drill press to mill conversion

[mattybock]

seems like it, but the market has no openings at all!
In each state of the union one needs an education and then to service an apprenticeship to become a funeral director and if they wish to operate their own home, they need to serve as a manager or operator in chief for a few years after that.
Most funeral homes in my area are owned by one major corporation, Service Corp. Int.
Last I checked they have a total of 8 jobs open... in the United States.
Family shops only hire family, no exemptions.
Every one will die, but to get a job that will make money from it, you need an opening and that simply does not exist.

Therefor, I am turning to my other skill set, working on and fixing old guns, which I also love to do.

 

[mattybock]

Is it possible to change that? Can new bearing be installed with tighter tolerances?

 

[mattybock]

I have completed my degree (actually a certificate) but that is for not if there are no jobs to be had.
The economy is bad, real bad, and many cuts once unthinkable are now becoming common.

 

[mattybock]

is there a link to go along with that information? Sounds like this fellow might be right what I need.

 

[mattybock]

My father is a machinist/ tool and die maker. With his help, by practicing on my own steel stock and guns, I feel that I can at least get some kind an education in the field. It's better than nothing.

 

[mattybock]

there actually is no certification for gunsmithing in Texas. But there is for locksmiths... how curious...

 

[Birddog6]

But is it possible? And if so- how?

Not a shot at ya, but I'm guessing you're a speck older than me (I'm in my 20s), and have had more time to acquire a nest egg, the finer things, a stable home, and contacts with the same. I'm guessing you didn't get out of college full disillusionment and looking at a real unemployment rate of around 20% with one job opening getting 15 applicants.

I haven't. I'm unemployed and near broke. It's a fine thing to say to work 2 full time jobs, but in reality one part time job in today's world is about as common as 50 cent a pound unicorn steak.
I know gunsmiths don't make much cash, and that's fine. Average seems to be real low.

Some is better than none. I would gladly have taken the job for $100 and I need to make a mill from a drill press.

Yes, it is possible...to use the drill press for a milling machine. Heck most anything is possible........ But not probable. You can take a kids Tonka Bulldozer & dig a basement to build you a house on, but it is not probable.

The cheap drillpress bearings will not hold. The spindles are too small, the whole machine is to light duty, the Harbor Freight milling vice is a piece of crap, it is all negatives on what you want to do with it. (If your dad is a machinist/tool & die maker, he has most likely already told you all of this)

Also, the Gunsmith profession is NOT a good one to start out on & make a living on. IMHO If I am going to get my rifle or pistol worked on, I am not ..... going to take it to the 23 yr old guy starting out & working in the garage...... I am going to take it to the oldest most reputable guy I know.... Sorry. The only business you are going to get for the next 10 years if from cheapskates not wanting to pay anything & and you are going to be working on mostly junk.

Anyway.... that being said...... I have milled on the lil Delta benchtop drill press I have on one of my benches. I have a milling vice from MSC that cost more than the dang drillpress ! If I have a brass sideplate or something Very Light Duty & something that needs JUST a tad off an edge or whatever, I can clamp that milling vice in there & put in a very small 1/8" carbide milling bit that is very expensive as well, and mill off a few thousands at a time & if I am extremely careful I can shave a few thousands off.

And if I am not extremely careful the drillpress is going to flex & bow & that mill bit is going to gouge the livin crap out of that $20 sideplate cause the dang drillpress is NOT a milling machine & doesn't have the stability ya need to mill properly. Now hoe are you going to explain to your customer how you put that big gouge in his pistol, rifle or shotgun.... and him accept it ?

And, just so ya know........ Yes, I am much older than you.... But I have been EXACTLY where you are today.

I got a 2 year degree in Wildlife & came out of there just KNOWING I was going to get that certificate & have a job. I never gave it a thought there was 40 others graduating with me & not counting the other dozen schools in the state graduating 30-50 a year & there was 1 freakin job per county in the state for that type of work ever 5 to 10 years !!. Now we have 3-400 kids with this cert, and ONE damn game warden per county. IN 4 years there was 2 vacancies...... But it was then just like it is now..... Everyone says Get a DEGREE, it is a guaranteed job. B.S.

So Yes, I do know where you are coming from......
I ended up with a degree, working in a RC Bottling factory, loading trucks at night for 2 dang years, for $ 1.60 an hour in a county that 80% of the people were on food stamps & still are to this day. They have now progressed to 90% of them on food stamps, because they all bred.

Anyway, I had a choice.

1: Live with them & whine all my life about Poor Me.... I can go back there 35 years later & they are all still broke, living in poverty & still whining about how life did them wrong.

2: Deal drugs & be a scumbag like the rest of the sleazeballs dealing them.

3: Leave there & try to better myself.

I decided to leave. And it was the best thing that ever happened for me & I have Never Ever regretted it.

If you don't have work there.... go find it. It is there. It may not be what you want, but you have to start someplace & only YOU can make it happen..... I Know, I have been there..... No it is not easy. If it was easy everyone would be rich & worry free....

If you want things to be different, only YOU can make it different..... Don't wait, do something about it.

I left the bottling company cause I hear they were hiring at the railroad. I drove there & found the guy had left as he had hired all he want. I asked where he went. They said Indianapolis. It snowed 6" that night. I drove 6 hrs in a freaking blizzard to get to Indy & was in his office the next morning. He told me he had enough people, but anyone that would drive 6 hrs at night in that mess at least deserved a chance & he gave it to me.

He opened a door for me that went to another job, and when that closed it opened another door, and when that closed it opened another door, etc. Every door that closes opens new doors & you are not looking for them.

So I am saying, don't sit around & wait on the door to show up, as it may never do it... Go Find the Door !!! The only thing stopping you, is You.

