Ornamental Mills - Legacy Woodworking Legacy Woodworking

Legacy Woodworking no longer manufactures or supports the Ornamental Mills

What is an Ornamental Mill?

Imagine a machine that would allow you to shape a piece of wood, turn it round for example, and then add other details that would normally require a shop full of machines, power tools, hand tools such as beads and coves, flutes, or reeds, spirals, or precision joinery.

Now take that same machine and plane a 10″ wide board flat and then add shapes (custom moldings or patterns, dentil molding, or parallel flutes) and then machine mortise, tenons, finger joints, or any number of other details. Now take that same machine and turn round table tops or arches.

The Ornamental Mills made it possible to accomplish a huge variety of complex woodworking. They had five features that work either independently or together to accomplish a huge variety of basic and advanced woodworking tasks.

Legacy Woodworking has incorporated each of these features into the new line of CNC-enabled milling machines. Explore the features of the old Ornamental Mills to see where the inspiration for our new CNC machines came from.

3-Axis Milling Capabilities

The cutter can travel in three directions; X-Axis (along the length of the mill), Y-Axis (across the mill), and Z-Axis (up and down) allowing you to mill on either flat stock or between centers. Both the X-Axis and Y-Axis can either slide freely between stops or be driven by the 4 tip lead screws. The Z-Axis can either be accomplished by using a plunge router or the optional Z-Axis Drive.

The Adjustable Bed

The Bed can be raised or lowered at either or both ends. When turning stock between centers this feature allows you to accommodate different diameters of the stock. It also makes it extremely simple to taper the stock in either direction. When milling flat stock, this feature makes it simple to adjust for the thickness of the stock or for tapering either the stock or a milled detail.

* The adjustable bed sets Legacy apart from all other CNC manufacturers.

The Indexing Head

This feature is extremely easy to use, yet very versatile. Indexing can be used for milling a stock square or multi-sided as well as adding ornamental details such as flutes, reeds, brick patterns, and buttons. Or for more functional operations such as milling mortise and tenons, or sliding dovetails in stock mounted between centers. With the Legacy you can mill a table leg or Pedestal and then add the mortise or sliding dovetails on the same machine, minimizing setup errors on different machines.

* This functionality has been improved further with the CNC machines.

The Spiral Drive

The Spiral Drive allows you to mill spirals with up to 19 pitches. By varying the router bit profile, the pitch, the number of starts, and the direction of the spiral, you can easily create an almost unlimited number of beautiful designs such as the rope twist, barley twist, diamond pattern, pineapple cut, square twist, hollow spirals, and much more. Spirals can be milled on the stock as small as a pen and as large as a column with perfect results.

* This functionality has been improved further with the CNC machines.

The Template Follower

The template follower was used in two different formats: between centers similar to a copy lathe, or on the flat stock to duplicate parts or carve patterns on the face of the part. The models 900, 1200, and 1800 came standard with a 1/2″ diameter stylus and supports for hold shop built templates. The Template Follower Upgrade that features a “drop-in” stylus with 4 different sizes was also available.

* With the move to CNC-enabled mills, templates and replication are now computerized, eliminating the need for the templates.

Legacy Ornamental Mill Owners

Many of you have been with Legacy for a long time and we sincerely appreciate your business and your loyalty. We would like to show our appreciation by extending a customized special offer to any of our Ornamental Mill owners interested in CNC.

Call 800-279-4570 to receive a special offer customized to fit your needs.

Ornamental Mill Models (retired)

Legacy Evolution

The Evolution could be used as a turning center to create custom spindles, post, legs and ornamental bowls.

Simply cut joinery flutes, reeds, and spirals for more options.

The Evolution could be used as a 7-axis milling center to create custom mouldings, rails, styles, table tops, and more.

Legacy 2200

The Model 2200 was designed specifically for the creation of plain or ornamental columns. As with all of Legacy’s uniquely designed mills, it had multi-tasking capabilities. These tasks included the milling of rough billets (up to 12″ in diameter and 10′ 6″ in length; either straight or tapered) to round, square or multisided configurations.

Legacy 2000

The model 2000 was designed as a turning center for columns. You could easily turn parts and then add joinery, and decorative patters such as flutes, reeds, spirals with almost unlimited possibilities. Or you could use the 2000 as a 3 axis milling center to create custom mouldings, rails, styles, table tops etc.

Legacy 1800

The model 1800 was designed as a turning center for columns. You could easily turn parts and then add joinery, and decorative patters such as flutes, reeds, spirals with almost unlimited possibilities. Or you could use the 1800 as a 3 axis milling center to create custom mouldings, rails, styles, table tops etc.

Legacy 1500

The model 1500EX was the same machine as the model 1000EX but also included the floor stand with elevation adjustment controls, variable speed linear drive motor with electronic limit switches, .25X Gear Reduction, 2X Gear Multiplier, Gear Cover and Dust Controller. These added features made the 1500EX an excellent choice for production work.

Legacy 1200

Designed for the Professional Shop, the model 1200 was the boss.

Legacy 1000

Designed for the serious hobbyist or the professional shop, the model 1000 was a manual version of the model 1500. Its features included the X, Y milling table, indexing head, left and right-hand spiral drive, template follower, and adjustable bed.

Legacy 900

The model 900 allowed you to quickly create custom parts that would normally require several machines, hand tools, time and experience. The 900 was be used as a turning center that allowed you to easily turn parts and then add joinery, and decorative patterns such as flutes, reeds, spirals with almost unlimited possibilities. Or you could use the 900 as a 3-axis milling center to create custom mouldings, rails, styles, table tops etc.

Legacy 800

Designed with the hobbyist in mind, the 800EX included many of the features of the 1000 but was priced for the home shop.

Legacy 600

Designed for the home shop, the 600EXL had most of the features of the model 1000EX at a fraction of the cost. The 600EXL put Ornamental Milling within reach of any woodworker. Features included the X, Y, Z-axis milling table, right-hand spiral drive with 5 pitches, 24 position indexing head and template follower.

Legacy 400

The model 400 allowed you to quickly create custom parts that would normally require several machines, hand tools, time and experience. The 400 was used as a turning center that allowed you to easily turn parts and then add joinery, and decorative patterns such as flutes, reeds with almost unlimited possibilities. Or you could use the 400 as a 3 axis milling center to create custom mouldings, rails, styles,table tops etc.

Legacy 200

The model 200 was perfect for making craft items.

Legacy Revo

The Revo was a major design & cost breakthrough for the serious woodworker that had limited shop space and limited funds but still desired to add one of Legacy’s popular multi-tasking mills to his workshop.

Even though its small (18″ X 48″ ) foot print allowed it to be bench mounted it provides many of the same milling capabilities as the larger commercial models.

It’s built in vertical clamping system helped make complex joinery, such as milling dovetails, a simple and accurately repetitive task to perform.