MILLING MACHINE
Selection

I purchased a milling machining after reaching the limits of what I could accomplish on my lathe with a milling attachment.  I chose a milling machine from Taiwan weighing about twice my lathe. It weighs about 150 Kg (330 pounds) and has more power and a larger table than were available on the lathe.

Installation 

I installed the milling machine on a table of convenient height for me. The table is built of steel L-angle and has a top made from a plywood slab -- 30 mm thick, reinforced with a length of L-iron. The machine is fixed with four bolts, tightened sufficiently to preclude movement due to vibration during cutting. 

Performance and accuracy

This milling machine features a motor with more than adequate power, a belt drive that is quiet, and offers 12 speeds, some of them in the low-speed range. 

The run-out of the spindle is less than 2/100 (0.02 mm) and the parallel accuracy of the table is 1/100 (0.01 mm).

Weak point

The column is the round type and alignment is lost if the mill head has to be raised, for example to change a cutter.

1. Belt/pulley (12 speeds) arrangement with safety cover removed. Operation is relatively quiet and vibration free. 

2. The black crank is used to raise/lower the head.

3. The small black lever is used to lock the head is place.
4. The x-axis has two stops, very handy during some machining operations. (See the two small, black "buttons" in the table slot.)

The two small levers lock the x-axis.
The handwheel controls the y-axis, with a dial graduation of 0.025 mm.
5. X-axis control.  
6. The adjustment screw of the y-axis jib.
 7. Black wing-nuts lock the y-axis.
8. Overview of table and rubber protective cover.

9. Fine z-axis control, with 0.025 mm graduations.  A balance weight has been added so that the wheel does not rotate by itself.

10. Drill chuck installed in MT3  spindle.
11.  Collet chuck installed.