I am looking for a new 10" x 50"+ knee mill. 3HP+. I want the best QUALITY mill i can find. I want something with hardened ways and bed! I want something that is going to be precison. I am willing to pay for quality. I was looking at a bridgeport but it seemed a little small for me and also i was surprised to find no hardened ways or BED! I have a mill without a hardened bed, and i will never go that route again. I also have a grizzly 9x48 2hp with hardened bed which i like, but I am not really happy with the rigidity or accuracy of it. I want something heavy duty and precise, and i expect to pay for it. I just recently upgraded my lathe to a Clausing Metosa 14x40 w/ 8" chuck and i am VERY happy with it, but i know Clausing's mill comes from Taiwan not spain like my Metosa. I am scared to death of Taiwan after my Grizzly! The mill i have know shakes the building if try to take to much of a cut. Also i noticed if i pull on the end of the table i can move my dial .005! It is pivoting on the sadle! I tried tightening it up and the damn thing gets unusable to crank. I do not want any more Grizzly junk!
I think i would rather go with an ISO 40 taper, again, for rigidity or maybe ISO 30. We do in-house tool and die work, and sometimes it requires some heavy machining of A2.
Your suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!