Hello All,
I have a question: Has anyone used a magnetic chuck with a milling machine? I tried a cheap one (ebay) with little success. I want to know if this is due to the one I own, or is it a more wide-spread issue? After all, I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with machine shop work.
I am using a Rong Fu knockoff mill from Bolton Tools, the ZX045 (their 3hp, 800lb, "benchtop," model).
I don't have room for a larger mill, so this one is it. It is actually fairly large, and does a great job with face milling with really shallow cuts, and with milling through guard material. It lets me achieve flat and square. I just want to build on this by using it a lot like a surface grinder, if possible. I do not have a place to put a surface grinder, or money to buy one. I do, however, plan to invest in a decent magnetic chuck now, if it will help.
Yes or no to mag chuck in this application? Tips on what to look for in mag chuck?
Later, if I can make room for a surface grinder, I will have the chuck for it.
Your advice/information is appreciated.
I can see no situation where I would want to hold a work piece with a magnetic chuck in a milling operation. 
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
I experimented with it in the past (Mag chuck on a mill)...... My advice is just don't. Generally the best case scenario is wrecking whatever part you're working on. More often then not, along with wrecking the part, you will also break tooling and have unwanted objects flying around the shop..... at least until the find something "soft" to land in....like YOU!
Ed Caffrey, ABS MS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.CaffreyKnives.net
millers make things flat and square, surface grinders make things parallel and accurately sized two very different tasks. for this reason they need to hold the work in very different ways under very different tool loads. I would never use a mag chuck on a miller for the reasons listed above. but the mag chucks are extremely useful for a lot of other things other than on a surface grinder, work holding when polishing , or engraving, or holding fixtures for measurements, just to name a few.
MP
thanks. I have seen pictures of a bladesmith who described doing this, but I couldn't imagine my magnetic chuck holding under the loads. I guess it is just a general thing, not just my chuck. Ok, scratch that idea.
Matthew - polishing - that is one I never would have thought of. That chuck will get a lot of use with fittings.
