The new Precision Matthews 1054TV manual mill is now operational and available for use by trained members. A new Skedda category will be active for it shortly.
Unlike other past additions, we are not requiring an update class to use the new equipment. I feel that the operation of the new mill will be straightforward for anyone who is comfortable with the Rong Fu mill. But there are a few important differences to learn about, so we are asking everyone who has taken the mill class in the past to read this document before using the new mill. It covers many details of the differences between the two. We will likely make and post a video with the same information at some point.
There are a few matters that still need attention. The mill has coolant reservoirs and drainage but did not come with a coolant pump; we still need to spec an appropriate pump and install it. Then the machine will be attached to the floor and levelled. The latter can’t be done until we have chosen the coolant system and gotten it working, since that might affect our placement. In the meantime, the mill is stable and precise enough that you can see tiny drifts caused by it being out of level. It only amounts to a few thousandths over 30 inches of travel, but the mill is not quite up to hyper-precise work yet.
I’m certain it will be. This machine is powerful, stable, and quiet, even when milling steel. (If you heard me making a racket with it last weekend, that was due to my unusual setup, not the machine.)
This is the culmination of about eight months of intermittent work for me. I’m grateful for the people who funded this and those who helped in many ways. I think this machine will serve Asmbly well for a long time.