How to Square Up Stock on the Milling Machine

[TomG]

Here's a little video I made showing how I square up stock on the milling machine.

Tom

[EdK]

Tom,

Nicely shown. I think that is the clearest demonstration I've seen on squaring up stock.

Ed

[DaveH]

Tom,

Great video - thanks

DaveH

[krv3000]

a good post

[doubleboost]

Tom
Good video
Nice and clear to follow
John

[November X-ray]

Excellent video and I now know I've been running my mill to slow!

[TOM REED]

nice post excellent instructions. tom

[TomG]

Thanks guys.

November: To calculate proper RPM, multiply the cutting speed of the material by four (approximately 100 surface feet per minute for mild steel and 250 surface feet per minute for aluminum or brass) and divide by the diameter of the work (or the tool in case of a mill).

For example: In the video I'm cutting aluminum with a 1/2" end mill. The proper RPM is 4 X 250 / .500 = 2000. If I was cutting mild steel it would be 4 X 100 / .500 = 800

Tom

[ScrapMetal]

We're going to have to start calling you "TubalG".

Great video, even I can follow it.

I have one question though, (my ignorance not a deficiency of the vid) and that is how one "zeros" the depth of the cutter. You've already gotten the sides square. Now you put the piece back in the vise to cut it down to size (measures at 1.095" and you want it at 1.000"). How do you set the cutter/"Z axis" (I'm assuming the knee instead of the quill) so that it's at zero for the 1.095" piece?

Hope that made some kind of sense.

Thanks much,

-Ron

[TomG]

(06-23-2012, 02:57 PM)ScrapMetal Wrote: We're going to have to start calling you "TubalG".

Great video, even I can follow it.

I have one question though, (my ignorance not a deficiency of the vid) and that is how one "zeros" the depth of the cutter. You've already gotten the sides square. Now you put the piece back in the vise to cut it down to size (measures at 1.095" and you want it at 1.000"). How do you set the cutter/"Z axis" (I'm assuming the knee instead of the quill) so that it's at zero for the 1.095" piece?

Hope that made some kind of sense.

Thanks much,

-Ron

I'm not going to run with the "even I can follow it" comment since Bill has been doing such a good job of it on the lapping arbor thread.

When you flip the part and mill the opposite side, just set the dial on your Z axis to zero. Then you can take the part out, measure it, put it back in the vise and it will be in the same position as before, assuming you hammer it down on the parallels. I like to set the dial to whatever I have to take off so I don't forget the number, but that's just me.

Tom