# PM-30 Z-axis power feed?



## mcdanlj (Sep 1, 2018)

I am waiting for the next shipment of PM-30MVs to arrive, which I understand is any day now, for my order to be filled. I ordered the X-axis power feed, but there is no Z-axis power feed available from QMT/PM. I searched on this site and more generally with google, and I don't see any discussion of any Z-axis power feed for the PM-30, just other people asking. Maybe my powers of search are weak today, in which case I would appreciate a pointer, and maybe this post will help the next searcher find what they are looking for!

Otherwise, do any PM-30 owners have shop-made Z power feed solutions they can share? Pictures, ideas, warnings, anything? Anyone who thought they would want one and then discovered that they just didn't care after all? If so, ideas why?

Thanks!


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## WyoGreen (Sep 1, 2018)

I just added a power feed to my PM-30 but don't have a picture handy right now. You might take a look at the PM-25 posts, one of them has quite a few photos of their power feed. I'll get some pictures of mine posted one of these days.

Steve


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## mcdanlj (Sep 1, 2018)

@WyoGreen — Thanks! Did you decide to preserve handwheel Z feed and add power feed, or did you just replace the handwheel with a motor?


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## WyoGreen (Sep 1, 2018)

I replaced the handwheel with a motor. it's pretty easy to change back if needed. With the gear reduction motor, it would be impossible to use a handwheel. I'll start up a thread and post some pictures.

Steve


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## mcdanlj (Sep 2, 2018)

Thanks for your thread! I had been thinking about a large stepper motor, and using a timing belt with some reduction, depending on the actual torque required. If I did that, the handle would still work when the stepper isn't powered. But just buying a gearhead motor is probably simpler. ☺


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## T Bredehoft (Sep 2, 2018)

I used a gearhead motor on my PM25, because the head moves .008 when I clamp the Z gibs, I feel that there's no use for manual or fine feed on the head. I bore with a crank/handle on the quill feed.


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## alfaspider (Sep 4, 2018)

mcdanlj said:


> I am waiting for the next shipment of PM-30MVs to arrive, which I understand is any day now, for my order to be filled. I ordered the X-axis power feed, but there is no Z-axis power feed available from QMT/PM. I searched on this site and more generally with google, and I don't see any discussion of any Z-axis power feed for the PM-30, just other people asking. Maybe my powers of search are weak today, in which case I would appreciate a pointer, and maybe this post will help the next searcher find what they are looking for!
> 
> Otherwise, do any PM-30 owners have shop-made Z power feed solutions they can share? Pictures, ideas, warnings, anything? Anyone who thought they would want one and then discovered that they just didn't care after all? If so, ideas why?
> 
> Thanks!



**********************************

Not sure if the PM30 is much heavier than the PM25? 

But my first project was to make a Z motor drive for a PM25 as the DRO monitor interferes with using the Z hand crank.






This may appear crude, but works well and the wiper motor has enough torque.  This motor runs at 100rpm, so not CNC stepper motor speed, but OK for me. 

I followed a previous thread on this forum, but changed the components to use inexpensive starter motor gears from Briggs-Stratton lawn mowers which are about $1.25 each and an ebay motor that was $20 with free shipping.

The angle iron frame is bolted directly on top of the cover plate for the Z drive crank handle, so no factory parts were altered.   Had to use longer cap head screws to secure the angle iron bracket to the column.  The factory DRO interferes with using the Z hand crank, so I was trying to make the assembly as "thin" or less wide as possible.

To cover up the ugly mess, I also made a metal cover and painted it to match the motor housing cover.

Tin barn utube video has a more elaborate Z drive with a heavy duty motor, but I found this 12v wiper motor to be adequate for both the Z and a table motor drive that I also use.

Hope this helps,


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## mcdanlj (Sep 5, 2018)

alfaspider said:


> Not sure if the PM30 is much heavier than the PM25?



