Is it worth adding a power feed

[Dave Harding 1Participant @daveharding1]

Is a power feed worth the extra expense and how difficult is it to fit one. Where would you get one. Do they make a difference.

[Dave Harding 1Participant @daveharding1]

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Power feed to what, for what?

If it is power feed to x axis of a milling machine simple answer IMHO is yes well worth the effort and not that expensive.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Dave,

A power feed on the x-axis of a mill is a great accessory. Easier to use the the correct feed rate when cutting and saves a lot of arm work. Some are available to suit particular machines but you may have to adapt one to suit yours. Stores that sell milling machines and lathes have them. Advertised on flee-bay for about $300 – $500. You can also build your own using a car windscreen motor or a stepper motor if you want to go the CNC way. (do a Google search for designs).  I would fit a DRO before I would fit a power feed, but both are a must have for easier machining.

Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 12/09/2015 07:26:21

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

The size of mill is not stated,I would not bother on a small machine,its easier and quicker to hand feed and vary the rate of feed by "feeling" via the handle how the cutter is performing. On my 50 inch table of my Elliot Milmor I rarely use the power feed unless is a very long travel e.g. facing a cylinder head, on smaller work by the time you have selected the required feed race and put into gear its quicker to wind the a handle a couple of inches. What I would like is a quick traverse power feed upwards to raise the table as its getting very hard work at my age,plus I would prefer to lock the quill solid when boring and raise the table under power,

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

There was a nice power table feed driven by a stepper motor in MEW a few years ago, probably about 10 years or so. I think the article may have been by David Haythornthwaite.

Try MEW 118.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 12/09/2015 09:40:27

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Power feeds on mills are a great convenience but I would suggest a DRO is the first accessory of choice.

Tony

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

I made a stepper motor drive for my VMB mill a while ago with simple clutch so it could be engaged when needed,then easily convert to manual use. Stepper motors are very versatile and make an excellent basis for such a drive.

When using a fly cutter the drive produces a very fine surface and saves a lot of slow hand twiddling. I am very pleased I now have one.

Doug

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

This is on my to do list, Seig3, when cleaning and fitting the DRO's it showed a slot in the l/hand end of the x axis so that a table drive could be fitted. A digital drive sounds best and that would be my aim when I do it.

It comes about that i have been made redundant at the age of 78 due to business efficiency and will have plenty of time coming to get on with it. 15 years loyal service and he did not like it when I told him that by making 4 people redundant that he has lost 100 years experience between us as i alone have worked for 64 years. Also that the quality of young people that he has taken on is severely lacking in the, 'Hands on' department. He countered by saying i could do some work for him later !

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Clive,

I think you are lucky to have escaped that sort of treatment for as long as you have!

Perhaps, if and when your boss returns on bended knee, it might give you some satisfaction to inform him you are now too busy doing things for yourself and send him on his way.

On the topic of mill improvements I agree with Tony Pratt 1 by opting for a DRO with a Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) function as a more useful feature than power feed; it takes away ALL the risk of error and even the need for spotting through on joints.

Brian

[Anonymous]

Posted by Brian Wood on 12/09/2015 10:59:03:

Clive,

I think you are lucky to have escaped that sort of treatment for as long as you have!

Perhaps, if and when your boss returns on bended knee, it might give you some satisfaction to inform him you are now too busy doing things for yourself and send him on his way.

What you do is say yes, but at a greatly enhanced hourly rate. If the 'boss' is up the creek without a paddle he'll have no choice but to cough up. Knowledge is power.

So far I've been made redundant twice, and avoided it twice by leaving the company concerned before the inevitable happened. If you work for the right company redundancy can be quite profitable. Of course there's good and bad redundancy. If you're one of a few that is let go then a future employer might wonder why you were selected. However, if the whole site is closed then no need to worry, as you weren't singled out.

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 12/09/2015 11:19:48

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

As with power cross feed on a lathe you can live without it but it is nice to have. Since you can DIY power feed rather more easily and cheaply than a DRO I would question the above posters' priority order. If you have a variable speed drill, battery or mains, you might be able to use it as a removable attachment. Whatever you do make sure you have an auto stop.

Clive. I thought at first 78 was a typo for 58. You are mad. Having just lost a school chum ie my age I'm regretting not taking the last redundancy opportunity just because I wasn't even 60.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 12/09/2015 09:34:17:

There was a nice power table feed driven by a stepper motor in MEW a few years ago, probably about 10 years or so. I think the article may have been by David Haythornthwaite.

Try MEW 118.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 12/09/2015 09:40:27

Correct. I built and fitted this power table feed and I would not be without it. I found the feed slow but this was corrected by changing the value of one resistor.

