Thread: Horizontal vs vertical milling

Just pondering .... for when I get my universal machine, When will I use horizontal ?
I know it's good for removing metal faster, but what other benefits are there ?

It will all depend on what you either have to or need to machine.
Its no use telling you what the benefits or the detriments of it will be, you will have to learn this for yourself.

Unfortunately, the term 'universal' when applied to a mill has been corrupted these days. When you say universal, do you mean it has a horizontal spindle as well as vertical? A rotating table?

I use my horizontal for gear cutting mainly, but it does provide extra options for flexibility when setting up.

Michael

Originally Posted by Michael G

Unfortunately, the term 'universal' when applied to a mill has been corrupted these days. When you say universal, do you mean it has a horizontal spindle as well as vertical? A rotating table?

I use my horizontal for gear cutting mainly, but it does provide extra options for flexibility when setting up.

Michael

Yes it has horizontal and vertical spindles. Table doesn't rotate.

FWIW I've had a Hafpos HM52 with 2 spindles for 10+ years and I've only used the horizontal spindle for 1 job in that time.

have said before on the forum here that its actually surprising how many jobs can be done easily in horizontal mode - its more a choice in many cases (if your mill can do both). I leave my mill in horizontal and its the exception that I put the vertical head on.

Many mills are vertical now days and if you have the choice it can be easier/convenient to just leave it that way (vertical) -rather than 'having' to use vertical over horizontal. Some jobs though really 'need' a workpiece to be held a certain way to make it easier.

Originally Posted by Michael G

Unfortunately, the term 'universal' when applied to a mill has been corrupted these days. When you say universal, do you mean it has a horizontal spindle as well as vertical? A rotating table?

I use my horizontal for gear cutting mainly, but it does provide extra options for flexibility when setting up.

Michael

Michael
Slightly off topic, but could you use your horizontal to hob gears? it would require the table rotated to helix angle of the hob and the universal dividing head to be geared in relation to the spindle speed. You could also cut worm gears with a hob too. Or have you already done that and I havent read enough forum posts?
Eric

Originally Posted by lamestllama

...could you use your horizontal to hob gears? it would require the table rotated to helix angle of the hob and the universal dividing head to be geared in relation to the spindle speed. You could also cut worm gears with a hob too. Or have you already done that and I havent read enough forum posts?

Yes, you can but you need to have the gear syncronised with the spindle - a couple of large bevel gears that I haven't gotten around to making up yet... The way it would be done is a bevel gear pair to take off the spindle rotation, a universal shaft to transfer that to the dividing head location and then a gear train to connect to the dividing head input shaft. I really don't know why I haven't done it yet. Pure slackness on my part I would guess.

Some larger industrial machines even have that power take off in built.

I did hob a wormwheel on the lathe some years ago and it worked surprisingly well.

Michael