A friend and i are looking into building brakes and suppressors. I've been doing some homework on Grizzly Milling machines and from what i have read they seem to be pretty good for my price range. What mill would all of you recommend for building brakes and suppressors? Is there any other equipment that i need to look into other than a lathe?
Gunsmithing Milling Machines
- Thread starter sto
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Re: Milling Machines
do you already have a lathe? how many brakes/suppressors are you planning on making? are you planning on having simple slots or holes for the vents or more complex shapes including radiuses?
do you already have a lathe? how many brakes/suppressors are you planning on making? are you planning on having simple slots or holes for the vents or more complex shapes including radiuses?
Re: Milling Machines
figure an indexer into your budget.
are you sure you can do your designs on a manual machine?
figure an indexer into your budget.
are you sure you can do your designs on a manual machine?
Re: Milling Machines
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 300sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">figure an indexer into your budget.
are you sure you can do your designs on a manual machine? </div></div>
He means...for mass production, you may look at a CNC. Past 2300. I know, being redundant.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 300sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">figure an indexer into your budget.
are you sure you can do your designs on a manual machine? </div></div>
He means...for mass production, you may look at a CNC. Past 2300. I know, being redundant.
Re: Milling Machines
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sto</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A friend and i are looking into building brakes and suppressors. I've been doing some homework on Grizzly Milling machines and from what i have read they seem to be pretty good for my price range. What mill would all of you recommend for building brakes and suppressors? Is there any other equipment that i need to look into other than a lathe? </div></div>
i would look into a bridge port mill, you would most def need to get a digital read out for sure but they also make attachments for them to make them CNC capable but your looking at between 15 and 25K for the mill with cnc ability and 10-15k with digital read out ( if you buy new )
any 7-10 ft bed lathe will work as long as its not to beat up.
next look into an indicator and the mount to put it on the mills spindel so you can indicate into your centers and a good set of THIN parallels and some angular parallels and you should be pretty good out side of your endmills and incerted cutters ( incerted cutters are best for roughing )
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sto</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A friend and i are looking into building brakes and suppressors. I've been doing some homework on Grizzly Milling machines and from what i have read they seem to be pretty good for my price range. What mill would all of you recommend for building brakes and suppressors? Is there any other equipment that i need to look into other than a lathe? </div></div>
i would look into a bridge port mill, you would most def need to get a digital read out for sure but they also make attachments for them to make them CNC capable but your looking at between 15 and 25K for the mill with cnc ability and 10-15k with digital read out ( if you buy new )
any 7-10 ft bed lathe will work as long as its not to beat up.
next look into an indicator and the mount to put it on the mills spindel so you can indicate into your centers and a good set of THIN parallels and some angular parallels and you should be pretty good out side of your endmills and incerted cutters ( incerted cutters are best for roughing )
Re: Milling Machines
I'm sure that I'll be able to make a few of the brakes manually, a cnc machine sounds like the way to go...but its way out of my budget. Could i have a cnc shop do the cutting for me after i do the research and development with a mill? for example, i can make the end caps in house and have the cnc shop make the baffles.
Black_ump: thanks for the info, I'll take a look at Bridge Port mills.
I'm sure that I'll be able to make a few of the brakes manually, a cnc machine sounds like the way to go...but its way out of my budget. Could i have a cnc shop do the cutting for me after i do the research and development with a mill? for example, i can make the end caps in house and have the cnc shop make the baffles.
Black_ump: thanks for the info, I'll take a look at Bridge Port mills.
Re: Milling Machines
I bought a used 1963 Rockwell 21-100 vertical knee mill for gunsmithing 9 years ago.
It gets used all the time.
It is like a microwave oven. How did we get along without them?
I bought a used 1963 Rockwell 21-100 vertical knee mill for gunsmithing 9 years ago.
It gets used all the time.
It is like a microwave oven. How did we get along without them?
Re: Milling Machines
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sto</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm sure that I'll be able to make a few of the brakes manually, a cnc machine sounds like the way to go...but its way out of my budget. Could i have a cnc shop do the cutting for me after i do the research and development with a mill? for example, i can make the end caps in house and have the cnc shop make the baffles.
</div></div>
a shop needs to have a class 2 sot license (i could be wrong on the actual class since i am in a state that it wll never be possible for me to get one) to make or work on even just suppressor baffles.
there is a lot that can be done on a manual machine if you are creative. certain things like radiuses are going to be very tough, if not impossible to do on a manual machine though. if you are just doing one-offs for yourself and friends, a manual will probably do what you need. you can work your designs around your machining abilities.
like has been mentioned, a decent bridgeport style knee mill would be very handy. if you know what to look for, a used one may be a good way to go. with your budget, you are probably looking at a used knee mill or a new bench-top style mill. personally, with that budget, i'd be looking for that perfect deal on a used american knee mill. i wouldn't be in a hurry though.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sto</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm sure that I'll be able to make a few of the brakes manually, a cnc machine sounds like the way to go...but its way out of my budget. Could i have a cnc shop do the cutting for me after i do the research and development with a mill? for example, i can make the end caps in house and have the cnc shop make the baffles.
