Cheap cross slide table any good?

[Maletrain]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Milling-Machine-Compound-Work-Table-Cross-Slide-Bench-Drill-Press-Vise-X-Y-Axis/153094818251?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200520130048%26meid%3D36a167849634418f826a8d19f2bfefdf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D332738297181%26itm%3D153094818251%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithDarwoV3BBEV2b%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851   

I am interested in this but it looks like the price it too good for it to be true.

Has anybody had any experience with this particular model or company?

[TLOC]

If the $41.00 is not that big a deal, go for it. But, buy it using PayPal and if it is not satisfying you will be protected. It does sound too good but there is a slight chance you may like it.

TomO

[Chris333]

I don't have it.  But it is possible if you buy it and the slides are loose you could take it apart and adjust the slop. That would be the only real problem.

I bought a cheap (well $600) milling machine from Harbor Freight and had use shim stock on the mast to get it level and square with the table. After that it has been fine.

I chucked up a dial indicator and spun it around by hand to get everything level.

[Chris333]

Compare to these:
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_focus.php?Focus=X-Y%20Tables

[thomasjmdavis]

Compare to these:
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_focus.php?Focus=X-Y%20Tables

At least the "littlemachineshop" one I looked at has a cast iron table, as compared to the one in the OP, which is aluminum.  To some degree, you do get what you pay for.

[Maletrain]

I do have an X-Y table made of steel that I don't use much because I can barely pick it up to put on the table.

My thinking for this item is to do things like mill windows into N scale plastic models of passenger cars, etc.  I would probably not even mill an N scale frame with it.

So, my real concern is how much lash and wiggle is in the cheaper system, rather than how rigid it is against substantial force.

[narrowminded]

I do have an X-Y table made of steel that I don't use much because I can barely pick it up to put on the table.

My thinking for this item is to do things like mill windows into N scale plastic models of passenger cars, etc.  I would probably not even mill an N scale frame with it.

So, my real concern is how much lash and wiggle is in the cheaper system, rather than how rigid it is against substantial force.

That table looks like the extruded aluminum, hard anodized table that Proxxon uses in their MF-70 mill and as an X/Y table on their drill stand.  Details like the hard anodizing matter for over the haul use.  If that is what it is, take the time to adjust the table gibs to slide without play and it should be very accurate.  Setting those gibs accurately is a tedious pain in the a$$ but well worth the effort and once set, will hold the setting forever.  

To set the gibs there are three set screws with jam nuts used to take the play out of a brass bearing strip inserted in the dovetail on that side.  Consider removing the lead screw and sliding the table by hand until it slides snugly with no play.  Start at the center screw and then the two outboard.  The pain in the a$$ part is that you're trying to get an adjustment that is .001" or less but with the direct loading of the adjusting screw.  Better tables have tapered gib sets with parallel external faces that slide linear against each other to increase/ decrease their dimension resulting in a much finer adjustment.  Even they can be sensitive just not as much so.

Another consideration for those adjusting screws would be to assemble them with blue loctite, let it set, and then let that friction hold the screw position while adjusting instead of trying to hold to the tenth while tightening a jam nut.  Either eliminate the jam nuts entirely or once set, just lightly snug the jam nut on the screw that is already holding position by the friction from the loctite.  A little "suspenders and a belt" action.

If you're using a high RPM spindle (10,000/ 20,000+ RPM) and limiting your cutter size to approximately 1/8" max it should work fine.  Under these conditions the cutter load is negligible.  Consider a small steel angle lock (toolmakers) vise, too.  No aluminum or cheap drill press vises for this work.

What are you using for your spindle?

[peteski]

That X-Y table (sans color) looks identical to the one Micro-Mark sells for double the price.  It is aluminum and plastic.  I own one. Bought it years ago and I think I did make some small modifications (don't remember what I did) to make it a bit better (removed some slop?).  But overall it is rigid and quite accurate. Micro-Mark one has resetable handwheels.  Anyway, if all you need to do is some hobby-type machining than I recommend it. - will work well for that.

