise. Incidentally the little vertical head, because it is also attached to the overarm, is quite sturdy for such a small machine.

The vertical head isn't used that often but sometimes it's just the ticket for a special application, like boring at an angle (the Lietz is a "universal" mill so the table can rotate 45 degrees in either direction).  I have to say, however, like your conversion, my head is MT#2 (with draw bar) and it's difficult to find tooling, gotta' make most of it.  But it appears that the spindle diameter is adequate to ream it out to MT#3, as you suggested, thanks for the idea.

Good idea, good design and good execution.  As you know, I've seen several of your projects over some years and they are always ingenious and always surprising    I'm still shaking my head at that pipe tee -

Cheers !
randyc

[the penguin]

I can turn the Atlas back into the horizontal mill mode, in about 10 minutes or less.

The pipe tee was the right configuration, right size for the bearings, made of forged steel and it was free.

Randy, I like your mill, while it's a horizontal mill, the Atlas has serious limitations, in both horsepower and construction, while used in its envelope, it can be a versatile machine, but with Zamac gears, a zinc like material, if pushed too hard, crumble/strip.

I had a chance to get a Mikron universal milling machine, about 3-4 years ago, but I hesitated too long, when I decide to get it, it had sold about 2 days before. I'm still looking for a good horizontal mill.