doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com best new or used benchtop mill

For the last couple of days, I have been making a sight box for my Henry-styled long range muzzleloader. I am not copying an original per se, but approximating the style to fit my needs. The rifle has front and rear sight staffs, 12 aperture inserts for the front and two eyecups for the rear. The details are irrelevant, but I could do this and many other small jobs a lot better if I had a small milling machine, instead of pushing wood through my drill press with an 1/2" end mill. I'm sure I could find many other things to do with it as well, including some minor metal work eventually. But I'm not going to become a gunsmith either, so I'm not looking for industrial grade. Just a nice quality hobby tool.

I have neither the space nor the skills to justify a full-sized, mill but a small, bench-top model might be perfect, depending on costs. Is there a consensus on new or used machines that are better than others? Is there a best place to look for these (especially used ones)? And finally, besides a bunch of end mills and taps, what sort of tooling is involved to make these things useful?

I found a benchmaster on FB Marketplace. Can't remember how much I paid, but it was less than $500 I think. A Hardinge BB2V just sold in my area for $400 (looks like a better machine than the benchmaster). I also watch proxibid for local auctions, but depending on where you live, those will almost all be industrial/full sized machines.

I am interested in the answers you get regarding the optimal mill. I haven't gotten my benchmaster restored yet... and don't have the skills to properly assess its utility anyway... but they seem to be well regarded among the machinist community. With the caveat that everyone feels obligated to tell you that a small / benchtop machine is not going to have the capabilities of a Bridgeport.

Brent,
My first mill was an Atlas (benchtop horizontal spindle) with a shopmade vertical spindle conversion. It works for small "stuff" and has power feed, which is pretty rare in a small mill. I was able to get it because I had to make a lot of the "set up" to get it running. The price depends on condition and what else comes with it. BTW, the taper on a drill press spindle is not made for a "side load". Don't ask how I know that. You can get a Bridgeport or Index later, but you will want a lathe first.
Mike

Mike,
I was taking off a few thousands of an inch with my drill press "mill". No, it's not made for that but for cleaning a nearly finished chisel mortise, it was okay, to a point, and I don't plan on doing it again, but there will come a time... and if I had a mill, I'd probably invent things to do with it. I might drill and tap for a scope or cut a dovetail or two, but I'm not going to do anything really significant.

I almost bought a lathe once. I believe it may have been an Atlas. That was a long time ago. Then, I realized that 1. I won't be barreling that many rifles, and that's what I would really want it for. 2. If I did get a lathe, it would have to be big enough to handle at least 36" x 1.25 or larger barrels. I don't have the space, the need, the skills, or the money for that.

Unfortunately, all the machinists I know live far away. I might be more interested in metal working, if I had someone near by that I could lean on for help and instruction. But then again, I'm really not going to get into many more gunsmithing projects that would require that sort of gear.

Keep an eye out for accessories that come with the mill.
A good vise, rotary table, chucks, collets, etc. can cost more than the mill.
Chuck

Brent,
If you had a lathe you would be surprised what else you would use it for. I made a new handle for my wife's cheese straw press in the middle of the night, the night before a baby shower. No chance to buy a new one, it got her out of a "bind" and won a me lot of brownie points. She is still using it 20 years later.
Mike

You can cut thread chamber at the chuck as long as the barrel will go through the head the lathe dosent have to be really long i have a.benchmaster vertical mill I have use for a lot of projects I have a fixture for drilling also used for cutting dovetails and beads