How to make a milling machine from a drill press? It’s a good question and one that many people ask and a project that many people try to take on-board. Success rates for converting a drill press into a milling machine are however not as high as you may first think. The reason behind this is that there are many issues that need to be re-engineered and casting involved. Read on to find out how to make a milling machine from a drill press and if it is really worth the time and money concerned.
How to Make a Milling Machine from a Drill Press: Step by Step
In order to make your conversion successful you will need to replace the lower spindle bearing with a double row contact bearing. This step is necessary in order to resolve issues you would otherwise encounter with side thrust. The taper of your drill pin will also need to be retained using a lock pin or draw bar. This will stop the drill chuck coming off and not holding onto what will become the endmill.
The table for your new milling machine needs to be rigid. Whether or not you need to change your table will depend on whether your original drill press is mounted in a rigid way or not. A press that has the table mounted to the column will not be firm enough for your new machine. To be successful you will need to remount the head using a gib, and then go on to directly mount the table to the base.
Other Items you may need for successful Conversion:
To successfully transform your press to a milling machine you should have a fine feed on the Z axis. This can be achieved using brass or aluminium. At the same time you may like to introduce a stepper motor so that your milling machine is CNC controlled. All play between the spindles will need to be removed for successful milling. A treadmill motor with a decent operating range will make your new milling machine more precise.
Converting a drill press to a milling machine is not for the feint hearted. It can save you money on investing in a milling machine, but it takes time and effort and you should never expect high levels of accuracy. What this means is that this type of conversion is generally or the hobbyist, or for someone who loves a project to keep them busy and who has an interest in milling and CNC.
Many people who want to know how to make a milling machine will buy kits for the purpose. Kits start at very reasonable prices, and they will save money on your purchase. If your idea is to get busy with your milling machine however, you should neither buy a kit or try and convert a press. There are plenty of CNC milling machines available for sale at reasonable prices. These basic machines can be bought with the thought in mind of upgrading at a later date and adding extra components. The choice is yours.
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