For those who use a mill, do you think this mill would be adequate for machining and inletting gunstocks.

The table won't be long enough in most cases unless you sectionalize it. Doing things in sections can get you in trouble unless the blank sides are perfectly flat and parallel.

I know of several members of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild who prefer a milling machine over a duplicator, including Duane Wiebe who frequents this site. Their logic is once you become proficient inletting with a mill the time required is not that much greater if you consider set up time on the duplicator. Also with a duplicator you will have to make patterns, over time more and more of them. The duplicator is a dedicated machine, requiring it's own space, the mill is so versatle.

If you use a mill with limited travel you can mill 'tagets' or index points on the outside of the blank for referance points when moving the stock in the vise.

I do like the duplicator for copying original stocks that are broken.

After re reading your post I see I have digressed. You asked is the mill in this picture suitable for inletting stocks? Yes but not the most desirable. It is limited in table travel and rigidity.

The head on a cheap round colum mill will "swim" as you raise and lower it

The machine you show in the picture may be called a mill by some and yes it will work but it is merely a drill press with a movable table

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
The head on a cheap round colum mill will "swim" as you raise and lower it

The machine you show in the picture may be called a mill by some and yes it will work but it is merely a drill press with a movable table

Often called a "Mill/Drill".

Serious milling?

Your definition of this is probably different than mine

I was given a similar machine by my uncle, but I've never gotten around to using it.

Yep...they work

quote:

Originally posted by Glen71:
I was given a similar machine by my uncle, but I've never gotten around to using it.

If you decide you don't need it......... I would be intersted...


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Only reason I asked about the Mill pictured is because its on an auction and nobody seems to be bidding, and because its light enough that I wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to have it moved, and because it operates on 110 electricity!

On the downside, I suppose that it takes a weird size collet for mounting the milling cutters, and there is no Digital readout.