Hello,

I'm looking for a small table-top mill with some of the 'big-boy' features, such as a dove-tail column, quiet & smooth variable speed 3/4 HP, R8 spindle, etc. that can later be upgraded to power feed or CNC control. I need this mill to do projects of aluminum, acrylic, and thinner stainless steel up to 1/4" or 3/8". My projects will mostly be custom jigs, fixtures, and misc. tools for luthier/guitar builders and other craft/hobby fields. Like maybe attachments for trim routers and Dremel-like tools. It's mostly machining of plate (and some round) stock up to maybe 3/4" max, with tolerances of .005 or so, no very tight fits, etc. I would need to drill and tap as well. A strong XYZ table could do most of this work, but start-up cost would run to high (I think).

Grizzly offers the G0614 and the G0619 that seems to fit and get OK reviews. Of course many others sell the same mill/drill, but the Harbor Freight version seems to have the best price. Any one know of a good used mill?

If my budget is $500 to $1000.00 and I am OK with used gear, what do ya'll suggest? Where can I find this wonder mill/drill? Any pre-owned you know of?

Also, what accessories do you suggest, such as centering swivel base, clamping kit, and so forth? At this point, it's a one or two of each item type project so speed of cutting is not a drop-dead feature YET! It's mostly a hobby for me and maybe make a few extra dollars.

Thanks,

Billy