Drill as a Mill

[Slim Shady]

Hi all
As the title says can i use a drill with a milling bit in it as a mill. I found a box of milling bits around the garage and didn't want to damage them,me or the drill.

 

[stormin]

Only really for very light duty stuff, milling plastics of light cuts in aluminium.
All but the heavy industrial pillar drills are not really stiff enough to do decent cuts in anything else.
The other problem is the chuck will very likely fall off as they're only mounted on a taper, no draw bar as on a proper mill, and the spindle bearings aren't really designed to take side loads.
If you've already got a cross vice or table and want to give it a go just be careful. If it's for very occasional use you may get away with it. If you've got more serious intentions then do yourself a favour and save up for a real mill.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Ditto, stormin is right on the button.

 

[Rubber Duck]

I realy wouldn't risk it, as drill chucks are not designed to take the horizontal forces like a mill drawbar and collet.

The drill chuck has only got 3 points of contact with the drill and the milling collet has 360 degrees of contact.

 

[outofthefire]

I've tried it with my drill which is an old heavy duty fobco I tried it on wood and ally and the results were really poor part of the trouble was all that has been mentioned already the rest of the trouble was my cross vice which was from machine mart was rubbish and had way too much play. Try it if you've got everything already but I wouldn't waste any money.

Bear in mind if it goes pear shaped something is likely to fly off at speed likely straight at you.

 

[MrFluffy]

Usually the chuck still gripping the cutter, as it falls off its internal jacobs taper as stormin rightly points out

 

[graffian]

I've tried it with my drill which is an old heavy duty fobco.
Bear in mind if it goes pear shaped something is likely to fly off at speed likely straight at you.

I have occasionally put an end mill/slot drill in a drill chuck, being to lazy to stick a collet in;-) I think, apart from doing a counterbore, every time the chuck has been popped off the Jacobs taper. There is no great drama, you loose drive to the chuck.

 

[hareng]

Bit more to it than that Graffian, as the taper drops so does the cutter in to the work piece. Stop the machine and chuck still revolving.
Been there done it to save at time £550, but cost me long term and still have the robust drill and compound slide worthless piece of junk.

 

[graffian]

Always just popped off and lost drive to the chuck with me. Never did any damage, I wouldn't keep thinking I might get away with it if it did;-)

 

[v10mike]

I do light milling on my Meddings drill without any problems, as long as it's only light cuts in aluminium or brass. But it's a solid drill, with decent bearings and a proper x-y table and milling vice. I wouldn't try it in a Machine Mart Chinese drill.

 

[chunkolini]

Sounds dodgy to me.
I love the way the hard sharp thing inerringly homes in on the soft fleshy thing.

Like opposites attracting.
Chunko'.

 

[scott0031]

Everyone has covered all the valid points other than this one.


If your drill has Morse taper spindle nose be a bit wary. If the taper works loose then you will still have drive to the chuck as the tang of the taper will still be engaged in the drive in the spindle nose. Unlike a spindle nose with no internal Morse taper and having a J type taper on the spindle. When that works loose you also don't have drive so no real harm it will just spin.


With The the Morse taper style and still having a drive if it comes loose, can end up a nasty mess with the chuck wobbling about all over the place and still driving. This could result in a nasty injury with bits of shattered cutter flying about and munching up the job, In addition it will not do your machine any good at all and could result in a badly damaged spindle, so be warned on these points.



Kind regards,


Scott (ward engineering)