The road goes East & West & North & South...... You can always go back to the position you are in now......

Keith Lisle

 

[hoochiepapa]

Well said, Keith.

 

[Roy]

Why is a mill needed?? What do you plan to do with it?

 

[nmdd]

I agree with Keith, just about 400 miles to the west they are begging for people to fill job positions. Check out the Midland, Oddessa, Tx area or the Hobbs, NM area. There are many company's looking for all kinds of help...mechanics, truck drivers, machinists, etc.... :shocked2:

 

[rustyh]

I second what Keith said. There is also the military, unfortunately they need someone to take care of soldiers bodies.

 

[Longsmoke]

Milling with a drill press. Somebody said 100s have tried it, he’s is being polite and not calling 1000s dumb. I have a dang nice drill press, big enough that it takes 2 people to move it around the shop. I tried it. Trashed a 70 year old 1911 slide trying to open the ejection port when the chuck came loose. Bought a $80 carbide end mill to do the work. Guess what, carbide shatters like glass. Best part about the thing was, it was my gun. I didn’t pay more than I already had in the project.

My guess is everybody that owns a mill has tried it. That’s why they own a mill.

My day job is gunsmithing, I am certified. I work for a firearms importer. I drive 50 miles one way and spend more on gas than food. After work and on week ends I build and work on flintlocks. I can work on modern guns at home but, do to ATF rules I can’t do it for money unless I have an FFL.

Some folks tell me I’m still young, Born in 1959. I have been collecting tools for 35 years and today I have a small machine shop here at home. More of a toy shop paid for by not paying other people to do machine work for me.

Forget the drill press for milling, use it to drill holes before you brake it. Wal-Mart sells boat anchor for $20, save your self some money and time. IT WON’T WORK, NO MATTER HOW YOU ASK THE QUESTION.

 

[44-henry]

Here is the link:
http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/dave/index.html

Also, maybe you should look at another college program. I would suggest something in a technology/manufacturing field. I teach at UND in the Department of Technology, you can see the link below.
http://business.und.edu/technology/index.cfm

While I don't expect you to move to North Dakota, you can find similar programs elsewhere. We have a program very similar to many in engineering, but we spend more time dealing with applications and so are much more hands one, experiential learning focused than traditional engineering curriculums generally are. In additon, we have a heavy concentration of business classes that a lot of engineering programs lack. Many of my interests from gunsmithing spill over into the classes I teach and while I cannot have my students make firearms, I do have them do processes like bone and charcoal color case hardening, charcoal blueing, knife making, etc. I think we have a fun program and our students don't have trouble finding jobs even in this tough economy, something I think has a lot to do with the flexibility of our generalist degree.

Of course North Dakota has one of the best economies in the country right now with the oil boom. No shortage of jobs here and I have students working in the oil fields that make twice what I do. If you don't mind hard work and can tolerate the living conditions in the oil fields you can make a lot of money and than go out and buy yourself a first class machine shop.

Regards,

Alex Johnson

 

[mattybock]

Nope, I tried. The military got rid of all embalmer in the mid and late 90s. all work for the dead is now outsourced to a few contract firms, one of which is Service Corp. Int.

I didn't pass the physical anyway.

 

[mattybock]

I'm thinking about going with what was said earlier and building a simple mill from basic parts, or from a different tool just as a lathe, if that can be done for less than $600.

Ps, I googled "American made end mills" and got a site in the first few results that sold endmills from about 10 to 60 bucks. Seems worth checking out.

 

[mattybock]

To make gun parts with, which with... for with... yes.

 

[Roy]

I had to ask.. because my Grandfather and Father were both gunsmiths.. and I build muzzleloaders for a living.. I do work on my own modern stuff too. Grandpa Stroh worked on bolt actions and single shots mostly. Non of us have or had a mill, and we all have re-produced parts. :v
Not trying to toot my own horn, just do not see the reason for a mill right off the bat.. You want a mill work up for it. Try re-bluing jobs, mounting sights/scopes. Mind if you are working on modern firearms for others you are going to need a ffl. :v

 

[sc45-70]

End mills are the cutters used in a milling machine. Google milling machine.

In my personal opinion (for what it's worth) for gunsmithing, a good metal lathe is far more usefull than a milling machine and with the right attachment can also do light milling.

I have 2 milling machines and 2 metal lathes and use the lathes far more than the milling machines!
I've built several guns from scratch.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/974891/
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/975381/

You may have to try to find a gunsmith or machinist that is willing to help you learn the craft. Offer to help them out for free doing odd jobs and you will learn alot in a short amount of time! That's what I did years ago and never regretted it. Nomatter what tools you have , you still need to know how to use them!

Some more free advise (and worth every penny) Find a real job to pay the bills and if you want to tinker with guns, do it as a hobby untill you are well established enough to make a living at it.

Alot of us have been exactly where you are now. To become successful at something takes time, more time than you may realize in your youth.

You got some good advise so far I think you just need to think about it and let it sink in.

SC45-70

 

[hoochiepapa]

Nice rifles!

 

[Zonie]

Changing the bearings in a drill press won't change it into a milling machine.

Even if you found a cross-feed table so you could feed the work into the cutter very slowly the drill press with special bearings still won't work.

A drill press is designed to take light loads in the direction of its spindle. It is too flimsy to take loads in any other direction.
Hell, just one piece of a good milling machine will weigh more than a good drill press.

As a design engineer of jet engines with a manufacturing engineering background I know what I'm speaking about.

IMO, as for the idea of starting with a lump of metal and building a lathe to make a shaper to make a mill to make a ......, that sounds good but it is basically a bunch of hooey designed to sell the books.