Our current welding instructor has turned in his resignation for next year. He has produced some amazing young welders over the years. He has a milling machine (a large knee action Jet brand, don't think it has DRO) that has collected dust for a number of years in the shop - their concentration is on welding and not machining... Thinking about hitting him up to see if we could have the machine brought over to the auto shop...My question is, what automotive processes could the machine be used for? Obviously fabricating any number of things but that is not the focus of our curriculum...I am talking about things like installing valve guides (you can use a milling machine for that, no??) Are there any other automotive specific tasks in which a milling machine could be used for?? thanks-
For normal repair work, not really. We had one at the automotive machine shop I worked at years ago, and we occasionally used it as a drill press. For fabricating stuff, yeah, it's quite useful.
Re-drilling hubs if you have a rotary table, cutting splines on axles with an indexing head and the proper cutter, splining a steering column if you shorten it ( you could actually use a broaching tool for that if you are creative with your rotary table), cutting key ways, any thing that you would use a drill press for. You have to ask this question, does it run on 3 phase power and if it does do you have that in the shop already or will it need to be pulled over to your shop.
I have a full size Bridgeport with the big table, power X-axis feed, variable speed and DRO. I use it all the time for making brackets, modifying parts, etc. I'm thinking of replacing it maybe next year. The Jet mills were actually pretty good for general use.
Mine gets used for custom stuff, I can't think of anything rebuild related that I've used it for. Re 3 phase: I run my spin balancer on a phase converter that came off a buddies mill, works great. They're only about 50 bucks new these days.
That's kinda what I was thinking, I am obviously not much of an experienced machinist or else I wouldn Good point, getting power to the machine is not an issue in this particular case... On a separate note, the '60 p/u project is coming along slowly but steadily!
I used to use a Bridgeport all the time for deglazing (honing) cylinders on engines with removable cylinders, and master cylinders/wheel cylinders. I actually bored some Volkswagon cylinders with one once because I had use of it and they needed bored. Not the proper tool but sometimes you use what you got, they are a very versatile tool. A vertical mill is also a very handy tool when one wants to install screw in studs in a head, if you use the good studs on say a small block chebby for example the tops of the rocker towers need to be milled off. Also useful when installing a Torrington thrust washer in the block for the cam shaft (drive end).
Everything that Beaner said and more, like notching pistons for larger valve clearance, milling intakes to match decked heads or blocks and the list goes on. Good point on the 3 phase. But if pulling 3 phase in is impractical (too $$$), you can use a small phase convertor to run a mill as well.
I am actually using a phase converter (or several if need be) when I set up shop at the pork n bean ranch. I talked to the power company and it would be a pull of about half a mile to get 3 phase to my shop. Pricey for an old fart on a budget.
Dan, As a former Autoshop teacher, I would definitely try to get it in my shop. If you are looking for justification for the administration, resurfacing cylinder heads and manifolds on new age aluminum engines. Might want to go to your local auto machine shop for more suggestions. Also, stress that Auto Machining is another career path for your students. Not everyone wants to "fix cars for money".
In my reply, I was assuming that you had normal automotive machine shop equipment, such as a boring bar, hone, head machine, surfacing mill, etc. If you don't have the "proper" equipment, than you can kind of make a mill work for some of it.
As a 45+ yr. machinist, I do have one in my shop, a Bridgeport, but it's my shop and has several other machine tools as I still do a little work for the general public. The mill has been a big help in building hot rod parts and stuff of that sort, but I don't see a lot of value for one in a normal automotive repair shop. Yes, they are capable of doing all sorts of work to automotive components, including valve guides, but only with proper fixtures and most importantly, the knowledge and skill to set it up to do the job. A vertical knee mill is a quite versatile machine, but that versatility is a double edgeed sword. It means a lot of set up work totally unrelated to the normal skills of an automobile mechanic, and even with that knowledge, a dedicated guide machine, for example, in the hands of a good automotive machinist, will be finished with the job before even a highly skilled general machinist can finish the setup on a Bridgeport or Jet mill.
This is good advice, I have worked as an automotive machinist as well as a general machinist in my time. In the right shop automotive machinist is a lot of fun. Owning a mill is not going to teach someone to be an automotive machinist, but it may inspire someone to reach out for that goal. Or it may show them that being a machinist is also a good career path to follow, wither way the kids find some direction and that would be a feather in anyone's hat. There are schools for automotive machinist, I am not sure but I'll bet that the UAW still has an apprenticeship program. I know that they still had a program in '03, the old man was involved in the program right up to that time.
I agree with all the above, but from another angle, having the machine and some qualified instruction on it will appeal to some students to pursue a career in tool and die or a parallel trade. There is Injection mold work coming back to this country already.
The Mill is just a dumb tool rotator, What makes it a exilent piece of equipment is the tooling to do the job quick and accurate. Sure it can notch valve pockets in pistons but you are going to need to make or buy a piston vise to it. Other things people dont think about it the tooing to square the head after its been moved and/or abused. How about cutters and whos responceability for those expensive nuggets when they wear out,break, get lost. How many of you priced a "flycutter" big enuff to surface a head. Consider the basic mill like your computer printer, another cheap piece of equipment that to get working one needs to buy the expensive ink
Ain't there any safety requirement regarding machines surrounded by students? If so older equipment usually needs updating if possible, if not it's just scrap for the school.
If your auto curriculum is focused on teaching fabrication skills for restoring old vehicles then getting the milling machine is a good idea. If your curriculum is for teaching the skills to repair and maintain today's vehicles , then a mill is not needed. It will be just a "nice to have" machine tool that will take up floor space. Your curriculum supervisor probably won't go for it as it may be difficult to justify.
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