</div></div>
a shop needs to have a class 2 sot license (i could be wrong on the actual class since i am in a state that it wll never be possible for me to get one) to make or work on even just suppressor baffles.
there is a lot that can be done on a manual machine if you are creative. certain things like radiuses are going to be very tough, if not impossible to do on a manual machine though. if you are just doing one-offs for yourself and friends, a manual will probably do what you need. you can work your designs around your machining abilities.
like has been mentioned, a decent bridgeport style knee mill would be very handy. if you know what to look for, a used one may be a good way to go. with your budget, you are probably looking at a used knee mill or a new bench-top style mill. personally, with that budget, i'd be looking for that perfect deal on a used american knee mill. i wouldn't be in a hurry though.
Re: Milling Machines
You need a lathe and a mill to do what you want to. I build custom brakes for our shop on a weekly basis. If your patient you can find a decent mill for $1500-$2500. A DRO will make things go alot faster. If you were out my way I have a nice English made Balding knee mill {similar to a Bridgport} for $1500 with some tooling. You'll also need a decent lathe and I would expect to pay $2000-$3500 for one. If your looking to build production parts don't waste your time and money on benchtop size machines. I think your looking at more like a $4k or more investment to really get there with some of the extra tooling you'll need.
You need a lathe and a mill to do what you want to. I build custom brakes for our shop on a weekly basis. If your patient you can find a decent mill for $1500-$2500. A DRO will make things go alot faster. If you were out my way I have a nice English made Balding knee mill {similar to a Bridgport} for $1500 with some tooling. You'll also need a decent lathe and I would expect to pay $2000-$3500 for one. If your looking to build production parts don't waste your time and money on benchtop size machines. I think your looking at more like a $4k or more investment to really get there with some of the extra tooling you'll need.
Re: Milling Machines
Got a real nice Bridgeport with DRO off ebay this winter for 1800. I would rather have a worn out usa mill than a new grizzly. I ran a new Jet for a while (7500$) and it isnt even close to the quality this old Bridgeport is
Got a real nice Bridgeport with DRO off ebay this winter for 1800. I would rather have a worn out usa mill than a new grizzly. I ran a new Jet for a while (7500$) and it isnt even close to the quality this old Bridgeport is
Re: Milling Machines
A full size mill has rigidity and power that a bench top does not. You can pull a trailer with a V6 Toyota or a Cummins diesel, which one would you prefer... A bench top will get the job done but once you've used a real mill you'll never go back.
Also if your going to do this a while the full size mill will last you a lifetime. The size of a Bridgeport will allow you to expand into other things at a later time after you learn to run it. And once you get some time on it I assure you, you will use it for all sorts of things! The Bridgeport is the sort of the small block Chevy of mills. There are plenty of as good or better machines out there. Look at lots of them. When buying used one first questions is how much tooling comes with it. The more the better! DRO and power feeds are two nice things to have. And if you get one with them it's alot cheaper than upgrading at a later time.
If you are planning to thread barrels, a lathe with a short headstock is what you need. There are ways to get around a longer headstock, but it's just alot eaiser to deal with a headstock that you can get a barrel all the way through into the chuck. You of course would also need a spindle with a big enough hole dia to get a barrel throught too.
My first advice would be to take a machine class at you local college. Get some hands on expierence and then go from there.
You also might find some good networking on used equipment there too.
A full size mill has rigidity and power that a bench top does not. You can pull a trailer with a V6 Toyota or a Cummins diesel, which one would you prefer... A bench top will get the job done but once you've used a real mill you'll never go back.
Also if your going to do this a while the full size mill will last you a lifetime. The size of a Bridgeport will allow you to expand into other things at a later time after you learn to run it. And once you get some time on it I assure you, you will use it for all sorts of things! The Bridgeport is the sort of the small block Chevy of mills. There are plenty of as good or better machines out there. Look at lots of them. When buying used one first questions is how much tooling comes with it. The more the better! DRO and power feeds are two nice things to have. And if you get one with them it's alot cheaper than upgrading at a later time.
If you are planning to thread barrels, a lathe with a short headstock is what you need. There are ways to get around a longer headstock, but it's just alot eaiser to deal with a headstock that you can get a barrel all the way through into the chuck. You of course would also need a spindle with a big enough hole dia to get a barrel throught too.
My first advice would be to take a machine class at you local college. Get some hands on expierence and then go from there.
You also might find some good networking on used equipment there too.
Re: Milling Machines
If you have a 07 ffl in california and get a 02 sot you can build supressors for sale to law enforcement and for r&d work for supressors are the only things that the state of california doesen't regulate like assault weapons and machine guns above the federal regulations
If you have a 07 ffl in california and get a 02 sot you can build supressors for sale to law enforcement and for r&d work for supressors are the only things that the state of california doesen't regulate like assault weapons and machine guns above the federal regulations
Re: Milling Machines
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JB Enterprise</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you have a 07 ffl in california and get a 02 sot you can build supressors for sale to law enforcement and for r&d work for supressors are the only things that the state of california doesen't regulate like assault weapons and machine guns above the federal regulations
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that's good to know.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JB Enterprise</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you have a 07 ffl in california and get a 02 sot you can build supressors for sale to law enforcement and for r&d work for supressors are the only things that the state of california doesen't regulate like assault weapons and machine guns above the federal regulations
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that's good to know.
