Homemade Milling Machine trying to cut STEEL

In this video I try to cut steel with my homemade milling machine, turns out I have to do a lot of upgrading to get it to the desired point.
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[@EngineerSteve]

The cut in aluminium doesn't leave a clean and straight surface, the reason being the backlash in one of the axis, it will be fixed when upgrading to dovetails.

[@rodbutler9864]

I have a converted drill press mill also. Do whatever you can for rigidity ie; bolt it to the bench, if you fill the post, try also to get the top part secured to a wall as well, my vice is bolted to the stand for more weight. It has to be as solid as you can make it….!
The XY table has to be bolted to the drill table securely and the drill table supported underneath, not hanging out in the air.
Use short end mills (4 flute is best). I use a fast speed (up to 1500rpm) and a slow feed. With lots of cutting oil or coolant if it gets too hot.
I do about 1mm mild steel (max!) in a pass and could probably do twice that much in aluminium.
Find a way to sharpen your end mills like new and keep them sharp. I learnt these lessons over the last 6 months from lots of RUclips and trial & error experience. I hope it helps.

[@EngineerSteve]

Thanks for the very helpfull feedback, this machine is lacking rigidity indeed, that's also why I decided to make a new machine with a bought cast table and standard taper (still designing the machine)

[@samilcan2]

Great design and build, especially the spindle. Rigidity is everything obviously for milling, but rigidity is not just for the material or weight of the machine (adding concrete or epoxy to cavities will help but won't ever be enough) -- it is also in the mechanical design of the basic structure of the machine, its shape and how its frame and the spindle housing is "held".
In a drill press the frame is on a round column, spindle being a foot away from the round column, and hence the whole thing (the cast iron frame as a whole) just wants to turn with the force of the end mill pushing against the work -- and I mean, turn with a circle around the column: the radius being from the end mill to the center of the cylindrical column. Whatever weight or extra clamps we introduce, that radial force will always be there with that frame setup, causing at best major chatter, at worst wandering both at the milling end and even at the workpiece.
So the solution will have to be introducing any means to limit that radial force that tries to turn the whole machine -- I've seen people attaching metal bars from the frame (on the two sides of the spindle housing or whatever works) to walls, ceiling, bench, etc. to make it way more rigid for instance, with varying results. But the point is, the whole machine will need extra structural elements to be attached (probably even at the back of the column and the base) to minimize any vibration due to a radial force that the machine "shape" was never designed for. A rectangular column would change everything haha!

[@EngineerSteve]

You are correct on every point you mentioned, I learned a lot by building/converting this machine (also through reading helpfull comments). I am now using that knowledge and experience for building a new milling machine, there already are a few videos on my channel about the new machine and many will follow!

[@leonida-alexandrudiaconu8660]

A mill table made out of sheet metal it will always flex. The list you can do is have the flat sheet that you use as ways converted to an l profile. Bolt it to the side of the way and the side of the table.

[@EngineerSteve]

Thanks for your comment! This is exactly one of the problems I had. I am currently working on a new milling machine with a (bought) cast iron table.

[@najindustrolizovanij]

i poured concrete in my chinese drill press column tube
and it improved rigidity.

[@EngineerSteve]

Nice idea! That might be worth a try.

[@impuls60]

@@EngineerSteve Fiber reinforced concrete would be the best. Fibers improve stretching rigidity.

[@EngineerSteve]

@@impuls60 Interesting, I am still looking for a material to fill cavities in the milling machine I am building right now (although it's kind of on hold for now because of my lack of time) I was considering epoxy granite but fiber reinforced concrete might work as well.

[@Jacob-64]

Way too much stick out on the ER spindle ,you can see the setup flexing when to try cutting

[@EngineerSteve]

I know, currently working on a new spindle (check my newest community post) It will be much more ridgid.

[@videoarsiv148]

you need min vibrasion steel machine body and 2.5hp power motor

[@EngineerSteve]

The milling machine that I am building right now (to replace the one in this video) will indeed have a lot more mass to improve rigidity. However you do not need 2.5 hp, 1 hp is plenty for small machines.