For those interested in obtaining a vertical milling machine, there are a couple of sub categories and a lighter machine to choose from. A milling machine is a piece of machinery used in the cutting of metal for the making of keyways, slots, drilling and planing, which are simple uses, to the more complex die sinking, contouring and a great many other things.
Vertical Milling Machine Photo by ProtoSpace via Flickr
A vertical milling machine works on the principle of the spindle axis being vertically oriented. While the spindle turns on its axis, the cutters are set in this fitting. The spindle can be extended down going towards the table, or lifting the table to meet it can also be done. The effect being no different which ever way it is used.
When in use, cutting fluid of some sort is used on the cutting head to keep it lubricated, as well as help to cool the area being cut, plus to help wash away the swarf or metal debris. There are two sub categories of this machine. The bed mill is one of the larger machines. When being used the spindle moves parallel or equally apart on its axis and the table shifts at right angles to the axis to produce the cutting affect.
A jig borer is also one of these but is used for certain types of work. It is built for hole boring and face milling or very light slot making. These type have a long spindle throw and are very accurate. The hand wheel can be used by degrees down to one thousandth of an inch making hole placement precise.
The other is the turret mill. It is smaller than the larger bed type. When this is used the table is the part which moves, and is both parallel and at right angles to the axis of the spindle to create the cutting of the piece of work. Some consider this one to be far more capable of doing the tasks needed than the other, but this may depend on what is being done. This is also often called a Bridgeport, and being a less inflexible tool the spindle can also be aligned to be used in different positions.
The mill drill, or lighter tool, is often used by the hobby person due to its lower pricing and its smaller size. They are not considered as good a quality as the larger ones, but they possibly do not do the same work, or as much, and may be quite alright for small type jobs.
Another vertical mill is the CNC machine or computer numerical control which are machine centres. They are computer controlled and can do improved type cutting and precision work which can be more cost effective than the manual type operation.
For those interested in these types of tools and milling machine parts then a visit to a business which stocks and sells these machines would be a good start. A check on some of the websites, may just provide someone with a place to start looking, especially if you need it for your factory, workshop or hobby shed.
