[Apples]

IH Mill Vs Knee Mill

I just watched a video of a IH mill cutting some mild steel plate at .200 DOC at 1.5" wide. This was pretty impressive I thought, the point being that if it can cut this deep .200" is about 5mm in mild steel the would suit for a lot of DIY engineering projects.

Apart from the difference with the IH mill and a typical knee mill such a the physical size and maybe larger table travels. The IH has 2hp motor, knee mills have about 2hp to 5hp motors.

In terms of cutting power, if you slapped on a 5hp motor on the IH mill and compared it to a 5hp motor on a knee mill, will the IH mill cut as fast and as deep as the knee mill?

Surely the knee mill is much stiffer and firmer, less chatter, better accuracy etc?

[Cruiser]

5 hp motor is out of the question on the IH mill. You would have plenty of torque using a lower gear and the 2hp motor. I seem to remember an option of a 3hp motor and a 30 spindle. I find the R8 spindle is plenty good and cheeper to tool up. The IH CNC is what I run and I have made many good parts on it.

[Apples]

Can you post some pictures of some of the work that you have done with a IH mill.

[arizonavideo]

Here is a few.

Facing at 100 IPM.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD14mxH4xjI"]YouTube - IH mill .160" thou 100 IPM.MP4[/nomedia]

A profile in 1.25" Aluminum

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFv1CSuHsk0"]YouTube - PM-25 X axis stepper mount.MP4[/nomedia]

[Apples]

Yeah they were to videos I watched the other day, nice. I wonder though if a bridgeport knee mill could cut faster and deeper?