Its not a big mill but rather a benchtop Drill /Mill . Space is limited and a big mill means no parking in the garage for the wifey and I'm sure you can guess how that would go down. Exactly, it didn't. Anyhoo, The only place to fit one is on my workbench, which is only 21" wide so after reading a lot of specifications I decided on the biggest and most rigid mill I could find that would fit. Its a Little Machine Shop 5500 hi-torque bench mill.... I like it!! Fits the bench like a glove to. Essentially it is a beefed up drill press with and X and Y axis but it should pair nicely with the 9x20 lathe I acquired about a year and a half ago.
Of course I was eager to run it but picking it up and getting it onto the bench was the first project. It doesn't look very big but it weighs 262lbs. I considered just paying for the freight but that leaves it on the ground needing to be uncrated and hoisted onto the bench. Driving to Pasadena for pickup meant I only had to rig up a ramp from my tailgate to the benchtop and a few 4x4's strategically placed was the ticket.
After some lube and re organization of the tools, I decided my first project would be a super wheel for my field target rifle and thought I would share. What makes it a Super wheel??.. Mostly it is big and has a lot of holes for effect. But I've also designed it with magnetic pins that hold it in place so it can be installed and removed easily without tools. Thus far I have had partial success. The level of precision necessary to align the hub, pins, and wheel eluded me the first time around and the pins broke when I assembled the parts to make the super wheel.
But I did manage to get a smaller one into play at Diablo's match a couple weekends ago. This one worked really well. I made a Delrin Hub for the scope that the wheel attaches to and also made a Delrin hubcap for the wheel.
The Superwheel is still in the shop. This time I've incorporated the scopes OEM knob into the design. drilling and milling the matching splines to in the Delrin hub that has a 2.25" backer knob/wheel with the receiving magnetic discs. The wheel has pins that line up to matching holes so it locks into place and sticks to those receiving magnetic discs. I'll add some more pics as I finish the project.
If you evict the car, there would be room for a shop crane. 😉 Some of the best $99 I ever spent!
It claims a good amount of travel, assuming it can hold anything at the limits of travel.
I'm curious if you checked it at all ? (guessing you have some experience)
| X-Axis Travel | 15.6" (395 mm) |
| Y-Axis Travel | 7.0" (178 mm) |
| Z-Axis Travel | 11.6" (295 mm) |
| Throat | 7.5" (190 mm) |
What is next on the list to be made?
The list is growing faster than i am completing projects but i did manage to finish the super wheel this afternoon and cut some Nautilus shaped blanks for future use. I'd like to make a really nice adjustable butt plate assembly for my Mrod.
Nice work! Have heard nothing but good on the LMS machines. Small but sturdy! I just sold my machines and I am already missing them 🙁
Nice work! Have heard nothing but good on the LMS machines. Small but sturdy! I just sold my machines and I am already missing them 🙁
I don't know for sure but that might mean a significant reduction of your man card.
Just now saw this.
That's very cool the wheel looks awesome maybe one day the mill mite bite me and I'll get one but until it does I am happy with what I been doing/ whats the price on that mill
Lonnie, that Super Wheel is very cool to see in action. Great first project on the new mill.
I have been contemplating a drill press and nice sliding vise (may not be the proper name).
Once I get settled in the new place, I will have both room and time to take on metal working.
I gotta get you to educate me.
Lucky You!
Bob
Can you mill a biathlon cocking knob for us Veteran owners? We need an after-market, push-on knob for our cocking levers! Needs to be offset a bit because the lever closes pretty close to the gun's frame. A knob with an off-set that would fit over the end of the cocking lever???
Oooooooooh, shiny. ? Nice table top mill, and great job on the wheel. Also, did you have the indexer before or after you got the mill? just curious. Noticed you said you had a Mrod, would you happen to have a degases laying around, that you could measure and send me the measurements?