JA

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

I agree with the comments regarding a DRO as the first upgrade. I'd also say that as a user of a small milling machine and being quite tall (6' 1" ) I've had a lot of back problems turning the X-axis hand wheel when taking long, slow cuts e.g. slitting, dovetailing etc and I also tend to bend and watch the cut as it progresses, perhaps just my inexperience. Auto-feed also appears to produce a better finish using fly-cutters (when watching Youtube videos).

An auto-feed for the X-axis would be great, but the cost of them in the UK is far too expensive IMHO for what they offer. A couple of guys on this forum have successfully added a feed of some type for relatively small outlay with a small motor and DC controller plus a few bits of stock. I was going down this route myself but am currently in two minds to finish that, or add a stepper motor as part of a CNC conversion.

Ed.

Edited By Ed Duffner on 12/09/2015 11:35:30

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi JA What resistor, what value?

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Hi Clive, Retirement from your job is their loss and your gain and means you will have more time in the workshop to enjoy your hobby. I also have a Seig SX3 mill which came with a factory power feed. It is bolted to the end of the table and has a tang which drives the slot in the end of the lead screw. It has been OK but I have had the controller board replaced once under warranty. If making your own, a variable speed motor is all you need to control the X-axis. If you want to convert the mill to CNC, you will need stepper motors and will also need power feed on the Y-axis and also on the Z if you want to mill in 3 dimensions. The standard screws are normally changed to ball screws to reduce friction and back-lash.

Hi Brian, I fitted an Eason ES-14 DRO with glass scales and would recommend it. Previously had installed 2 sets of cheap scales which both failed. The Eason has heaps of functions including PCD. The one I use the most is the centre find function. (Just reference the LH and RH (or front and back) positions and push the 1/2 button and the display is set to the Zero position). It will also calculate the positions on the X & Y axis to machine a radius. Also in the Z direction if you have 3 scales.

Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 12/09/2015 13:18:53

Edited By Paul Lousick on 12/09/2015 13:20:37

Edited By Paul Lousick on 12/09/2015 13:21:09

[Dave Harding 1Participant @daveharding1]

Thanks for the replies is it worth fitting one to my lathe carriage. At work the Guys use a hardinge tool room lathe I noticed that most of them use the power carriage I have to move mine by hand I'm wondering if I would get a better finish if I fitted a variable power feed.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Hi Dave,

I have an old Southbend lathe which has only has a lead screw for screw cutting, which I can engage for turning along the job but work the cross slide manually. Cross slide travel on a small lathe is not that big and does not need power feed. There was an article recently in MEW about using a windscreen motor to drive the leadscrew.

Paul.

[JAParticipant @ja]

David Clark

According to my notes I replaced R4 (was 310kohms) with a 47kohms resistor and the potentiometer (was 470kohms, log) with a good quality 1Mohms linear pot (from RS). These give maximum and minimum table speeds of about 120mm/min and 5 mm/min. However the control is not very linear but since it is satisfactory and the potentiometer cost quite a bit of money I live with it.

JA

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Thanks JA

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Well, the OP has now clarified his intention …. rendering most replies redundant in the process …. but why does it seem to be assumed that (on the mill) power-feed/DRO is an either/or decision? I have both and would be without either.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Clive

78 and you wonder about retiring???!

Good grief man in my "real job " I was made an offer I couldn't refuse at 50 then, after a bit of swanning about, got a part- time job in a mechanical workshop . A few years of this,that I enjoyed, and we decided to retire to the country. "But what will you DO ? " people asked. My answer was "Anything I blooming well WANT to!" And so it has been – I'm now 71 and regret nothing. Given that you have sufficient funds to get by – just get on with " Bloomin' well enjoying yourself " !

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by NJH on 12/09/2015 17:19:07:

Clive

78 and you wonder about retiring???!

Good grief man in my "real job " I was made an offer I couldn't refuse at 50 then, after a bit of swanning about, got a part- time job in a mechanical workshop . A few years of this,that I enjoyed, and we decided to retire to the country. "But what will you DO ? " people asked. My answer was "Anything I blooming well WANT to!" And so it has been – I'm now 71 and regret nothing. Given that you have sufficient funds to get by – just get on with " Bloomin' well enjoying yourself " !

I'm 61 now and like anyone of my age I'm past my mental & physical peak, still got something to give but I can't wait to escape to retirement.

Tony

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

I am 62 in December. I doubt I will ever work again, no jobs for us oldies. Am I bothered? No, I can do what I want. I have been ill for about 8 months but am feeling better although still weak from chemotherapy. Fortunately I don't have anybody asking me to do jobs so my time is my own.

[Dave Harding 1Participant @daveharding1]

I have a Mill so the replies are not wasted. I would like to sort the Lathe first. The Mill can wait for now.

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