How to choose a hand-held wood milling machine: selection criteria
Picking up a hand-held wood milling machine for his workshop, take a look at the immersion models. Any carpenter, a furniture maker or builder is familiar with the benefits of this versatile tool and will never give up on such an assistant. We will not promote certain products and brands, and give professional advice, focusing on the main criteria.
photo of a hand-held milling cutter for wood submersible type.
The submersible model will be the best choice for your first milling machine, which performs all the same, what is capable of a machine with a fixed base, and many other operations. Work with the tool, the sole of which rests securely on the workpiece, safer and easier. The body of the submersible milling machine moves on rigidly fixed at the base of the guides, allowing to enter a mill into the processed preparation strictly vertically and accurately to lift equipment at the end of pass. There are models with two bases - fixed and submersible, this option is ideal for any workshop.
Briefly about the milling device
The design of a hand-held wood milling machine is basically simple. Unlike other power tools, it has no gearboxes, belts and gears, and the equipment is fixed on the engine spindle. Milling machines from different manufacturers are slightly different from the one presented, however, they have the same significant parts.
Submersible milling machine device: 1 - tool housing; 2 - handle; 3 - corrugated cuff, that hides the vertical bars; 4 - the basis; 5 - sole; 6 - brush holder cover; 7 - spindle stopper; 8 - clamp collet chuck; 9 - lock screen protector; 10 - speed regulator; 11 - the mechanism of adjustment of depth of milling; 12 - power switch; 13 - lock button; 14 - saw blade fitting; 15 - micrometric depth regulator; 16 - lever for fixing the depth of immersion; 17 - clamp of the parallel guide.
The milling cutter will be the most versatile tool in your workshop, if he can handle that job, which you dump on him. For non-professionals, all hand milling machines look the same, but the differences are hidden in the details, the right choice of the tool depends on them.
Technical parameters of hand milling machines
The first and main parameter is power consumption, which indicates the performance of the device. The more watts, the larger the cutters can be installed, make a faster feed and perform a deeper pass, without fear of tool failure.
Table. Choice of power cutter
|
milling class |
Power, W |
weight, kg |
appointment |
|
light |
to 900 |
2-3 |
handmade with small cutters. |
|
average |
1000-1700 |
to 5 |
making furniture in a home workshop, plinths, doors, etc.. P. |
|
difficult |
more 2000 |
from 6 |
long work with large cutters and use in the table. |
Choose the tool that suits your needs, comparing the advantage of high power with the disadvantage of using a heavy cutter for small manual work.
The second parameter is the speed of rotation, reaching in hand milling machines 30 thousand. Rotate for a minute, sometimes higher. What is important here is not the maximum value of the speed of rotation, and the possibility of its regulation, which determines the functionality of the tool. Smooth change of frequency of rotation allows to select precisely the mode of processing depending on density of material and diameter of a mill.
The more numbers on the speed control, the higher the speed of rotation.
The third significant parameter is called differently: depth of milling, vertical or working stroke of the cutter. This value speaks for itself, how far the body of the cutter can go to the sole, but does not show the actual depth of milling. The depth also depends on the design features and the length of the cutter. In most models, the collet almost reaches the lower plane of the sole, if it goes even lower, consider it a good bonus. The tool with a small working stroke will be able to process the workpiece only to a small depth.
The vertical stroke of the cutter is related to the class of the cutter and is:
- in the lungs - about 40 mm;
- in the middle - 50-60 mm;
- heavy - 70-80 mm.
Check it out, that the body of the cutter can be lowered quite low.
Other features of the electrical component, "Twist", no less important. They make it easier to work with the milling machine and make it much more efficient. The "smooth start" system eliminates sudden jerks and overloads of the network at the time of engine start. For powerful units, this option is simply necessary, and such milling cutter will last longer, because its parts are not subject to periodic shock loads.
collet clamp
The equipment of the hand-held milling machine is fixed with the help of a collet chuck: a special nut with a collet placed inside is screwed onto the spindle and clamps the shank of the cutter of a certain size. Light cars are designed for caliber 6 or 8 mm, more powerful cutters allow you to install the equipment on 10 or 12 mm. The larger the cutter, the thicker its shank and the higher the requirements for the power characteristics of the tool.
A good collet has a conical shape and several clamping petals.
To all three parts of the clamping unit (patron, collet and shaft) strict requirements are put forward: precise manufacturing and high-quality hardened steel. Details of dubious origin wear out quickly, poorly fix the cutter and often break.
Before buying a tool, make sure the quality of the collet clamp and the possibility of choosing other calibers. Better, when there are appropriate collets, not adapters, often cause vibration.