It's almost twice as heavy (listed at 530 vs. 275 for the PM-25), but I don't know how much of that weight is in the head. The spec differences were why I didn't just assume that a design for the PM-25 would necessarily work well on the PM-30, though! ☺


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## alfaspider (Sep 5, 2018)

mcdanlj said:


> It's almost twice as heavy (listed at 530 vs. 275 for the PM-25), but I don't know how much of that weight is in the head. The spec differences were why I didn't just assume that a design for the PM-25 would necessarily work well on the PM-30, though! ☺


==

OK

Perhaps you have seen this?  






Heavy duty motor for more lift torque, but looks like all PMs have hand crank on  upper left side?  This conflicted with the DRO monitor, so the gear setup saved space.

Looked at the PM website, and the heads of both mills appear similar- so is weight differential in the base and the column?


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## mcdanlj (Sep 5, 2018)

alfaspider said:


> ...but looks like all PMs have hand crank on  upper left side?



That video shows _lower left_ for PM-727, as does the site for the PM-727, PM-932, and PM-940. The PM-833T has lower right. PM-25 and PM-30 are upper right. I don't see any PM bench mills that have Z crank on upper left; that seems to be the only option that is _not_ used! ☺



alfaspider said:


> Looked at the PM website, and the heads of both mills appear similar- so is weight differential in the base and the column?



I'm guessing that the quill DROs and spindle motor control boxes are the same between the PM-25 and PM-30, which would mean the PM-30 head is substantially larger. At this point I've never seen _either _mill in real life, so I'm just going by the pictures. But compare the following two images:








Note that the electrical control boxes are very similar other than the speed control markings, and the DROs look almost identical, yet on the PM-25 the electrical control box is nearly as tall as the head whereas it's about ¾ of the height of the PM-30 head, and the DRO scale is about 17% of the width of the head on the PM-25 but only about 13% of the width of the head on the PM-30, which would make the head wider as well as taller.

The spindle travel on the PM-25 is 2 inches, and the spindle travel on the PM-25 is 3 inches. More head height, more spindle material.

The motor on the PM-25 is advertised at 1HP (at 110V), and the motor on the PM-30 is advertised at 2HP (at 220V) so I expect that contributes more weight to the PM-30 head as well.

I expect Matt could fill in more precise information! ☺


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## alfaspider (Sep 5, 2018)

mcdanlj said:


> That video shows _lower left_ for PM-727, as does the site for the PM-727, PM-932, and PM-940. The PM-833T has lower right. PM-25 and PM-30 are upper right. I don't see any PM bench mills that have Z crank on upper left; that seems to be the only option that is _not_ used! ☺
> 
> 
> 
> ...




yes-  crank handle is on upper right side-- my typo mistake.  I used this gear drive set up as the hand crank interfered with the factory installed DRO monitor  

The wiper motor I used has no trouble with upper travel, so not sure what is the limit-- Tin Barn did a  "flintstone" lift on one video and could calculate the weight that his motor could lift.  Wiper motor I used was a $19 ebay auto product, so I figured it was worth a try without major re-testing.  And, it did work--  If you can get a weight figure for the head on the 30 let me know. If you also can get a weight for the 25 as well, I can add some metal bars to top of my housing and see if this VW wiper motor can lift it..  I bought 2 more of these motors incase one craps out in the near term...


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## mcdanlj (Sep 5, 2018)

Didn't mean to be annoying about the typo, it was just funny! ☺

It's really a question of torque. I can just measure torque with a wrench whenever the mill arrives and figure speed and mechanical advantage as needed. I don't even know whether the PM-25 and PM-30 use the same internal gear ratio so weight isn't the only factor. I was wondering more about mechanical concerns for attachment than motor torque honestly, and it looks like PM-25 and PM-30 are indeed similar there. Hearing that the DRO really does interfere with the handle (I had wondered) means I'm likely to get to this sooner than I would otherwise. Thanks all!


