Originally Posted by
metalmayhem
the base and pan are expensive , but the pan is worth buying vs fabricating one . As I mentioned in your other thread - the grizzly g0704 bases work well and they are a fraction of the cost . If you go that route then I can show you how I rigged levelling wheels up on mine . The cad files are on their site for the mill , enclosure etc . You can easily build and enclosure off their dimensions , or your own
Ebay or amazon is a good economical means of acquiring tts holders and collets .
Honestly , I'd say start with the base mill and obviously a stand , then work from there . There isn't anything to lose by getting power drawbars and other accessories later .
For what it's worth , changing the tool by hand is quick and easy , and I don't see much effort and time being saved with having the power draw bar . Plus with hand tightening you'll have far more control of the tightness of your tools and less risk of pull out . If you find your not happy with hand tightening then you can buy the power drawbar down the road .
I run 5 mills for production and I hand bomb a lot of tools in a day and I don't see a power drawbar as having any real benefit , unless I had the tool changers then it would be necessary . For what it costs it equates to a fair amount of tooling you can buy instead .
If or when you order I'd recommend buying some spare fuses for the mill . Theres nothing like blowing a spindle fuse then realizing they don't supply spares with the mill , and a couple weeks wait becomes painful . A spare belt wouldn't hurt either , they last a long time but they will go eventually .