Steel Guitar Builder

I have wanted a mill and I have found one I like but it is 2 Morse Taper instead of R8 and The reason im asking about it on this forum is because I wanna use a mill to make some steel guitar parts and I wanted to make sure this would work for steel building.If any of you guys have MT2 mills and use it to make endplates and keyheads and such I wanna hear from you.I have used an R8 machine a lot and I think the Mt2 would be ok.I know collets cost more for it but Im concerned about being able to find endmills and such and if It would work for what I wanna do with it.Any info will be greatly appreciated as I know very little about Morse taper mills.

I've never used a mill, but the page below has a good explanation of the differences.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general_m ... lders.html

Hi Shobudmaverick,

My mill is MT2, I purchased a set of ER25 collets and collet chuck and the mill does fine, you can get an MT2 for a drill chuck and use the mill for accurate drilling of holes but avoid using a drill chuck to hold your milling cutters, a collet is far more secure and accurate.

Ron Mc

I know with R-8 machines you have a drawbar so Im guessing MT2 is the same way or is it.I dont know much about mills other than R-8 machines but I found a good one I like and I wish it was R-8 but Im willing to try an MT2 and hopefully get some projects started.

What do the endmills look like you use with an MT2.I know this is a dumb question but can the endmills you use with an R8 be used on an MT2 or is there a special kind

My machine has MT2 - in the States it is sold as the Grizzly G0704. Apart from concerns about rigidity - it is a budget machine after all - I think it is up to the job in all respects. As with any hobby machine, it will do the job a bigger machine will do, if you are patient and take lighter cuts, just work slow and patient. My MT2 tools are held in with a drawbar, same as the R8 in principle. I echo the comment about using proper collets for holding the cutters! Having this little machine has made a variety of jobs quicker and easier. I love it.

By the way, the endmills are just the same, as are the collets. It's only the spindle part of the collet chuck that is different.

Will C

that answered several questions I had been unsure about.I am glad to know the endmills are the same because I was concerned it was gonna take a certain kind.I dont mind buying collets or endmill holders and all that.I had heard these machines were usually best if you take smaller cuts but I think almost everything I would do would be in aluminum and I also dont mind if it takes longer.

So with an MT2 mill should I be able to mill out endplates and pedals or would I really need an R-8 to do all this.I know I wouldnt be able to take large cuts but this mill Im looking at seems very sturdy and I wouldnt actually consider it a mini mill because its a lot larger than the X2 mills like Harbor Freight have.its an older tabletop mill with a nice large table with plenty of work room.

I did mine with one!

Ron Mc

Ok thats great because if I get the machine its main purpose will be for steel guitar parts.