JCadwell
Key Veteran
Location: Richland WA/ Morro Bay, CA
| A manual mill is going to limit most of your cuts or drills to right angles and straight liner. Cutting circles without a rotary table is almost not possible on a manual mill. There are special tooling ways to go about that, but most aren't within the realm of thought or pricing most people expect. CNC machines are so inexpensive these days compared to the past. I have a CNC Taig, and if I bought just their CNC ready machine I could have one running for 1500 or less.
Most of the money you will spend will be on tooling. Cutting tools, working holding, measurement tools, etc.
One of the nice things about a CNC mill is you can think in CAD before you cut. One of the nice things about a manual mill is you can make things quickly that just need to look "about right". My CNC is almost worthless for simple drilling and manual milling. The pitch of the screws is too fine, and the readouts are compromised for CNC use.
If you are considering a manual mill think about getting one that you can convert to CNC easily. Perhaps a taig, sherline, etc. Trying to convert a harbor freight machine is certainly possible, but results and price may vary.
Thanks, John Cadwell |