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## alfaspider (Sep 6, 2018)

mcdanlj said:


> Didn't mean to be annoying about the typo, it was just funny! ☺
> 
> It's really a question of torque. I can just measure torque with a wrench whenever the mill arrives and figure speed and mechanical advantage as needed. I don't even know whether the PM-25 and PM-30 use the same internal gear ratio so weight isn't the only factor. I was wondering more about mechanical concerns for attachment than motor torque honestly, and it looks like PM-25 and PM-30 are indeed similar there. Hearing that the DRO really does interfere with the handle (I had wondered) means I'm likely to get to this sooner than I would otherwise. Thanks all!


===


30-----
https://www.precisionmatthews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Front-Left-nostand.jpg

25------
https://www.precisionmatthews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PM-25-nostand-web.jpg

The hand crank mounts on the "upper left side" of these mills (if looking from the back side) -- also appear to be a bit different?  The 25 has a larger more flush mounted plate with a round "boss" while the 30 has a square mount that protrudes from the column.


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## mcdanlj (Oct 14, 2018)

Finally got my PM-30MV into the shop, thanks to 5 friends who came to help and stayed for pizza. ☺

I still have to run power, so I haven't turned it on, but it's clear that the DRO monitor really gets in the way of Z, so power feed will be a must-have early project. I gave up on the awful PM stand and replaced it with a toolchest which moves the mill higher which I find generally a lot more comfortable, but it makes the Z handwheel even less convenient, so one more reason.


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## mcdanlj (Oct 14, 2018)

I shouldn't have said "awful" and wanted to edit it this morning, but it was too late. Awful _for my purposes_ I meant. If you bolt the mill to the floor it's probably fine, but I don't have that option, and the leveling pads left the whole machine rocking when I turned the Z handle. I work all day at a standing desk so I'm used to a higher working position, and I don't plan to work with lots of super-heavy stuff that's hard to lift up to a higher table. But with the table now 45.5" off the floor, I might decide that this is too high and make my own stand, taller than the PM stand, and shorter than the workbench I'm using right now. If I do that I'll probably use the leveling pads for my stand.

Anyway, I'm about 5' 10", and with the table at 45.5" off the floor I can just barely crank Z by hand from the front of the machine. Just as a point of reference for the next person thinking about this...


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## Bill Kahn (Oct 27, 2018)

mcdanlj said:


> I am waiting for the next shipment of PM-30MVs to arrive, which I understand is any day now, for my order to be filled. I ordered the X-axis power feed, but there is no Z-axis power feed available from QMT/PM. I searched on this site and more generally with google, and I don't see any discussion of any Z-axis power feed for the PM-30, just other people asking. Maybe my powers of search are weak today, in which case I would appreciate a pointer, and maybe this post will help the next searcher find what they are looking for!
> 
> Otherwise, do any PM-30 owners have shop-made Z power feed solutions they can share? Pictures, ideas, warnings, anything? Anyone who thought they would want one and then discovered that they just didn't care after all? If so, ideas why?
> 
> Thanks!


I have the PM25. I powerfeed the Z axis with a little battery hand-held drill and a 19mm socket.  Works great. Fast. Still can hand crank. Clutch in drill ensures nothing strips. Not that elegant but very functional.


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## mcdanlj (Jan 6, 2019)

I finally measured: 20 in/lb to lift the head on my PM30.


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## acruxksa (Oct 13, 2021)

I'm about halfway through a z axis power feed for my PM-30 using a wiper motor.  I originally purchased a powerfeed from a source online and it lasted 3 days. The internal plastic gear stripped out despite having my gib backed all the way out (not an ideal situation for any machining equipment).  In any case, it was clear to me based on the components that it would never be reliable long term.  Thus, I spent the last couple days putting ideas to metal and trying to use whatever I had on hand and could find locally.  I'm not sure it's the best way to do it and when I finally get the motor dis-engage done, it will require two hands to disengage, but the rest is pretty simple .