[Maletrain]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Compound-Mini-Milling-Machine-XY-axis-Work-Table-Cross-Slide-Bench-Drill-Vise/274373044870?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3fe1e86a86:g:tNMAAOSwOFZd313C&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACcBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkY3FSd4Ad8xn3oRtkVexxrDyRG32i%252BYrDApNYQBnlTsSLUnEley6OVLnpdH4pz2PmMrn13FKM4LN%252F3g0i2iVwvXc%252BVA8I4fdi%252F4tAn5MaT1G9ZyjdNr%252FvJFM6ryfzEfqjsEBdYpJR8zTDeGuLgPY9fDy0Hk9dDaPDi%252BmVYHjNdhHXG7qwo2YJ5n6rK62ZUO4sExabgTQP7EOv2%252Buq8RgtQg7Y2UzPwlpBGBDPlPKGBLtYyBqzO3boNuLZxsoLlfEuJKULmRV3YMRtcmL%252FqUVGKxsSyqhOF4VaJJ%252FnGz8l0e5C%252B2n1QWoZQYwt6rZYHJIiUd%252Bh2Rql56zJAUMyL55XnkVN%252FJqPKCgs5%252FIWtEXoQbGbhfD8StNugbCtVNVKo%252FQ73vzilLFOfM%252BsqIvwbMWHSrobIwAWBWot7p7d4KkaPT0ETTd3KkDdplKG6X3z%252B02vy0Z%252BDFs957GFuFyVDgEy4OlWvAZe9Ux09MEdEKQxYcVzw2hBt8mOozX950IL%252BCgd5L4vF%252BAhS4imaDbWUpcNPZ1DqCrpTLOiCFSC5R0tsplqSRA%252F3l5cXGjmHcvgOEKtUEfTjXlTDMmtUgeS53EvJDmOAg8AgZXtNMFjTkQ97psBBgbByEc32%252Be35LUI9GdlDnD7ZBBtlIcbpll6Zm3gZAh4ev5oh0ooN3vOv5BJg0E5CxGPUHLrGosMXCOXwR5sxdNRt6tozxjcfiw33BbgdRF5mA3pf5X8pCFKD2yZt51gq07PtN7rltYqA0%252BQ9tWWeK2i%252F7VpUn%252FcYWvzEOC7aw%253D%253D%7Ccksum%3A274373044870761f2c42b6f8486f945d90fbcceb8772%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2334524

This one looks more robust.  An inch less travel in X direction, and nearly twice the price.  But, would still opt for it if it is half the headaches to use.

Does anybody here have experience with this one?

[mighalpern]

that second on does not have any indexing on the hand wheels for either axis ,  maybe not supper important, ???

[narrowminded]

that second on does not have any indexing on the hand wheels for either axis ,  maybe not supper important, ???

Also no lead screw covers to keep chip out of the lead screw.   There doesn't appear to be any way adjustments which might be ok IF the linear bearings are tight.  Other than having one in hand and possibly measuring with a dial indicator I can't think of a way to judge this.  The devil is in the details. 

In addition to no dial index marks it looks like the lead screw is pretty coarse thread.  That makes accurate positioning tough.  It's hard to pass judgement from just the pictures.

One other thing from the specs on the first linked table, it's listed as 1.25mm per revolution.  That's not a really big deal but might prove clumsy in practice, working out and executing your dial numbers repeatedly.  One way to handle that is to install low cost ($25?), direct reading, digital scales on each axis.  They can be toggled from english to metric, can be zeroed at any point over the travel, and read out in .0005" increments.  This also eliminates lead screw backlash as an issue which always exists to some degree and direct reads your exact dial number over the whole travel. 

The Proxxon table (and many machines with metric lead screws) uses a 1mm per revolution lead screw (.03937") and is then marked in .001" increments with .040" per revolution. So a 1/8" cut means 3 full turns but has a built in error of .00063" undersize per revolution or almost .002" (.00189") for a 1/8" dialed dimension.  Over a long cut, say 4", that would generate an error of 1/16".  Obviously, this error needs to be considered when working with tight tolerance or large dimensions.  In practice a small undercut is considered tolerable because of typical small overcut from all tolerances including cutter load, general machine rigidity, and especially cutter runout at the spindle, but should be considered especially when a half to a couple of thousandths inch matters or if the intended dial dimension is large.  You can always take some more off but can't put it back on.