Warco WM18 Power X Feed?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

Just been using my WM18 for some small jobs and to get to know the kit and it seems to me that power X feed is pretty much a very desirable idea from a finish point of view and to give my poor old arms less of a work out!

Just got off the 'phone to Warco who do not offer one and have no plans to do so despite saying that they are always being asked for them…

Apparently they have one customer who has successfully converted the power feed from one of their larger machines but cannot remember who…

The conversion was merely a matter of different bracketry (is that a word?) and no electronic problems.

They do not have any dimensional drawings for the WM18 either.

Has anyone here got any thoughts as to the feasability/ difficulty of this conversion.

IO have looked at the wiper motor type mods and don't think I have the time for that and also would need the fast traverse and limit stops etc.

I am however finding it a lot of fun getting to grips with milling and have made some small projects which give one confidence to try other things.

Regards,

Martin

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

No unit available…

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

I fitted a axminster seig power drive that was on offer for about £200 IIRC

some photos here

simple fix

The part on the coupling between drive and bed is a quick release for if i wanted to use the manual handle in actual fact it overruns easily so I neednt have bothered

I've had it fitted 3 years of so and it works fine

 

I fitted the switch box on top so the feeding speed stays put as original switch was on the back of the pot so you had to start it from zero every time

the "bed goes" is just a memory jogger

Edited By Ian Parkin on 07/01/2015 14:39:35

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Ian,

That would be the sort of thing I need! What is the Bed Goes switch please?

Is your mill a WM18?

Checking Axminster right now!

Cheers,

Martin

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Added to post

mines a RDG version of the wm18 (weiss mill)

Axi now want 299 for the powerfeed but I still think thats worthwhile as its almost plug and play

Just the plate some spacers bolts and a coupling

the coupling screws onto where the handwheel was…. then locked by a grubscrew this sets the end float on the shaft

Remember to remove the handle off the opposite end ( out of balance when feed is going fast !!! ) leave the wheel though

In operation I use the switch on top to start and stop the motion rather than as standard the sitch on the speed control pot….just remove wires from switch and bring them out to new switch on top….you can also jog by moving switch not all the way.

at the end of the pas you have to switch off move the handle to opposite sense ( left right) then switch back on

just moving the handle to opposite causes an error

the limit switches would fit easily with the seig brackets but I dont use them as i dont leave the mill going by itself

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Ian,

They are discontinuing that power feed as it is the same as the current one which will come with adaptors for their other mills, (not a WM18 though).

So I have been lucky enough to get one of the few left for £173 delivered.

Can't wait to get it and sort it out. Do you by any chance have any drawings or plans giving sizes etc?

Regards,

Martin

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Too late as you have spent your money but all you need is a variable speed drill and a coupling to the feed handle. On my Hobbymat which has an accessable nut on the cross slide handle I just slap a suitable socket adaptor on the battery drill. Heck, I could buy a drill specially if need be.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Have set up a 12v window wiper motor to power my X feed on my WM16… does what I want it to for the moment, no fast traverse switch as such I just wind the pot up to full speed… pics in my album…

George.

[John StanParticipant @johnstan]

I got an X axis power feed from Amadeal just before Xmas. Their WM18 size machine is the 32 type from memory, same machine, different colour. The power feed bolts straight on, works fine.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Another window winder conversion here. Didn't get around to fitting limit switches but worked nicely. Used a variable bench PSU from rapid electronics and a 3-position toggle switch (fwd-off-rev). The winder was 24V and the PSU 0-30V.

The feed could be removed quickly when required – not having a clutch prevented manual operation. A dog clutch would have been an improvement and probably not that difficult to implement.

Of course I soon realised that the correct solution was to augment (not replace) the mill drill with a proper Bridgeport clone.

Murray

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Martin check your pm,s

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

Finally got around to having a go at installing this unit with some very kind help and 'phone calls from Ian Parkin, many thanks Sir!.

Made the alloy plate by transfering the hole positions from the yellow plate on the mill, drilled and c/bored.

Made the steel posts and fiited to the dismantled motor plate then had a bit of head scratching to work out how to mark the holes on the alloy plate. In the end made a brass piece to fit the mill shaft at one end and the motor bush at the other, jiggled it all around with vee blocks to keep top edges square, held a small square against the transfer punch which had to have a turn of tape arounfd it as i have no metric ones. Got a pal to tap the punch whennm all square. One the DRO to my utter amazement the holes matched to within 2thou x & y!

When all bolted up , measured for the central sliding joint which was easily made. Then managed to break 2 centre drills and one tap while doing the bolt to tighten to the mill shaft! Going too fast I think so my fault.

I should mention that in the middle of all this I was using my brand new (2days) co-axial centre finder which is amazing. All was fine until I tried the little accessory that picks up a centre punch mark. I somehow had too much tension on the spring part and while adjusting it snapped off. I was not a happy bunny!

Arceuro told me that they do not carry spares and could only do another unit so was pretty much amazed when they got back to me and offered a complete second unit a a price that was way more than fair to help me out, great service!

The motor unit was finally put back on today but for some reason it only runs at one speed – pretty damn fast! the rheostat switch seems to do nothing so I guess its back on to AXI technical to see what the problem is.

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