Micro Milling machine

[JohnJak]

I want to play with some. AR billets. Is there such a thing as a inexpensive micro milling machine? That fits on a small table in a small place?

[RifleGuy]

https://littlemachineshop.com/produc...GPeSdrCDHcCFVo

[Draken]

Another way to go if you're looking at finishing 80% lowers is a quality drill press and a machinist cross slide vice.

[Flash-hider]

Another way to go if you're looking at finishing 80% lowers is a quality drill press and a machinist cross slide vice.

I've heard that can be hard on a drill press. But I suppose it depends on how many you do.

[Quads]

Drill presses, while they can be used, are a horrible option for it because the inherent design of the comb does not work for lateral forces which are a constant in milling. SIEG and Hi-Torque are the most popular mini / benchtop mills on the market. Most are made by them and rebranded, painted, sold, etc. under different names. ebay, hazzard freight, little machine shop, amazon, etc.
A mini mill like those above would be a good option for small projects. I used to have a Smithy, and sold it when I consolidated / moved / etc. which I'm sorry I sold it. I then bought a larger Atlas lathe, and downsized again from that to an even smaller (6x18 ) bench top Atlas lathe, but there are regular times I wish I had a mill for smaller / mill only work.
In the above example, (say for a $1500 mill) expect to spend the same amount in tooling for a mill as you did the mill itself.
They do good work, if you understand their limits and spend the time *immediately after unpacking* to get them clean, straight, and square. Which all the garbage china machinery that's on the market today (these included) is the biggest challenge and probably where you'll spend the most of your time.
If you're retired, this is obviously not a hard sell. If you're not, then your time would be better spent looking for a drinking buddy who has a CNC or a nicer mill already set up and running.

[Moleman-]

The cheapest option is still an anderson lower. If it's just a "off the books" lower you want, then there are MIll drill press and router jigs for aluminum, as well as polymer jigs and epoxy cast options. If it were me and I didn't have any friends that had a mill, I'd keep an eye out on CL or facehole marketplace for a bench mill to poop up. Get it and sell when done.

[RifleGuy]

<snip>
They do good work, if you understand their limits and spend the time *immediately after unpacking* to get them clean, straight, and square. Which all the garbage china machinery that's on the market today (these included) is the biggest challenge and probably where you'll spend the most of your time. <snip>

I bought a Precision Matthews Bench Mill (the PM-932M) and a lathe (PM-1030).
The lathe I set on their sheet metal stand... huge mistake. I'm looking for a good heavy duty stand... I can't get this thing properly aligned... it's constantly shifting.

The mill is set on their cast iron stand. This summer I intend to hoist the entire thing into the air, then pour and level a precision mounting pad under it, then hard anchor it down. I spent a solid to days getting it properly aligned.

[Quads]

I always thought the Precision Matthews equipment was on the higher side of the scale, or not as *****ty as all the other garbage that comes from the china factories. If there's such a thing as being higher on the *****y scale of china *****.
I've seen youtube videos where guys buy china lathes and start the clean up process of getting all the factory oil, shipping grease and crap off them and do some basic lube, gib adjustments, tightening, etc. and end up tearing them down all the way through the headstocks and ways and essentially rebuilding them out of the box, honing and milling contact surfaces as they go back together.

Mine sits on my bench on a 1/2" thick piece of steel with leveling pads that has, for the sake of government work, been straightened, or at least enough for me to work on small parts within reasonable tolerances. If I didn't have the bench space, I would have probably would have welded a cart / table from some 2x3 stock or something.