Wood milling machines are a popular carpentry equipment and are used for cutting all kinds of parts from natural wood, milling profiles and embossed elements, as well as processing wood blanks and giving them the necessary configuration. For example, with their help it is convenient to select grooves and process the edges of products, as well as produce interior elements such as baseboards and cut thorns with a special carriage. If you use additional devices that can significantly expand the capabilities of milling machines for wood, you can make parts of increased complexity.
Most often, such equipment is found in private carpentry workshops and in factories with a small staff, and desktop samples become indispensable assistants to craftsmen working at home. According to state requirements, all milling devices for woodworking are required to be certified, which guarantees their safety during operation and compliance with established standards that apply to products of this category.
Device
The main elements of a woodworking milling machine are the following parts and mechanisms:
- milling table;
- bed;
- support;
- spindle for wood milling machine (plug-in and shaft spindle);
- cutting segment.
Additionally, some models are equipped with a carriage, which allows you to process parts from different angles. The bed is a stable monolithic figure, not subject to vibrations and vibrations. The shaft is fixed to the caliper, which exits the upper part through the hole in the table, and if necessary, its height can be freely adjusted, adjusting for yourself. An insert spindle and a cutting part are mounted on top of the part, the type of which depends on the specifics of the process being performed. The main cutter can be a milling cutter, knife, disk and any other drill-cutting element of a similar purpose. The higher the spindle speed, the cleaner the material processing, and this must be taken into account when performing procedures requiring filigree work. Thanks to the special arrangement of the equipment during milling, it is possible to quickly and safely change the saw-cutting or drilling-processing element.
If you need to perform milling in a straight line, you will have to resort to the help of a movable guide bar. The stops of the milling device on the tree are fixed in special grooves. A modern machine with or without a carriage is often equipped with an industrial vacuum cleaner that quickly and efficiently removes dust and chips from the work area. The cost of equipment directly depends on its type and configuration, which is why the processing of blanks can be more diverse and high-quality.
How to choose a woodworking machine by type and characteristics
The wood milling machine, depending on the type and model, will have a different device, which is why the master has the opportunity to designate it for one or another purpose. Next, we consider the main types of machines for processing wood and find out how each of them works.
- CNC milling machine
A relatively new universal equipment equipped with additional electronics is characterized by the presence of a microprocessor, which greatly simplifies the workflow and makes it more accurate. Such units are widely involved in production, as they allow you to cope with complex technological problems, increasing labor productivity and significantly reducing time costs.
- Manual frezer
The mini unit copes with small volumes of work in a home workshop. The compact milling machine for woodcarving is not suitable for large production, but is indispensable where there is no need to install massive samples with high performance due to private use. With its help, miniature grooves are usually formed, designed to articulate individual structural parts. They are also popular in creating decorative furniture figures and screeds, allowing you to carry out almost jewelry work without installing a huge milling table.
- Copy milling machine
This type of equipment is designed to carry out complex work involving an abundance of parts and carved ornaments that require ultra-precise execution. To ensure the complete identity of the art mini elements, ready-made plastic or wooden templates are used here. The workpiece is fixed by the vacuum method and the contours of the template are copied, which ensures the receipt of the same elements with sophisticated drawings.
- Turning milling machine
A device with similar characteristics is specially provided for the ability to process wood in a profile way, giving it the desired configuration. The turning unit with a mill, through programming, copes with complex parts, including multifaceted and twisted patterns. Depending on the nature of the work, both a turning knife and a finger mill can be used here.
- Bench Type Milling Machine
Wood bench milling machines are very similar to their manual counterpart. They are also simple in their constructional structure and very convenient to operate. Most often they are used as a home sample in private workshops due to their modest dimensions and wide capabilities. He is able to manufacture the smallest parts requiring a jewelry approach.
- Household milling cutter
A household wood milling machine fully corresponds to its name and is used by craftsmen in personal carpentry, where traditionally a small amount of carpentry work is performed. It is purchased for longitudinal and transverse sawing of wood, planing boards and drilling and grinding operations. A small tool does not require a separate room for installation, which is very convenient in small carpentry shops.
- Vertically milling machine
With the help of special mills, such equipment performs its functions vertically, that is, boring and drilling holes in the direction from top to bottom. Also, a vertical wood milling machine acts as a reliable assistant during the formation of grooves, processing of flat parts and other similar elements. A vertically milling specimen is equipped with face, end or key milling cutters, which, in turn, can be integral in design or assembled in separate parts with inserted or soldered knives. Such a device is universal in nature and is suitable not only for wood, but also for other materials.
- Horizontal machine
A milling machine of this type is distinguished by a spindle axis mounted in a horizontal position, while a table with a workpiece moves in all possible directions. These units can be simple or universal. Wood milling machines, the description of which we now provide, are equipped with end or cylindrical milling cutters. Universal samples, unlike analogues with more modest technical characteristics, are equipped with a rotary table moving around the vertical axis, which is necessary when cutting spiral grooves.
- Double Sided Milling Machine
Double-sided stationary wood milling machines are specially designed for profile processing. Through their application, it is possible to establish the production of legs of chairs and other similar details. For a milling machine belonging to this category, the main feature is the ability to simultaneously process wood on both sides. Also, a four-sided device is used for cutting wood at the facilities of industrial enterprises. Like the previous model, the four-sided milling cutter copes with the simultaneous processing of the sides, saving time and increasing productivity.
How to work
A professional milling machine as well as a unit for woodworking for a home requires strict adherence to safety rules. First of all, it is necessary to ensure that the cutting element is well sharpened, fits securely on the shaft, and does not have defects in the form of cracks, chips, or other errors. If a circular saw is installed on the shaft, then it is necessary to check it for broken teeth, which is unacceptable, and the gap between it and the spindle should be in the range of 0.05 - 0.1 mm. Cutting knives are fixed to the shaft using hydraulics, wedges or screws.
To ensure the safe operation of the equipment, it must be balanced. Drilling and milling equipment is equipped with a brake device, which allows, if necessary, to quickly stop the process and avoid injuries.
The workplace of the joiner should be regularly cleaned of chips and other waste and only after the mechanisms have completely stopped, regardless of whether the milling is carried out vertically or horizontally. Small sawdust and a microscopic wood fraction are best removed using special industrial vacuum cleaners.
One of the safety rules when working on machines is to provide removable (automatic) fencing of cutting and moving segments. The inclusion of a mini machine or a large industrial unit is accompanied by a test run, which allows you to check the uniform rotation of the spindle and the absence of vibration, and only then the wood is fed. In no case should you process materials that are not intended for a milling machine of one type or another. Even if the process is stopped briefly, the machine must be stopped.