Pm-25mv Improved Locking Screws

[JayMcClellan]

I've had my PM-25MV for a couple of weeks now and so far I have only one complaint. The screws that lock the Y axis travel have hinged handles that tend to hang down so that when moving the carriage toward me the front screw handle sometimes jams against the mounting bolt, stopping the carriage:

And if I move it past that point so the handle hangs down in front of the base, then when cranking the carriage back away from me it hits the base and tightens the screw, also stopping the carriage if the screw wasn't out very far:

This is not a huge problem but I found it very annoying, and it was easy to fix. My replacement screws are just 3/8" rod turned down and threaded M8-1.25 on one end to match the original screws. The other end is threaded 1/4-20 to match the jig knobs, which are secured with Loctite.

The new screws are easier to reach, easier to turn, and they never hit anything.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Bingo. It took me almost a month to do that. Good solution.

 

[tweinke]

Did about the same to my PM-727.

 

[lpeedin]

Lock them both at one time without reaching under the table.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JayMcClellan]

Nice idea, thanks. So far I'm satisfied with just the knobs but I may do that if I get ambitious.

 

[rbtNmke]

Hello...just to add another option to a lockdown mod.
I borrowed the above "one lever" idea and mixed things up a bit. Its pretty simple (now that I've made more prototypes than I care to admit!). Please note: the photo was taken before I shortened the second locking arm. The swing of its rod end would of not cleared the mills base.
The black adjustable lever and rod ends were purchased from McMaster.
Gib bolts are standard 8mm x30 and shortened accordingly.
Robt in MKE