I should send you a wax pencil and assist you like people have helped me become a more precise wood butcher. When metal cutting I prefer a cutting torch as I need a little slop because getting too precise gives me more headaches from nothing I design lining up to the holes.
I saw on PTGs website reloading die blanks that can be custom chambered with your rifle’s exact reamer. Is there a potential big difference between a full custom reloading die with your exact chamber, a high end factory reloading die, and an Inexpensive reloading die? Could be a cool test vid. Love all the metal working vids and the gunsmithing vids!
That DRO is not only going to make machining to high tolerances a lot easier/quicker, but its going to SPOIL YOU ROTTEN!! Oh, yeah...no backlash/slack in your measurements is a WONDROUS THING!! Now, I'm jealous of your Milling machine, as I like it a LOT more than the worn out old Grizzly I have (but it DOES have a DRO on it!) BTW, just a weird stray thought, but back in my early ARMY days, "DRO" stood for Dining Room Orderly---kind of a nice way of saying that you were on KP but got to hang out in the dining area instead of beiing a slave in the actual kitchen!!!!
Why not attach DRO to the plunger ? Main column does not have micro adjustment so its practically useless to hold DRO, especially when plunger has its own display. Kinda weird.
I Was shooting for a PM-25 MV but I guess I will save the extra grand and go with the 728VT. It looks like a much more ridged machine and how does the saying go "Cry once, Buy once" The CNC conversion will have to wait a bit.Nice video's.
I would raise the DRO head up higher. Understand the limitations of the mounting locations. That said, modify the bracket so you have a better line of sight to the readouts. Plus, will help keep chips, coolant, and cutting fluids away from the display. I too liked having the DRO head on the left side of the machine. Right hand on any knee mill does a LOT of work. If you decide to keep the DRO head in its present location, I would add another arm mounting a piece of plexi-glass to act as a movable shield. Again, this shield is to protect the face of the DRO.
I love watching your videos. I already have a Mill with DRO but still learn things. It looks like your shop is in a Sea Container. If so, is it insulated? How do you heat or cool it? Or do you live where heating and cooling is unnecessary?
Gavin, thanks for both 728 videos. Purchased machine based on your reviews. I'm happy with both mill and dro, but do did not include instructions for 728 specific hardware. Called PM tech support and gentlemen said there is no manual available. Could you possibly forward the instructions you received from PM to me?
Here's your next non reloading project, forget blair's comment below lol, Form 1 a suppressor and build it "soup to nuts". Tube, threads, end cap, adapter or direct thread, and mill the baffles.....
I had originally planned on my first hobby shop mill being a PM-25, however after watching your & others unboxing, setup, and DRO install, purchased the PM-728V-T. Saved my $ for a long time and this was a retirement present to myself. Thanks for you videos, they inform and educate.
Thank you for posting this video. I picked up a PM728vt back late last year, and just go around to installing it (in September of 2021). I got held up on welding a table for it. At the time of purchase, the factory DRO was not going to be available for months, so I bought a third-party DRO. I really needed to see how the Factory version of the DRO was installed to help me formulate a strategy for bracket design. This video was a great help for me. I suspect I am not the only person who picked up a third-party DRO due to the delays in getting the PM version of it.
Nice DRO Install, good to see how the PM kit goes. I'm preparing to put CNC on mine, also with their kit (but lots of other things needed for that). Great tool for reloading and other projects.
I'm planning to buy my 1st milling machine, with zero metal working experience. and obviously my budget is limiting my choices, but I would rather stretch the budget than make a purchase I would regret. my 1st metal product is small, mostly aluminum and some 3 inch long mild steel bars to end mill / face mill. so yes I could just buy the smallest hobbyist milling machine and it would suffice for now. but knowing the reality, I will soon want to face mill 2 feet x 1 foot metal plates and so on. that's how I found your channel and great advices. definitely you deserve subscribing, which I did I live in Asia so I don;t have an easy access to the exact model you presented, but I think I found its twin, who knows it is not as well made as yours. now I need to make that call and hurt my wallet. should I buy DRO right away or can it wait? it looks like I want it now, but it's optional and costs extra USD 350++ cheers!
