Thread: What a difference a change of mill can make.

In the days of old I had a 'soggy noodle' H&F HM52. Moved it on after restoring a mid 60's Rossi universal mill.

I had purchased a 1" 'Little Hogger' twin insert cutter for the 52. It was almost a total disaster with an extremely poor finish from lack of rigidity of the 'milling machine' as well as extreme clatter from the loose tolerances in the quill spline and cutter impact. Ear protection was order of the day. Anyway, the Little Hogger got banished to the back of the shelf.
Today I needed to face some 19mm mild steel. I already had an er32 collet chuck fitted to the Rossi so fitted the Little Hogger. Some unkind persons may well say that I was too lazy to look for another draw bar and fit the 100mm insert head.

Cranked the cutting revs up to a bit over 1000rpm and about 1.6mm doc. Good finish; not perfect but very acceptable. No cutter noise but a small amount of gear clatter from the head. Mind you its 50 year old. A happy camper.

All 2+ tonne can be shaken a bit with a 38mm depth edge in very hard cast iron with a Niagara brand 3/4" 2 flute slot drill. I find that these old Niagaras have been the only hss cutters to last in this very abrasive cast iron.

Ken

Jeez; you lot are a tough audience.

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There was a thread a few years ago of the repairs of the machine I think under...........Rossi Mill.

I would class that 'small' cutter as a rougher. The finish has been ok but certainly not a top finish.

Ken

Good to see a success! What spindle taper does that chap have 40?

Chap???? Long ago during the rebuilding; as I was spending so much time with it, the wife named it my Italian Mistress. Probably an apt name because it can be highly strung, demanding and high maintenance. Something like Alfa cars.

40 taper on both spindles. Power feeds all 3 axis as well as rapids when it is in a good mood. Nice and rigid.

Ken

Originally Posted by Toggy

Chap???? Long ago during the rebuilding; as I was spending so much time with it, the wife named it my Italian Mistress. Probably an apt name because it can be highly strung, demanding and high maintenance. Something like Alfa cars.

40 taper on both spindles. Power feeds all 3 axis as well as rapids when it is in a good mood. Nice and rigid.

Ken

Congratulations. Looks like a top mill. It must be nice to be able to take a decent DOC and not hear all the usual vibrations and terrible sounds associated with a machine that lacks rigidity.

Nice!

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Simon,

Not a new addition. I have had it for a number of years; but have just been allowed back in the workshop and able to do some active work. My observations are more of what I thought was a useless cutter is now giving good results. Mind you when the feeds go on the fritz; manually raising that 500kg+ knee is character building.
The time is fast approaching for downsizing though.

Ken

Hey Ken,

It's great to hear that you are back in the shed.

How about another pair of inserts for the Little Hogger? Remember this? //metalworkforums.com/f65/t194459-k110-m200-steel/latest/post1859938#post1859938

Is that handy hoist by Rossi or KR?

BT

Hello Bob,

Yes; nice to be able to do something and not sit around like a stale bottle. I got the all clear from the cardiologist last week; back to full 'duties' within reason. I still have to watch what I do as the sternum join and its wire stitching can bite. Sort of like an over activity alarm I suppose.

I finished one project which was modifying a fixed steady for the Tos lathe. RayG had given me a Macson I think steady, but although it fitted on the bed nicely, it opened from the back and was high and to one side. I had lop off the base, shorten the legs and then make an adapter to fit the 2 together. Works a treat and task it was needed for completed. Was sort of hilarious doing the job as I was on strict but increasing lift weights at the time.

The inserts on this little hogger are a weird thickness. I think they are a TNMG with only a small tip radius and about 3mm thick. I have seen thicker inserts on ebay; but this may muck up the cut geometry? by being so far forward of the centre line of the cutter.

That hoist was made by the original owner I think; an ageing single operator machine shop. I guess he was also the first to crash and repair the feed system. The second owner ( a tip truck operator) crashed and smashed it before selling. Just kindly sort of put the pieces back together and sold it with no mention of the damage. All I did was improve a few things on the hoist.

I was having problems with the right up in (feeds that is). Traced to a faulty switch and cleaned up with some contact cleaner. Great.....until nothing on the weekend. Feeds motor runs but no action. I suspect either a shear pin/key or worse a stripped gear or 2 on the "repaired" welded tooth ones.
Problem is the mill is in a corner over a 15" deep well for the long knee vertical feed screw. Oh, there is the matter of a horizontal mill and 2 shapers to be moved to get access with the engine crane.

Ken