Power feed for mill

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Gordon

Gordon

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I have an Excello 620 mill and I would like to add a power feed on the X axis. There are several units available with the price range from $235 to $750 and torque from 135 to 150. This is a hobby usage machine so I do not need production durability. Has anyone had any experience with these units? Has anyone tried to build their own? Any advice welcome.

Thanks: Gordon
 
I mounted a low cost horizontal power table feed on my Enco mill/drill about 5 years ago. I very rarely use the hand wheel except for edge finding or positioning to drill holes. Its great for milling slots or surfacing stock with a fly cutter. I find it produces a better surface finish than can be achieved with hand cranking. If I'm doing multiple identical pieces I set up the stops to shut off the feed, which allows me time to work at the bench or run another machine. The high speed traverse button allows the table to be re-positioned in a matter of seconds. My back will only allow me to crank in a hunched over position for a few minutes at a time.
without the power feed table my shop days would be over.

-MB
 
What MB said for me also with same setup. ;)
 
I am aware of the advantages. I am wondering about the hardware to accomplish it. I had one on my old Mill/drill and it worked well but that unit will not work for my Excello Mill.
 
The mill is like a Bridgeport with a 2 HP motor and a 42" table. I am looking at something like this.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=307-3693&PMPXNO=8741198&PARTPG=INLMK3

That Enco model is discontinued but others are available from other sources. I am wondering how well those unit work. I am confused because as I said there are units selling from $235 on up to $750 and they all look similar. EBay has the identical units from different vendors with $150 price differnce.
 
Gordon,

I have three of those units on my mill, one on each major axis.

They are produced by a fair amount of manufacturers now, all competing for the same market. Unless you go for the branded names such as Vertex, then I personally think it is a matter of finding the cheapest and hope for the best.

If you could manage to get the spec sheets for each type, then maybe a comparison would give you a better insight into which was the best for the job to be done.

Mine have worked faultlessly for a few years now.


John
 
Thanks John. That is the information that I was looking for. The cheapest I have found is from Shars.com at $239. I have not had much experience with them except I just bought a NMTA 40 adapter with a drill chuck and the chuck is so bad that it is just worthless. Enco had a similar unit until recently and I would feel more secure purchasing from them.
 
Gordon,

Just be a bit wary when you come to fit them.

I had mine fitted by the place I got my mill from, and they have to be shimmed into the correct position to eliminate backlash and to be in the correct position for when the handles are refitted, not just bolted on. They gave me all the books and what was left over when they sent out the mill, and there were plenty of shims left over.

Another thing to be consider is that in the UK, we have to have to buy a 120 volt transformer to run them off, maybe you will be OK because you have that as your mains supply.

I think the X & Y are the same units, but the Z is slightly different because they usually cost a little more, maybe they are a bit more powerful because of having to lift the heavy knee.

All I can say, next to a DRO, power feeds are a definite gottahave. You will never regret even fitting just one, on the X axis, life is so much easier and surface finishes improve no end, so you can imagine my delight in having all three. Not because of wanting them, but because I need them to be able to use the mill.

Just enjoy


John
 
I put a dirt cheap ENCO unit on my mill 15 years ago, and it is still running strong.

Just be meticulous during installation in the shim department. It is possible to bind the whole thing up badly if not done correctly. If in doubt, I'd error on the slightly loose side. The first time I powered mine up, it bound so tightly that a rubber mallet was needed on the handle. Took a couple of shims out and it's been OK ever since.

Yeah it's a "must have" device, second only to the DRO in my opinion. I don't have one on my Y (wish I did) and if anything, I think I'd rather have one on the knee crank. I'm getting tired of jacking that table up and down!
 
I ordered an Asong unit on eBay. It appears that all of the cheap units are made in China by a couple of companies with different name decals so it looks like it is just a matter of finding the cheapest unit. From what I have read mounting and adjusting can involve some tinkering and I am going to have to cut a keyway in the shaft so I am going to have to find someone else with a mill since mine will not work well with the feed screw removed. Thanks for the replies.
 
I received the unit and have it mounted and working. Just a few more refinements. I does take quite a bit of work to mount it. I had to make spacers and rework the lead screw to get the handle mounted on the end of the lead screw. Also the bevel gear has to be reworked. I really have not used it yet but it does require quite a bit of rework to get it installed. It is designed for a Bridgeport but it appears that even that requires an additional shaft extension of some sort which is not included with the unit.
 
I also purchase one of those shown in the Enco ad. My BP has ball screws, with no keyways, what I did was drill a 1/8 hole in the leadscrew, and made a 'T' shaped key that went into the hole and fitted the key slot. The drive gear and dial bushing, keyways were undersize, I pushed a 1/8 broach through them to make right. There should be no need for a shaft extension on X, that is what that special nut is used for, to hold the handle on. They Y axis needs a shaft extension.
 
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