Garage Mill?

SouthernTJ2000

SouthernTJ2000

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Mar 19, 2024
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Tomball, TX
So I'm finally at the point where I feel I can justify taking up garage space with a Garage Mill/Drill Press setup. So I'm curious for those that have one, did you go with a full on "garage" mill or did you do a drill press/work table attachment setup? Most things I'll be doing are going to be small, think brackets and such. My little vise, hand drill, and grinder are getting old and I'm also getting old and tired of doing things that way. School me up. Give me some advice on what I should do and any needed/necessary optional equipment I should look into. I've got some experience working with a manual mill and lathe, however I'm pretty damn green in the full scoop of things. Thanks.
 
I don't have one, and wish I did. But I do have an observation.

I've used my floor-standing drill press with an X-Y translation table as a mill. It's a great drill press, and fairly good as a mill for plunge cuts. But the taper-mounted chuck doesn't like milling sideways against pressure. Whenever I put side pressure on the tool to cut across a piece, the chuck with its taper lets go and falls out, no matter how well I clean and re-mount it.

If I ever get a mill, I would want one with a better way of mounting the cutting tool. Most of the mill-drills I see, even up into the several thousand dollar range, use a taper for mounting chucks or cutters. I think the "real" mills use something different, but those are way beyond my budget.
 
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SouthernTJ2000 said:
So I'm finally at the point where I feel I can justify taking up garage space with a Garage Mill/Drill Press setup. So I'm curious for those that have one, did you go with a full on "garage" mill or did you do a drill press/work table attachment setup? Most things I'll be doing are going to be small, think brackets and such. My little vise, hand drill, and grinder are getting old and I'm also getting old and tired of doing things that way. School me up. Give me some advice on what I should do and any needed/necessary optional equipment I should look into. I've got some experience working with a manual mill and lathe, however I'm pretty damn green in the full scoop of things. Thanks.
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J head Bridgeport is the way to go. Or a copy like a Sharp.

J head because the variable speed setup and R8 collets. Or the Sharp because its an exact Bridgeport copy and if you need accessories or parts they are available.

In my home shop, I had a really good drill press till I got my mill. Sold the drill press because I didn't need both.

I have a Tree 2UVR mill that I love, but do not love the Z collet setup. And factory power feed is available but aftermarket was a pain in the ass to adapt.
 
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I wouldn't. You'll get something that can kinda move x-y and you'll start to push it and ruin a project or hurt yourself. Its human nature, not a knock against your ability or expertice. The tapers dropping is only one example. Once you start pushing a 1/2" endmill (or even a 1/4) in an edge cut, you'll find out really quick why a "cheap" bridgeport is easily double the prices of the BEST drill press. There is a lot more rigidity in the assembly over a drill press (quill, table, spindle, etc) that is necessary for doing the kinds of things that you tend to have a mill for.
 
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