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I love full size mill (and their cost vs mini mill is only 200% but its usefulness is like 1000%) but I do not think a 3rd floor apartment floor can even support it. Also getting it up there will be impossible. Like I said I wish someone can invent a mill that doesn't weight 200 tons but can still do a lot... Even a "small" bench top mill can weight well over 400 pounds.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

DRO's are ready available for benchtop milling machines. I wouldn't be without mine, X, Y, and Z axis. They are fiddly and time -consuming to retrofit, but once they are up and running, you can't imagine how you ever managed without them.

A Bridgeport is nice to have , admittedly, but slightly overkill ...

I just don't understand why they have to cost over 500 dollars... I can do without them... the dials on my mill is pretty easy to understand. One turn is .100" and each tick is .002". I just need to make sure to take into account the backlash (it can be adjusted but backlash is inevitable), zero the scale, and just count the turns. Was able to locate holes accurately this way.

How does CNC account for backlash?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Most purpose built CNC machines use zero backlash ballscrews or leadscrews with zero backlash nuts so that it's not an issue in the first place.

Second, most CNC control software can compensate for backlash as well. You simply measure the backlash and enter it into the control software. None of my machines use this as they're all ballscrew based and apparently it has issues but I suppose it's better than nothing.

As an owner of both a lousy manual mill and a CNC-router, I'm not sure that a manual mill is that useful of a tool for luthiery. It seems that people with really extensive knowledge of how to use a manual mill can get a lot accomplished but it also takes a lot of experience to gain that knowledge.

I think that like any other tool, instead of focusing on the tool itself, focus on what you want/need to accomplish and then buy the tool that will help you accomplish those things. Buying a tool and then looking for problems to solve seems a bit backward to me....but mills are pretty dang cool!

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

For tools, jigs, and fixturing - it can't be beaten.
For guitar repair and building - more than handy.
Two reasons to own one? Torque and rigidity.
For a guy with my training and experience.... I can make them sing arias.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

And I don't doubt that which is why I wrote:



I have to respectfully disagree that it can't be beaten on those other points though. If you're working with metal, especially steel then yes, a true metal working mill is an absolute requirement.

However, even a CNC router that's not nearly as rigid as something like a bridgeport or the smaller square column mills will run circles around any manual milling tool if we're talking about wood, plastics and even softer metals like aluminum. A relatively rigid CNC router like the ones I have can actually do a pretty decent and quick-ish job on Al and Brass.

The main point I'm trying to make is that if I had a couple grand burning a hole in my pocket to spend on tools, a manual mill would not be my first choice on where to spend my money. There are other tools which will give better bang for your buck for most luthiers. Buy tools to solve problems, not buy tools and then look for problems for it (though it's a bonus when you find new uses for purchased tools!)

Someone like yourself on the other hand that already has the experience, perhaps it is the right choice.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

I agree with Andy completely on this. Nobody needs the mass and rigidity of a standard mill to work on wood, and it is much slower than the newer and more specific routers. To start new I would find or build a system with faster spindle speeds and corresponding feed rates, a larger table and I would have a way to justify the new expense. Even knowing that to buy a full sized standard milling machine is cheaper now than I have ever seen it.

I use what I already have rather than going out and buying more. With the tools at my disposal I feel that I have a good combination of flexibility and accuracy. Almost everything that can be done on the mill can be done another way. Maybe not as fast or accurately, or maybe more so if you want to spend the money, but it can still be done. Buy quality tools that you need, rather than the ones you want

Tim

A mill is designed for metalworking. It can make very accurate cuts in wood but a router is enough. This is why a mill has lower RPM because you can't mill steel at 2000rpm, it will burn the cutter out in short order.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

A mill and even a lathe can come in handy for making things like tools and even modifying hardware parts which I have done. If you come across and old instrument where the hardware is no longer available or hard to find you can make it. Frank Fords site Frets.com has some tips on his use of metal working machines in instrument repairs.

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Another day, another dollar.