Check the depth of the hole under the cutter inside the shaft - parameter, never specified in the specifications, but important for safe operation. It is necessary, so that the shank does not rest on the bottom, otherwise at weakening of fixing of a nozzle, due to poor clamp or collet defect, you will not see this, and when lifting the cutter may fly out.
The drilling depth must exceed the length of the shank.
The mechanism of regulation of depth of immersion
Two factors are important in the design of the milling depth controller:
- accuracy and ease of installation;
- possibility of fine adjustment.
A typical cut depth regulator is a rod, moving up and down when scrolling the flywheel. Its hairpin rests on the platform and prevents the body of the hand-held milling cutter from lowering. Multistage revolver stop allows you to consistently increase the depth of milling and choose the material in a few passes. Externally, such a device looks like the photo below or similar.
Precise adjustment of the milling depth is provided by an adjusting screw with a micrometer scale.
Hand-held wood milling cutters, even in the middle price range, often "sin" by performing this mechanism: the regulator rod often dangles in its socket when the flywheel rotates. But much more principled, how rigidly it is fixed when clamped and whether there is a screw of fine adjustment, that works clearly and without backlash.
There will definitely be no problems with setting the depth of processing, if the milling cutter is equipped with a micrometric regulator of position of the case - a flywheel or a ring of big diameter, rotating around a telescopic guide.
Adjusting the position of the housing relative to the rod may have a smaller range, but greater accuracy.
design features
The handles of a solid milling machine are simple and convenient, the switch is at hand or nearby, to start and stop the motor without intercepting. Locking in the on position is a useful option, and when using a tool on the table is simply necessary.
Try to grab the tool with your hands and appreciate the ease of operation.
Locking the depth of immersion on the lungs Milling machine is usually performed with a rotary handle, and on powerful - a separate lever. The latter option is structurally more reliable and is liked by many masters provided its convenient location.
A suitable place for the immersion depth stopper is near the handle in the finger access area, but not on the handle itself.
The plastic sole cover in most cutters is removable, which is convenient when replacing a worn panel with a new one and when placing the tool on the tabletop.
Be sure to evaluate the work area overview, depending on the size of the hole in the sole, location of the protective shield and dust removal pipes. Pay attention to the power cord, the best cable is long and rubber.
Try rotating at different speeds - there should be no extraneous vibrations or noise. Click on the handrails and lower the tool body, which should slide on vertical bars smoothly, without distortions and backlash.
dust removal system
Removal of sawdust from a working zone is realized at milling cutters in various ways, it is difficult to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness, who have not tested the system in action. Perhaps, that will not collect all the dust thoroughly, but most will definitely move away, without interfering with work.
All right, if the model can remove dust in different ways. To work with a parallel stop you need a casing attached directly to it, edge processing requires lower chip removal.
Adapter for work with a lateral emphasis.
When working on a plane, especially when milling blind grooves, access from below is closed and sawdust is removed through channels in a sole of a milling cutter or in the top part of the case.
Dust extraction pipe connection options.
additional things
Wood milling machine is rarely used for manual operation, more often processing with filigree accuracy is required. Various devices and guides are used for this purpose. Inexpensive household milling machines are usually equipped with devices to perform certain tasks, a novice craftsman can save a lot and not look for the right equipment for the first time. Professional devices are more expensive because of reliability and imply, that the miller will choose and buy the necessary additions.
Side stop is a standard accessory of any hand mill.
The lateral emphasis allows to mill rectilinear elements parallel to an edge. It is equipped with plastic adjustable overlays and the regulator of exact adjustment. The device is mounted on two steel rods, quite tough, so as not to bend when maintaining the cutter.
Accurate adjustment and reliable fixation are mandatory requirements for the components of the side stop.
Copy sleeve is required when maintaining the tool according to the template or directly on the edge of the workpiece. The more diverse the diameters of the copy rings available, the more options for using nozzles of different sizes, including various combinations of cutters / sleeve.
The device is often mounted on screws, but there are models with a convenient quick fix.
Other additions (guide rail, angular emphasis, compass, groove sampling device) usually purchased separately as needed or made by hand.
In order not to waste time searching for the necessary auxiliary elements, ask, whether additions to Fraser are available, how easy it is to buy them and whether the devices are suitable from other models.
Milling cutter for work at the table
You can use any cutter on the table, but for successful work the tool with certain features is better:
- Power from 1800 W with electronic speed support under load, to install large cutters and perform long and deep passes.
- Ability to adjust the departure of the cutter with special keys, ideally through a hole in the mounting plate.
- With the mechanism of shutdown of a return spring or a possibility of its removal - without it it is easier to adjust departure of a mill.
Features of a milling cutter for work in a table.
We hope so, that we have provided comprehensive practical information on the choice of hand milling machine and analyzed the factors of choice of all important parameters. Remember, that a good router is not cheap and belongs to the category of tools, економити на яких мало сенсу.
