- Joined
- Apr 10, 2021
- Messages
- 594
I'm posting my addition of a powerfeed on my mill, not so much because it was hard to do, but because I learned that buying a kit supposedly for a specific mill isn't worth the expense. The VH 25 is a little more rare than most Bridgeport clones and has a Z axis rapids that competes with the Y axis handwheel. Due to the unusual nature of the build, I decided to go with Sharp's Align kit for the machine. I ended up remaking or modifying almost all the parts, so my plan was flawed.
The spacers included needed to be thicker and the bolt holes that were predrilled partially missed the meat of the bracket ( as you can see in the picture )so i made a new one about 1" thick and moved the bolt holes to center on the bracket.
The shaft needed to be extended as is usually the case and in my case, the brass gear needed to be milled down some to place the wheel closer to the machine and farther from the Z handle. The Align needed to be placed sideways and the Y handwheel swapped to a smaller diameter with a spring loaded handle. It also needed to clear my scales unless I really wanted to complicate my life.
For those in a similar situation, paying a $400 upcharge for a Sharp feed does not give you a plug and play option other than a matching gray color. In hindsight I would have preferred spending the extra for a Servo unit since everything needed to be modified anyway. I have no complaints on how things work but thought my experience might save others from my mistake. Dave
The spacers included needed to be thicker and the bolt holes that were predrilled partially missed the meat of the bracket ( as you can see in the picture )so i made a new one about 1" thick and moved the bolt holes to center on the bracket.
The shaft needed to be extended as is usually the case and in my case, the brass gear needed to be milled down some to place the wheel closer to the machine and farther from the Z handle. The Align needed to be placed sideways and the Y handwheel swapped to a smaller diameter with a spring loaded handle. It also needed to clear my scales unless I really wanted to complicate my life.
For those in a similar situation, paying a $400 upcharge for a Sharp feed does not give you a plug and play option other than a matching gray color. In hindsight I would have preferred spending the extra for a Servo unit since everything needed to be modified anyway. I have no complaints on how things work but thought my experience might save others from my mistake. Dave