How on earth do you mill a curve? (machinist question)

Originally Posted by timwilky

Anyone want to give me a boxford or colchester type centre lathe with metric and imperial screw cutting and a cnc milling machine.

Oi, get to the back of the queue!

Not that I know how to use them, but I'd learn. Quick.

[northwind]

Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated. I'd seen rotating vices, but I don't quite understand how you use those to mill a full semi circle, say to round off a metal strip. It seems like the tool would foul the jaws, unless it's possible to mount the work offcentre? Can't quite get my head around it.

The reason I went with such a totty wee machine is just space, I'm already kind of cramped in the garage so this is ideal, it's either a small one or none at all for now. Price, too, it was very cheap. It's actually surprisingly good at turning though, even in steel, better in aluminium obviously. Not very good at milling, really... But it's so cute Plus, since I'm not used to the real thing, I can forgive its weaknesses more easily, Timwilky would probably hate it. I've tried to find local courses etc, for welding too, but no luck so far.

I could get the work done professionally but there's been a load of times over the last few years when a lathe or mill would have been really handy, making wheel spacers and the like, and I end up doing stuff by hand or with an angle grinder, which isn't so great. It's not really about saving money, I don't see that happening, it's more about convenience. Also, I like DIYing stuff. Obviously! Having said that, if I'm succesful with the wheel spacers I'm about to make myself (when the ally gets here) then that'll be about 25% of the way towards paying for itself.

Plus, it's already 30 years old so it shouldn't be depreciating fast