You can spend thousands of dollars on a benchtop milling machine, but you can do a lot of good work on an inexpensive mill, too.

The Atlas CH-10M mini-mill is a benchtop milling machine, designed for small-scale metalworking. Unlike other machines in its size class, the Atlas is mostly cast iron, with an extruded aluminum column. It's about 2 1/2 times as heavy as the Sherline mill, and has a significantly larger Morse taper #3 spindle. The motor is 1/2 horsepower variable-speed DC, with the power switch and speed control knob on the head. The machine is supplied with a Jacobs-style chuck, held in place by a 3/8"-16 drawbar bolt.

The travel is 9 inches on the X axis, 4 inches on the Y axis, and 8.5 inches on the Z axis (from the bottom of the drill chuck to the top of the table). Atlas rates the drill capacity in C1018 cold-rolled steel as 1/2 inch, the same for end milling capacity, and 1 inch face milling in the same stock. All three axes have locks that act on the gibs, The Y- and Z-axis ways are protected by rubber accordion boots. Some folks use the ability to cut a 3/8" slot 1/8" deep in steel as the separation between real milling machines and toys. The Atlas makes that cut with ease.

Unlike most mills in this size category, the head is counterbalanced. It uses a gas spring, which is nestled into the column extrusion. A link rod connects the head to the gas spring. The column is a full 5 inches wide, with a 2.7 inch dovetail. The column is attached to the base by a 40mm nut that looks big enough to hold a wheel onto a railroad car. A wrench is provided. The column can tilt 45 degrees right or left for angle drilling or milling by loosening the monster nut.