what add ons for a Proxxon mill

[shihawk]

My quest for a new toy continues , after my recent query on the Jim saw i have been considering what might be most usefull at my present stage of build . I have come up with a Proxxon MF 70 mill , .My mind is made up(for a change) and the present low euro -pound means i can buy it for less than £200 + postage  My question now to anyone who has this is what accessiares i should order along with it . Don,t ask me exactly what i will be doing with it cause i don,t know yet but i have spent a lot of time reading reviews etc from other members and it seems to be a very usefull piece of kit . I started out looking for something to drill holes accurately ,and finished up thinking why not spend a few pounds more and have a multi task piece of kit  .I would just like to know which extras are the most usefull for general use , i have already added the percision steel vice but am unsure of what else i need . Thanks for all suggestions .

 

Boyd

[Boccherini]

Boyd,

precision vice, dividing attachment and a micromot keyless chuck. The keyless chuck will take smaller drill bits than the collets.

 

Regards,

Grant.

[shihawk]

Tks, Boccherini , that should cover the basics . Did i read somewhere that the collets hold better / more stable than the chuck ,so it should only be used for smaller bits i assume ??

 

Brian ,tks for the suggestion but i think i will consider adding the engraving unit later when i get a a bit more experience . 

 

Another question , it does not mention which, if any bits are supplied with the unit ,any suggestions as to which i should order to begin with for general use ,again i have no idea exactly what i will be using it for so don,t want to buy specialised pieces as yet . I read that some people can make their own for paticuliar projects , is that an option ??

[Boccherini]

Boyd,

the collets are a better option, but they do not grip smaller sized drill bits, hence the chuck, unless you have a set of bits with shanks all the same size. My mill kit came with 1,2&3mm end mills. I purchased several other other sizes not long after out of necessity, they were Kyocera end mills with 3mm shanks.

 

Regards,

Grant.

[exwafoo]

Proxxon 24256 Step clamps - good solid work holding is essential when milling.

 

Al

[shihawk]

Yes the step clamps came with the mill , but thanks for the suggestion . I have now ordered and recieved the mill but am still waiting on a couple of sets of end mills with 3mm shanks 

[wefalck]

The standard type of equipment was already mentioned.

 

Concerning tooling: If you are planning to mill wood, plastics or aluminium, carbide end-mill with 3 mm or 1/8" shaft come handy. They can be bought at a reasonable price e.g. at electronic bay and come from e.g. the aerospace or circuitboard industry, where they are replaced before they get dull - it is cheaper to replace them before they get dull than to throw away ruined work-pieces. For our purposes they are still good enough.

 

On a machine like the MF70 I would always use drills with thickened shaft, they run much more concentric. They come with 1 mm, 1.5 mm and 1/8" shaft, depending on the size. Again carbide drills down to very small sizes are available from the same source mentioned above, but beware they are very fragile.

 

If you have also a lathe, you will probably begin to make useful accessories for the mill. I could think, for instance, of a fly-cutter that allows you to mill flat larger work-pieces. Another useful piece would be an indexing block for the PROXXON-collets that can be held in the vice - great for quickly milling-on flats/squares.

 

Talking about vices: my favourite ones are the screwless ones that were originally designed for e.g. EDM-machining. They come in small sizes and the movable jaw is pulled towards the workpiece as well as down.