cutting gears

[Rickabilly]

Hello Steve,
It is really easy to build a Frankenmill, and all except the rotating turret they will do anything my Gate will, just get any universal horizontal mill, but ideally one with proper geared table feeds and a dove tail overarm.

Find a Bridgeport or clone milling head, they often come up on Ebay, sometimes at a reasonable price.

Take out the over arm and set it up on the table use a flycutter in the horizontal spindle to machine one end square and drill and tap some mounting holes, then finally make an adaptor yoke that takes the BP nodding swivel, then bolt the whole thing together.

Then you have a fully functional horizontal mill, with good solid knee and table, often much sturdier than a Bridgeport but with a fully functioning vertical spindle with quill, quill power feed and two axis swivel mount to do any angle you can think of. also it'll have a universal table and you won't get that on a BP.

I scream the benefits of a good Frankenmill to anyone that'll listen, If I hadn't found my Gate so cheap I would have built another Frankenmill.

Best Regards
Rick