Author Topic: Power feed for Mill Drill  (Read 5189 times)

Offline Robert Hornby

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Power feed for Mill Drill
« on: December 21, 2017, 09:14:35 PM »
As I have to make around 150 mini planks of deck timber 200mm long x 6.5mm thick and I don’t wish to get RSI, I do wish to fit a power feed (just the ‘X’ axis) to my Mill Drill. I am thinking maybe an auto windscreen motor/gearbox might do the trick with a 12 volt transformer. It would be good to have speed control.

Any thoughts on this or other suggestions?  :thinking:
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Doc

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2017, 01:50:52 AM »
Check this thread out it my give you some ideas on the task.
power feed mod

Online Jasonb

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2017, 08:34:57 AM »
As you will only be working with wood why not do what is mostly done on full size and hand feed the work into the cutter, no different to feeding a table saw, spindle moulder or router table. A simple fence or moulding box and suitable finger protection won't take long to knock up. If you don't feel happy with that then take the feed screw out and use the table as a sliding carrage or make up a sled that can slide in the table grooves and mount the work to that.

What machining do you have to do on the timber?

Offline mikemill

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2017, 10:06:32 AM »
Robert

I made a power feed to my mill using a VW windscreen wiper motor/gearbox, found on eBay also plenty of 12v speed control on the same site.
I fitted a nylon spur gear to the lead screw and a sliding gear on the gearbox shaft to engage back and forth to disengage the gears so you can use the mill as manual.

Merry Christmas

Mike

Offline Graham Meek

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2017, 10:54:11 AM »
Here is a solution which I designed some while back now. The low slung position allows long jobs to be mounted on the table without too much packing. This works off a 12 v supply and uses a commercially available PWM to vary the motor speed.

One photograph shows the feed dis-engaged and the other engaged. The direction of feed is via the small rotary switch on the motor, The housing for which is custom made. This housing is the same as the one shown on my Emco FB2 fine Quill feed.
The PWM is mounted at the rear of the column on my Mini Mill and is the same style as the one shown on the FB2.

Hope this will give you a few ideas.

My best regards
Gray,

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2017, 02:00:06 PM »
I made a drive for my Rexon vertical milling machine nearly twenty years ago. I had an old Lucas wiper motor, I extended the shaft from the worm wheel, and made and fitted a ten tooth sprocket, I then fitted a twenty tooth sprocket to the lead screw of the mill, and joined these with a bit of bike chain. The bike chain is loose enough to be easily lifted off the sprockets.  I have a 18 volt DC supply around the workshop, the power feed is supplied  through a 3 position resistor switch for speed control, and a left , off,  right switch.
Ian S C

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2017, 04:12:32 AM »
Thank you gentlemen for all the ideas, very much appreciated. I think I will go down the path with a wiper motor and sliding dog clutch. I'll post the build.
Robert
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Firebird

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2017, 08:44:02 AM »
Hi Robert

Take a look at my topic here

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,552.msg29503.html#msg29503

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,548.msg4453.html#msg4453

Some of the photos are missing thanks to photosuckit but you will get the idea

Any questions please ask

Cheers

Rich
« Last Edit: December 23, 2017, 08:59:23 AM by Firebird »

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2018, 09:11:39 AM »
I am well under way with my 'X' axis power feed mod. I purchased a new wiper motor on ebay for a very reasonable cost and took delivery 3 days later. I had to machine the 3 bosses down around 8mm to give me more room for a mounting ring to support a torque rod.




Having decided to utilise magnets to provide to drive I obtained 3 rare earth magnets and fitted them to an aluminum disc which in turn slips into a recess I machined into the original hand wheel.





I fitted a steel disc to the hand wheel for the magnets to attach to. I found that the grip seemed to be too much as I wanted it to slip if something went amiss. I am trying a test piece of linoleum to reduce the grip and it seems OK but I will know better when finished and tested.









My son (an electrician) is building the control unit for me which will provide forward and reverse as well as speed control.

The next part is to build the bracket for the torque rod.
Robert

Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2018, 08:26:18 PM »
I forgot to mention that the extra tapped hole between the magnets is there in case I needed to jack it of if the attraction was too great. It will pull of without the linoleum with a bit of effort so the hole was't really needed.
Robert
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2018, 11:00:40 PM »
It's always impressive to me when people 'make their own'.  :ThumbsUp:

I just added a 'store bought' power feed to my mill. Love it.

I sure would like to power the main Z axis too. I'm starting to have difficulty raising my arm and twirling the knob. But I haven't seen that anyone does that.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2018, 07:02:38 AM »
A few moons have passed and my son has finally come up with the goods regarding the controller.



The joy stick gives me left and right movement and the knob is for speed control.



The magnetic coupling works well and when I need to move the 'X' axis manually I just lift the drive off the hand wheel an stick it onto the the stand paneling.



I have also fitted DRO's to the "X" and"Y" axis. I think I will need to put a cover over the bars to minimise swarf getting to them.





Just a bit of cabling tidying up to do.

Robert
« Last Edit: February 26, 2018, 08:56:39 PM by Robert Hornby »
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2018, 09:50:24 AM »
Robert, that looks really neat, and I can see it working well when machining non magnetic materials, but how does it handle steel? Those magnets are powerful.
Ian S C

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2018, 08:52:34 PM »
Thanks Ian, I have tested it on my hardest material (stainless steel) and it worked very well. I do like the speed control as I do need to go quite slowly on the SS, but for wood, which I have lots to do, then full speed is good.  :)
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2018, 01:22:38 AM »
Robert,it's not about the drive ablity of the unit, but the great ball of fluff that might build up around the magnets when cutting mild steel.
Ian S C

Offline Robert Hornby

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2018, 12:42:40 AM »
Ian, The magnets are totally enclosed inside the aluminum housings and any swarf attracted to the outside of the housing will be easily cleaned off.

I have fitted a guard to cover the 'X' axis RDO to minimise swarf getting to the bar.



Robert
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Power feed for Mill Drill
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2018, 02:38:26 AM »
Thanks for that Robert, I think I'll stick to my chain drive, it's even more vulnrible to swarf, and it does not cause any problems.
Ian S C

 

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