This looks awesome! I'm looking at buying one of these mills, how do you think the rigidity compares to a Bridgeport? Can you give me some typical depth of cut in different materials for this thing? Thanks!
This is rapidly becoming my first choice for a home hobby milling machine. I worry that it is too much and wonder if there is something a bit smaller, but of equal quality?
I do have this machine and have been using it for about two months. Still very new to machining. I have found this machine to be very easy to use after 3 years of RU-vid instruction. Thanks for your instruction. Oh, I do have a DRO on mine too.
Just received my 728 a few days ago. It is confirmed pre drilled for the PM DRO. If you plan on using the DRO from PM as seen here, order the machine with it, as the price is the same, or a little more if you purchase and install it yourself.
Nice video Gavin. Don't worry about the winers. They will either go away or will get what your channel is about! Thanks for the time and effort you put into your channel content and take care.
Wow so a DRO only tells you the precise measurements where to drill holes😕 I thought it was for programming cuts and holes, then you press the start button and it makes the piece on it's own. Which machine is that in which you're able to program it and it does it in it's own please? Thx
DRO (Digital Read Out) vs: CNC (Computer Numerical Control). Your DRO tells you where action starts, progresses and finishes. Your CNC controls the actions (motorized feeding rather than manual hand feeding) specifically where the milling/cutting starts, progresses and finishes. You can purchase and install optional power feeds for your mill that will perform those (XYZ) CNC functions. I hope that helps. mikey
Was that cheaper than the one you can buy with it from PM? I'm currently looking at the the 728VT. Would like the DRO too, but the upgrade is pretty pricey.
The PM728vt comes from the factory with a DRO which reads how much the quill has moved. So, that separate position is already covered. This does mean that TOTAL Z is the combination of head position, plus the Quill position. Normally for Milling operations, you will have the quill ALL they way up for greater rigidity. The quill is often only used for drilling operations.
I got the DRO supplied with the PM14x40BV lathe and find display referenced to XY and Z. However there are only two encoders. I've always thought (I'm on my 4th lathe) that the lathe was a 2axis device. Especially if they only have two linear encoders. I've tried to get PM to take this DRO back and get me a true 2 axis DRO. They refuse. I've installed DROs on two lathes and had good service. The PM DRO has for some reason chosen to use the Z display for one of the axis normally known as the X Y display. Not very happy with this thing.
@@stufields5125 As one example, I have to do 3 lead threading sometimes. So, it looks like a 24 Threads per inch thread, but it is really an 8 turns per inch thread which has three stacked threads. It makes for a rapidly tightening/loosening pitch, but does not require the Meat (thickness) of material as a normal 8 threads per inch. The compound is rotated parallel with the ways, and after the first of the three threads are cut, the compound is offset by 1/3rd of 1/8th of an inch 0.0466 inch)... and the next thread is cut, then the compound is adjusted again by 0.0466, and the third thread is cut. I also use it when I am doing tapered conical fittings, and need to hit a precise depth for a taper before the transition. If you are not doing complex threads, or precision brass high-pressure tapered fittings, then I can understand why you don't see the value in having a digital compound. I find that a lot of machinists only set up their compound to do cutting infrequently.
Indeed. Wtf is up with the basically commercial-grade equipment lately? Anyone whi can afford and know how to use this stuff doesnt need to watch a YT vid on it: they are already in the know. I fail to see what a milling machine has to do with reloading.
If you guys want to know what this channel is about, it's here: ru-vid.comabout --> "GavinToobe is all about Ammunition Reloading, Gunsmithing, Shooting/Guns, Metal Work, and everything in between! "
Well...If most reloaders are like a lot of them I KNOW, they are also interested in machining techniques and gadgets, too. So I can see why this vid would likely be of interest to that kinda person!
