Machining frames for sound

[wmcbride]

I have lived life on the edge for several years using Dremel cutoff discs and grinding bits to remove parts of engine frames to fit speakers.

I was thinking that I would like to arrive at my next birthday with all my fingers still attached and at their full length and that might be facilitated if I used some kind of drill press set up for my motor tool.

Is there such a gizmo that is not too expensive?

Thanks,
Bill McBride

[garethashenden]

For specifically what you asked for, there's this thing. https://www.dremel.com/us/en/p/220-01-26150220aa
I have one, and its OK. Its not super rigid, you can't mill with it, but it does turn a dremel into a drill press.

But if you're wanting to machine frames for speaker and other DCC components, the machine I'd recommend is this one: https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/micro-mill-mf-70?variant=26262168587
That's a full milling machine, but tiny.

[Chris333]

Drill presses are not really made for side loading, but if you are only going to mill softer loco frames you could get a X-Y table for a drill press along with a milling bit.

Well crap for the same price as a x-y table you could roll the dice on this: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Metalworking-Woodworking-Modelmaking-AC100V-240V/dp/B09PYV3G9R

Even cheaper: https://www.ebay.com/itm/373827800950

[kiwi_bnsf]

Another recommendation for the Proxxon MF70 here.

It’s opened up a whole world of sound installations for me…

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55532.0

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.0

As a complete novice, I’ve found it easy to get the hang of, and the precision possible is perfect for N scale.

[ednadolski]

It is risky to try to use a drill press for milling.   It is not made to take the side loading, also the chuck usually is press-fit onto the spindle rather than bolted on as with a mill.  Worst case, that means a milling bit could catch or snag in the work and cause the chuck to fly off from the rotating spindle, creating a potentially dangerous projectile.

JMHO, use the drill press only for drilling not milling (esp. if preserving bodily integrity matters).

Ed

[wmcbride]

Thanks, everyone.

I was raised to expect the worst when using any kind of power tool and I am goggled up and usually wearing a thick sweatshirt because ... things fly.

My half-baked "milling" of frames in the past has been on the edge.

The x-y rigidity and control and stability of the cutting bit are concerns and the Proxxon is the safe and precise way to go. The Amazon/ebay mill is intriguing but a gamble.

I have to decide how many frames I am going to mill. I have Kato SD70ACes and some FVM GEVOs that require it and some older Scale Trains that could use some milling in the fuel tank area for a decent speaker installation.

Most of my more recent purchases have been Atlas Silver with the speaker already in and my Rapido Dash 8-40CMs with factory sound which are excellent.

Bill McBride

[jdcolombo]

FWIW, I'm another happy user of the Proxxon.

I use it to mill frames but also for other tasks - for example, with a 1/64" end mill, I can cut custom pieces of 1/32" single-sided PC board for mounting SMD resistors or LEDs.  Chuck in the small Dremel sanding drum, and you can precisely thin shells to accommodate that extra half-mm of width for an ESU micro wired decoder (though this is usually no longer necessary with the Nano and specific board decoders that fit legacy engines). 

Note that while I think the Proxxon is perfect for N scale milling work, it's a bit small if you are doing HO scale milling, because its maximum capacity is a 1/8" end mill.  If you think you might some day be milling HO frames, then something like a Sherline 5400 would be a better choice, though much more expensive:

https://www.micromark.com/5400-Deluxe-Mill-Package

Honestly, once you've used a mill, you'll be amazed and wonder how you possibly did anything without it!

John C.

[garethashenden]

I was raised to expect the worst when using any kind of power tool and I am goggled up and usually wearing a thick sweatshirt because ... things fly.

But baggy clothing is to be avoided. The machine doesn't care that it stopped cutting the frame and is now cutting your sleeve and arm. It will pull you in pretty fast, even these little ones.

[wmcbride]

But baggy clothing is to be avoided. The machine doesn't care that it stopped cutting the frame and is now cutting your sleeve and arm. It will pull you in pretty fast, even these little ones.

Agree. I have my sleeves rolled up and the body is not loose.

I have seen shipboard accidents with lathes and clothing and worked later in a factory when someone got their loose overalls caught in a pipe threader and they were rotated into the concrete floor repeatedly with severe head trauma.

[mmagliaro]

Sleeves, gloves and goggles are fine, but you have no idea how dangerous a drill chuck can be, flying through your garage, after spinning at 1000 rpm.  I use a drill chuck in a milling maching sometimes, but it is made for a mill and has a draw bolt into it so it can't pull out of the spindle.

[woodone]

I think that we are talking about machining the metal frames and not the body shells here.
unless you plan on doing a bunch of installs you might want to look into a jewelers saw and some blades.
I used that for a bunch of installs when I first got started doing installs.
I now have a small mill.
A good mini mill is going to set you back about $2K, then you need tooling which will cost another $1K at least.
Using a drill press with an X-Y table will more than likely ruin your drill press plus a good X-Y table will set you back at least $200.00 and you still need some kind of tooling.
$30.00 will buy a good saw frame and a bunch of blades- get some bees wax while you are at it.
It will keep your blades from getting stuck in the metal frames.
I used a saw just the other day, even though I have a mill. The mill is in my garage and no A/C so it was too much trouble to take the frames to the mill.

[wmcbride]

Yep, frames not shells. I fixed it.

I had some brain freeze when I typed the subject line.

[nightmare0331]

As someone with three milling machines and a metal lathe and has 'dremel warriored' lots of stuff, let me give you some advice.

Looking for a mill?  *if* you have the space, buy one two sizes larger than than anything you *think* you will use it for.

You will find all sorts of stuff you never thought you would use it for.  It won't be 'just trains.'

Expect to spend just as much on tooling as the mill itself depending on what route you go.

Wear safety glasses.  You only have one set of eyes. 

thin cuts until you figure out feed rates, spindle speed, etc.  After a while (especially with cast loco frames) it becomes sort of a feel and you learn where you have to tread lightly and where you can hog material.  Hard to explain.

Clamping- rigidity is everything.

Anywhoo...stay safe and have fun!

Kelley.

[mmagliaro]

As someone with three milling machines and a metal lathe and has 'dremel warriored' lots of stuff, let me give you some advice.

Looking for a mill?  *if* you have the space, buy one two sizes larger than than anything you *think* you will use it for.

You will find all sorts of stuff you never thought you would use it for.  It won't be 'just trains.'

Expect to spend just as much on tooling as the mill itself depending on what route you go.

Wear safety glasses.  You only have one set of eyes. 

thin cuts until you figure out feed rates, spindle speed, etc.  After a while (especially with cast loco frames) it becomes sort of a feel and you learn where you have to tread lightly and where you can hog material.  Hard to explain.

Clamping- rigidity is everything.

Anywhoo...stay safe and have fun!

Kelley.

10x YES to all of this.  In practice, I use my mini mill and lathe for a lot more non-train stuff than train stuff.
When I bought my Grizzly lathe, I bought an 8x16" even though they make a lot of 7" machines and a really low-end 4" one that only costs about $500.   That gave me a longer bed, a stronger motor, and a machine that can really cut
on steel without me having to worry too much about taking teeny tiny passes on it to keep the machine from vibrating like crazy.  If I could have afforded it, I would have gone to a bigger one, but that was about it for my budget.

[peteski]

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm perfectly happy with my Sherline  lathe and mill, and a metal-cutting band saw.    But I would not use a drill press for milling.