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Author Topic: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?  (Read 5008 times)

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Offline Twilight Fenrir

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Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« on: October 03, 2018, 01:47:49 PM »
I have an opportunity to pick up an antique Fox horizontal mill... I'll admit, I mostly want it because it's oozing with character. I don't really know what I'd do with it. I think my little shaper will be able to do everything I might want it for. But... It's really cool.... It's also $350

I found the original fliers on vintagemachinery.org, but, I just don't really know what a horizontal mill is good for... It's probably going to sit in my shop, get futzed with for a bit, but mostly just get in the way... Even being aware of this, I'm still leaning towards it...

Thoughts/opinions?
« Last Edit: October 03, 2018, 01:50:43 PM by Twilight Fenrir »
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Offline Twilight Fenrir

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2018, 01:53:20 PM »


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Offline leg17

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2018, 05:08:50 PM »
Can you bore a hole with a shaper?
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Offline Twilight Fenrir

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2018, 05:15:19 PM »
Quote from: leg17 on October 03, 2018, 05:08:50 PM
Can you bore a hole with a shaper?
With a few days of work, yeah, lol

I know you can with a vertical mill, but can you bore a hole with a horizontal? I thought horizontal milling was basically all wheels on shafts? 
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Offline leg17

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2018, 08:52:18 PM »
Quote from: Twilight Fenrir on October 03, 2018, 05:15:19 PM
Quote from: leg17 on October 03, 2018, 05:08:50 PM
Can you bore a hole with a shaper?
.....I thought horizontal milling was basically all wheels on shafts?

Goodness no.  Rotate the overarm 180 for clearance and put a chuck or tool-holder or boring head directly in the spindle.
Clamp work-piece directly on the table and have at it. 
Google Devlieg pictures for examples.
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Offline jdjax

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2018, 09:53:10 AM »
Does it come with more cutters? The machine specs you posted says the spindle is a #9 Brown and Sharp and I think those are not cheap. You could get an adapter but either way without cutters to go with it you will soon be spending much more on tooling.

It does have a cool factor of 10+.

I looked on ebay and a 3/4" endmill adapter is $54.99 and then you have to buy the endmill cutters.
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Offline Twilight Fenrir

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Re: Milling like a Fox: What can a horizontal mill do that a shaper cannot?
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2018, 12:00:38 PM »
I've decided I'm going to pass on it...

It was a hard call between machine-lust and pragmatism, but I spent the weekend rearanging and organizing my shop, and I just don't have the spare room for a machine I won't get much use out of... Hole boring would be very handy, but the limited travel of the horizontal mill wouldn't really help me very much. Plus, I'm sure a machine that old would have wear and issues, just like my 1890's lathe.

It's just not practical, and I have to accept that...
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