Homemade Milling Machine

This milling machine is the result of years of tinkering in the home workshop, and is built mostly from scrap materials at low cost.

This project started as a lathe, but after encountering significant difficulty in the construction of the project, I decided to purchase a mini lathe instead. The project was then repurposed to a milling machine.

X-axis travel is 120mm, Y-axis travel is 60mm, with ample Z-axis travel.

Construction

The headstock is 90x90 thick wall square section.

The 20mm spindle holds MT2 tooling with a drawbar.

The spindle has a shoulder on the bottom end, and is threaded at the top to accept a brass nut, which presses against the pully and two turned aluminium spacers in order to pre-load the flange bearings.

The Z-axis ways were constructed by welding two pieces of angle iron together, and is mounted to rectangular tubing.

The entire carriage assembly is made from 6mm cold rolled steel.

A bolt in a tapped hole in the carriage presses against a turned button to lock the Y-axis.

Pulleys and handwheels were turned from a length of 65mm diameter aluminium purchased from a scrap yard.

All leadscrews are M6 threaded rod, as the 1mm pitch made dividing the 0.1mm handwheel graduations simple.

A 10mm nut on each handwheel allows power feed by use of a power drill.

The motor was taken from a scrapped treadmill, and is controlled by a modified triac based motor controller bought cheaply on eBay. 

Tooling

MT2 tool holder for 6mm HSS end mill.

Made from a spare Jacobs taper adapter. 

Bored and tapped for M6 drawbar.

MT2 Fly cutter holds lathe tools.

Made from a spare lathe centre.

Bored and tapped for M6 drawbar.