Finish-turned gear shaft laying on the milling machine, being held down only by gravity. Due to extreme overhang, the right end of the shaft will be supported on a roller to take the strain off the knee and table of the milling machine. It is possible for extremely unbalanced pieces such as this shaft to cause a mill to topple over sideways. The depth of cut in this setup will be controlled by adjusting the elevation of the vertical head, not by elevating the knee and table.

Photo by Bill Liebman.