Z power feed on Warco mill

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

I have a Warco WS18 mill with which I am very pleased.

But I would like to fit a power feed to the head as age is making turning the handle awkward.

Has anyone done this, and, if so any ideas, please.

Many thanks

richard 2.

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

[John SlavenParticipant @johnslaven66698]

Hi Richard,

See my mods at this link here. https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=135939

Cheers

John.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

This mill is very similar to the Grizzly G0758. There are examples of the modification you want for this machine if you do a web search.

Martin C

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Has anyone fitted anything like to a Lux mill ? I have the same problem.

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Many thanks, John and Martin

Brain now working furiously to see if I can do something similar.

Time a bit limited now as I spend three mornings per week in hospital on haemodialysis due to kidney failure – no – I have never drank alcohol or smoked!

Am seriously thinking about changing the WS18 mill for a Super Major Vario mill and building a chimney on the workshop for the motor to rise up!!

Depends on what Warco say to the part-exchange.

Anyone any comments about that?

Regards

Richard 2.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

On my mill which is similar to the lux and it has a crank handle to wind the head up and down , the handle sits on a 1/2 inch square ended shaft so i bought a 1/2 drive – 12mm hex drive and fitted the hex into the chuck on a cheap drill and fit the 1/2 drive end over the square shaft . Works a treat !

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

On my mill which is similar to the lux and it has a crank handle to wind the head up and down , the handle sits on a 1/2 inch square ended shaft so i bought a 1/2 drive – 12mm hex drive and fitted the hex into the chuck on a cheap drill and fit the 1/2 drive end over the square shaft . Works a treat !

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Hi XD 351

Many thanks for email and info,

Have just rushed out to the workshop and removed the handwheel from the machine, sits on round shaft.

Simply clamped my electric drill on and 'bingo' – a motorised head.

Am now buying cheap drill and making support from ceiling.

All very easy and excellent.

Regards

Richard 2

[Enough!Participant @enough]

On my WM16 equivalent, I didn't even go that far – just put a socket in an electric drill and run it on the (nyloc) handwheel nut. Been doing that for 10 years or more.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

You could also make up a drive flange that bolts onto the handwheel easily enough and that way you are driving the shaft with a key – you don’t want to chew up the shaft .I didn’t worry about a support the drill just hangs there and i hang onto it when raising the head . If you use a drill with speed adjustment it makes it more controllable , i origionally used a battery drill and it also worked fine but they are more expensive to replace and i got sick of recharging the battery.

Bandersnatch has found the easiest way to drive it !

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Thanks Bandersnatch and all you other kind guys

After all my thoughts I have put the drill on the nut with a socket

and have hung it with a long cable-tie from the ceiling as I thought

the drill was somewhat heavy.

Problem now solved thanks to all you kind guys and I now have

to think of something else to do!

Richard 2.

Edited By richard 2 on 10/11/2018 05:56:49

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Battery drills are no problem, find some old ones with dead batteries, they are usually throw outs. 12 volt is a good size (unless you have a suitable power supply for other voltages), use a battery charger as a power supply, although I think that some more complex modern ones won't work that way. I have an 18 volt supply in my workshop, and use an old 18 volt drill connected via a wooden plug that takes place of the battery. The supply also powers the windscreen wiper motor that powers the feed on the milling machine, a 12v automotive tire compressor for my E- bike, and my tank for electrolitic rust removal.

Ian S C

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Yes, my electric drill does the necessary but it is not central and flops around so

I have decided that I would like to use a small electric motor with a home made control box.

The motor would be fixed vertically to the upright of my shelving close to the mill and drive by a flexible drive about a half-metre long.

Any advice, comments or criticisms would be most welcome.

Advice particularly about which flexible drive and motor.

Also that I am an old idiot!

Regards

Richard2.

Edited By richard 2 on 10/11/2018 14:22:34

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

I added a power raise/lower to my GH Universal by using a spare high voltage stepper drive I had left over when I scrapped my cnc build.

I bought a driver control board from eBay which gives me control of the stepper driver. The switch is for raise/lower select and the non-latching push button activates the drive. The pot adds speed control and an estop for safety. The right angle gearbox came from another project and fitted this nicely and I decide on a pulley drive rather than a direct drive just in case I did something stupid.

[JonParticipant @jon]

Nice work Ian.
Downside to doing that way is horizontal work the job would have to be raised off the bed spindle to the 2nd bolt on box. Caught me out in the past with standard box, job needs raising off bed 8" + centring.

Larry parts are available as a bolt on replacement. The gearbox on mine packed up 8 years ago, to replace comes with motor and transfer box £244, more than 1/4 cost paid for a new Super Lux.

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