Made a stand for my mill...

[Robin Hewitt]

I keep getting a mad urge to drop a few chunky spiral reinforcement rods down inside the column of mine, then top it off with a rich cement mix. The rods are there ready for next time I'm doing concrete.

You have excellent access to plug the bottom of your column and do the same. Could be useful :D

[irving2008]

I keep getting a mad urge to drop a few chunky spiral reinforcement rods down inside the column of mine, then top it off with a rich cement mix. The rods are there ready for next time I'm doing concrete.

You have excellent access to plug the bottom of your column and do the same. Could be useful :D

And the benefit would be??? I'd imagine a modicum of additional stiffness? Kip is looking at a square column conversion for his which sounds interesting. He's apparently talking to an iron foundry, presumably because its too big a casting for him to do...

[Robin Hewitt]

And the benefit would be??? I'd imagine a modicum of additional stiffness?

Ah! You are still at the "this is a chunky looking hunk of iron" stage of your development.
Bliss

[irving2008]

Ah! You are still at the "this is a chunky looking hunk of iron" stage of your development.
Bliss

You been trying those big cuts again Robin...
:D

[Robin Hewitt]

You been trying those big cuts again Robin...
:D

Big cuts are fine so long as your screws are tight enough to prevent the dig in. You just make it oversize for the big cuts. I'm actually amazed how much metal these mills can hog out without breaking the tool, usually when it throws a wobbly and decides to plough off in some unexpected direction.

The time when you feel the flex is when you're going for that fine finish. It turns a corner, a sympathetic vibration sets in and you start to wonder if another few hundred lbs of metal might not be a really good idea.

I'd also fit backlash free splines in the column if only I could get it apart :D