Author Topic: New Toy!! (Read 1641 times)

quickdtoo · « **on:** August 09, 2009, 02:57:50 PM »

I've been wanting a mini-mill for about 3yrs now, but their cost and getting the heavy machine in the basement has kept me on the ropes. I was reading a mini-mill review on the Homier mini-mill, the author mentioned removing the column and head to make it easier to move it. Then I found out I had $400 in rewards due me from credit card purchases and the wife said fine, go for it!

So for the last few days I've been setting it up and getting tooling for it, it's been just like Christmas, just as expensive too, the tooling to use it cost more than the machine did!!

But it's sure worth it, it makes ejector/extractor conversions so easy and professional looking, even for this amateur!! I ordered some steel to make my own ejectors and extractors as well as the extractor cams, should be lots of fun.

Tim

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Main/mini-mill.htm

billy_56081 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2009, 03:05:36 PM »

We'll all, be your best buddys now Quick, well at least when we need a little machining done.

jim36 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2009, 03:14:38 PM »

That's some kinda nice. Early Christmas. Sorta like getting a new puppy when you were a kid. Congrats and enjoy.
Jim

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2009, 03:20:29 PM »

Larry's work has me now looking at lathes, but anything big enough to build barrels is about $3000 and up, mostly up, the worst thing is Grizzly has their entry gunsmith lathe on sale with free shipping, it's a darn good thing I have no place to put it without installing an elevator, its shipping weight is 1500lbs, I had hard enough time getting the 50-60lb pieces for the mill down the basement stairs!!!

Thanks,

Tim

http://grizzly.com/products/Gunsmith-s-Bench-Top-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G

myarmor · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2009, 03:26:14 PM »

Nice Tim, you deserve it bro

Now Larry and you will be off switching notes and projects.... damn, the "Elite Handi Tinkers" are stepping up

Have Fun

-Aaron

billy_56081 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2009, 03:28:31 PM »

Tim you are gaining more friends as you speak.

I would love to have a mill and lathe myself.

Hey off subjuct but they just blasted a turkey on the outdoor channel with an H&R. Sweet!

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2009, 04:03:09 PM »

Good for you Tim, ENJOY!

tykempster · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2009, 04:48:35 PM »

And here I thought Handi's were your only love.

Fred M · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2009, 05:25:16 PM »

Eh Tim this is a great tool in a hobby shop. That lath on sale is an ok one too. Everyone in the gun hobby likes to have a mill and a lath.
I am fortunate to have a whole machine shop available for any little machine work I need to too, like making a barrel octagon, or modifying a die or making a small part.

I am glad for you and your acquisition of the mill.

Skunk · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2009, 05:54:55 PM »

WTG Tim! That would be a nice addition to any shop.

mitch132 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2009, 06:16:49 PM »

Nice mill Tim. You should get the little 7 x 12" mini lathe to compliment your mill. Not big enough for barrels, but you would be surprised what all you can do on one. Check out Varmint Al's website for ideas about what all the 7 x 10" and 7 x 12" can do. It's also light enough to carry down the stairs as mine is in my basement. Have fun!

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 09, 2009, 11:35:30 PM »

I like getting new toys. Tooling is an expense that most people do not realize - be it a mill or a lathe. That mini mil will do most things for a gun or for making parts that calls for a mill. About the only thing you can't do is make a hex barrel or flute one; no big loss in my book. Congratulations on a good choice.

Good Luck and Good Machining - it will give you many hours of enjoyment.

petemi · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2009, 01:59:04 AM »

Congratulations on your new "toy". Now you need to do some work for us here, charge a fair price, and add to your toy collection.

Enjoy

Pete

quickdtoo · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2009, 06:15:17 AM »

Yes Pete, might have to do that to pay for all the stuff I bought to use it!!

I just don't see the need for the mini-lathe, just not enough uses for it unless I wanted to do pistol barrels which I'm not interested in, I've had an Encore PH barrel for over 2yrs that still hasn't been to the range. What little I would use a lathe for can be done on the drill press or mill.

Tim

lee1954 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2009, 12:23:45 PM »

Good for you. Looks like lots of fun .. Share more notes & pictures with us.... But mosty enjoy DAN

Lucky Joe · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2009, 02:10:11 PM »

Good for you Tim, and I didn't think your posts could get more interesting. Waiting for more.

The Hermit · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2009, 02:50:22 PM »

I'm happy for you Tim. You've helped a lot of folks in here, me included. This Handi business sure leads one in new directions. I look forward to your adventures.
The Hermit

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2009, 02:52:56 PM »

New toys are always fun, now you can give Larry a breather on helping all us "mechanially challanged" peoples

. Have fun, I think it would be so cool to make your own parts and modify things. I think you and Larry are Artists in metal.

DP

quickdtoo · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:02:04 PM »

Thanks, but I don't feel I'm in the same league as Larry, he has a lot more technical skills that I do, mine are more shadetree skills!!

Today I converted the 7mm-08 to an extractor, used the existing ejector with a short 7/32" diameter spring to account for the difference in length, also made my own leaf spring from a coil of flat spring from something I tore apart at one time, don't remember what it was, but it works with the rimless case excellent, pushes the empty out about ½" so it would be easy to grab with gloves on, I'll post a pic after supper.

