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Using a drill press as a milling machine can (as you experienced) end badly.
Thanks for mentioning this, I was intending to use the "dremel press" and an xy axis with clamp to do some milling.... i havent done much, so I'll be learning... If for some reason I decide to "do more' ill get a small mill. speed control should be doable with the dremel, but i also have a hack saw. (learning)
I am truly glad and relieved that the OP was not injured.
Kato E-units have very hefty solid-metal frame. I assume you were trying to remove metal from the rear, correct? That is the best place for the speaker and enclosure.Using a drill press as a milling machine can (as you experienced) end badly. Coincidentally, just last night I have made room for a speaker in half a dozen of Kato PA frames. Those are very similar to the E-units (which I have also done in the past). I did that for a friend.
sounds like a clamping issue. From what your description sounds like, you were holding the frame by hand, something dug in and whipped the frame around. Make sure you are clamping close to where you are machining...not just in a vice attached to where the fuel tank fits as where the trucks fit and worm gear bearings sit can easily get twisted and snap. were you using an endmill in a drill press or drilling holes then cleaning them up with say a dremel and a hacksaw blade and files? Certainly with light passes and clamped to an XY table and a vice it will work but drill presses really arn't designed for lateral pressure (Kato frames are soft however so if you're only doing the occasional frame...).When I was cutting and machining E unit frames by the hundreds, I'd use a metal cutting bandsaw to take the large slug out then chuck into my mill to finish mill to correct depth and side clearance for an 11x17 speaker. No real need to hog all of that material out one pass at a time.You are wearing eye protection, right?Hope this helps!Kelley.
Having modified several Kato E-8's and E-9's for speakers, I don't "mill" the speaker holes (even though I have a vertical mill), I use my big ol' Craftsman Drill Press to do the job, holding the chassis in a drill press vice that's bolted to the slots in my press's table.I use round speakers, and at first I drilled completely through the large chunk of metal on the rear of the chassis, first with a smaller bit exactly in the center of the larger hole I wanted, then another bit about 1/16" smaller than my final hole, then a finish hole with the correct sized bit stopping about 1/8" from going completely through...which creates a small ledge so the speaker doesn't fall out.I found that the final hole was a tight press-fit for the speaker, so the ledge was unnecessary.I then turned a brass plug to fit the top of the hole with a small hole drilled into it for the wires to come out of, and press fit this into the top of the speaker hole...then sealed the hole with the two speaker wires with silicone caulk to make it an air-tight, dense, speaker enclosure.One thing that I learned is that whatever metal Kato is using for their E-8/E-9 chassis, it's difficult to drill, and to mill...much more difficult than solid brass or even steel would be...because it wants to gall, even with my brand new sharp drill bits and carbide end mills.
Hi Bummer about the experience... I use a drill press, with different Dremel carving bits, and the belt set to the highest bit speed. I bought a heavy drill press vise (Harbor Freight, of course). Then, I make balsa faces to pinch the engine frames in the vise jaws without damaging the little shell positioning buttons on a lot of frames. Align the frame with 6 inch level, Then, by slipping shim sheets under the vise to change the height, the metal can be removed a bit at a time without grabbing or chattering. Finish is smooth, just touch up the edges with a tiny flat file. I also bought a set of some tiny endmill bits (suggested by another N scale denizen). 10 bucks on ebay, work like a charm for small parts or precision material removal. You have to be careful as they are a bit fragile.