Tim

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #19 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:03:57 PM »

That's my major gripe about the extractors, don't pull the case out quite far enough when yer using gloves. DP

quickdtoo · « **Reply #20 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:11:53 PM »

Well, supper's not done, so I took a pic and measured it, a factory extractor exposes .144" of the case, mine doesn't expose ½" like I thought, but it does remove it twice as far at .285", just seems farther.

Tim

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #21 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:14:38 PM »

Twice as much to grab onto, looks alot better than factory. Sell em your better idea, they need to put you on the payroll Tim. DP

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** August 11, 2009, 02:09:15 PM »

Here are some pics of work done so far and the pieces installed/modified, and the modifications I've made on the mill, the belt drive conversion to loose the cheap plastic drive gears and make it run quieter as well as faster, 0-4300rpm up from 2500rpm. And the splindle lock modification.

Tim

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Reviews/Belt_drv/belt_drv.htm

http://bedair.org/spindlelock.html

AtlLaw · « **Reply #23 on:** August 12, 2009, 06:56:56 AM »

Complete coolness Timmy! I envy you!

mitchell · « **Reply #24 on:** August 12, 2009, 03:19:56 PM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on August 09, 2009, 03:20:29 PM

Larry's work has me now looking at lathes, but anything big enough to build barrels is about $3000 and up, mostly up, the worst thing is Grizzly has their entry gunsmith lathe on sale with free shipping, it's a darn good thing I have no place to put it without installing an elevator, its shipping weight is 1500lbs, I had hard enough time getting the 50-60lb pieces for the mill down the basement stairs!!!

Thanks,

Tim

http://grizzly.com/products/Gunsmith-s-Bench-Top-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G

tim i paid 1300 for mine and it works just fine , a little small fora full time gunsmith but its worked fine for a lot of recahambers and quite a few bolt gun so far

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** August 15, 2009, 02:30:42 PM »

Today's project, and the last few days actually figuring out the best way to make em, was the extractor cam, got the metal Thursday finally, I'm using 3/16" 1018 mild steel which is the same thickness as the factory piece(factory cam on left), I enlarged the holes so I could use standard 1/8" and 3/16" tension pins instead of the proprietary roll pins the factory uses, the first one took about 3hrs to complete, the second one about half that including a trip to the hardware store to get some longer machine screws that I use to hold the work down. Both work fine and extract the case a bit farther than a factory cam which is good!! I plan of using a super quench to harden them, just need to remember to buy some Dawn and Jet Dry. http://lametalsmiths.org/news/robb_gunter.htm

More later, next project is making extractors and ejectors, and maybe an ejector latch, that's gonna be a little harder since it has a curved surface and I don't plan on buying a rotary table, the least expensive one I found was $100!! The latch is still available from Brownell's for $5, maybe less at Numrich.

Tim

44 Man · « **Reply #26 on:** August 16, 2009, 07:41:44 AM »

That wonderful Tim, I'm glad you are enjoying it.
What I really wanted to know is what exactally the wife said. Did she say 'fine, do it' as in 'it's ok' or did she say 'fine! do whatever you want!' as in 'you're really going to pay for this later'. You know how that works. 44 Man

quickdtoo · « **Reply #27 on:** August 16, 2009, 07:59:24 AM »

She wasn't negative on it for a long time, we'd discussed it several times in the past couple years and I always talked myself out of it thinking I wouldn't use it enough to justify it, when I told her about the rewards kick-back, she just said go get it. I actually got a discount on it, it's price at $490, but with a 2yr extended warranty for $80, the price was discounted to $382, so I got it for $462 plus tax, special ordered from the store so I didn't have to pay shipping.... She was impressed with that cuz shipping to my home would have been almost $100!!

Tim

OR-E-Gun Bill · « **Reply #28 on:** August 17, 2009, 04:51:01 PM »

Tim, with the modification you made on your extractor cam, is your extractor fully extended to the stop pin when actuated?
In my .308 there is about .037" freeplay from where the factory cam stops pushing the extractor to where the extractor hits the stop pin. Not a whole bunch but would make it a little easier grabbing the empty case if I could get that extra little piece of brass.

BTY, good job on the projects with your new toy. With Raintober, Rainvember and Raincember coming soon here to the Northwest it looks like we might be seeing more Handi Inovations coming from the Quickdtoo workshop.

Bill

quickdtoo · « **Reply #29 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:07:40 PM »

There's no freeplay in the cam's action, I do the fine tuning when I fit it so the extractor is in contact with the cam, file the contact point on the cam until the extractor is not quite touching the standing breech when it's locked up, maybe .005" recessed in the extractor notch.

Yes, aside from deer hunting in October and a couple days in November, and thru the first part of April it's a looooong time, I should be able to convert all of mine to extactors in that time, not that I'm planning on it, but it's food for thought!!

It wouldn't hurt to epoxy or silver a ~.035" shim to the tip of the extractor to provide a little more lift out of the chamber.

Tim