I already had the power feed lever because it was intended to be fwd/rev for my old Craftsman 6" Lathe, but I ended up selling it when an Atlas 10" dropped in my lap.  The wiper motor was also on hand for an intended lead screw mod for the same lathe.  the 24v PSU was from an old MPCNC project I had.

In any case, here are some pics.  It's not done, I intend to add a spring/lever actuated motor disengage, variable speed potentiometer and fast move button (debating this for a number of reasons, but might just add it because I can) , but the basics are in the pics.

I will also add, that the mounting plate is probably a bit large, but I'm not sure how I'm going to do the disengage mechanism yet, although have some ideas and might need some of the extra length.  Also, it's far taller than it probably needs to be, but the coupler with the rubber interface makes everything operate extremely smooth, so I want to leave it.


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## jwmelvin (Oct 13, 2021)

Looks like a nice start. I’m guessing the disengage mechanism will be required to use the hand wheel? How will the rapid work?


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## acruxksa (Oct 13, 2021)

jwmelvin said:


> Looks like a nice start. I’m guessing the disengage mechanism will be required to use the hand wheel? How will the rapid work?


Currently running at 18v (turned down voltage on 24v psu).  When I get the speed adjustment pot installed I will turn the psu back up to 24v. Then I will just install a button that bypasses it and gives the motor the full 24v.

That's the idea anyway.    The motor is being over volted, but since it's not running for extended periods, 24v should be fine.   I'm just not sure I need a rapid  on the z lift.  I will definitely want it on the x axis though, so I might as well see how it works now.

Yes, I will need to disengage drive to easily turn hand wheel. 

Plenty of "clean up" items to do as well.  I have some 12gauge 4 conductor wire that I will use to replace the old extension cord currently in use and need to tighten the bolts holding the lever to the side so it's not sitting crooked.  May have to add a 3rd hole to keep it square.

**Update**
I managed to get the speed control setup and turned the psu back up to 24v.  50% on the speed control readout is about 11.5v, so it's fairly accurate.  Motor stops moving around 6v-7v, but needs 8v-9v to restart after stopping.  24v moves everything just slightly faster than my video above at 18v.  Should actually work pretty smooth to just set the speed to %50 or so and then use the rapid button.  I haven't gotten that far yet, have a lot of work to do to cleanup what I've got already.  Need to extend the potentiometer leads and the LED leads so I can mount the speed control unit somewhere out of sight.  It's currently double sided taped to the side of the control box.  I may look around for something a bit better than the cheap one I'm using at the moment.  I've got several of them left over from other projects, so it was easy to at least prove I'm on the right track.

I'm waiting for some thrust washers and an assortment of springs to arrive before I can tackle the motor disconnect.

Also, got side tracked today and replaced the quill "dro" with an iGaging Absolute scale and connected it to my touch dro.

All for now, heading to TX later tonight to visit the in-laws for a week. 

I apologize for the crappy video below, Only two hands and I was paying more attention to my multimeter and where the probes were than what was on the camera.


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## acruxksa (Oct 29, 2021)

I tried several different approaches for the motor disengage and wasn't happy with any of them.  All were cumbersome, complicated and/or required two hands.  I decided to shelve the project for awhile to let it "marinate", the idea hit me tonight and I just spent the last 30 minutes in the garage/shop proving that it will work.  I believe this motor disconnect is the epitome of simple and effective.   Still a lot of cleanup to do, but the working bits are all there.

Rapid/Fast Slew is still shelved for the moment.


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## xr650rRider (Oct 31, 2021)

I never saw the Priest Tools power lift mentioned, I've had it installed for nearly 2 years and has worked well.


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## acruxksa (Oct 31, 2021)

OK, here's the final product.  It' works quite well, is powerful enough to lift the z-axis even with the gib properly adjusted, speed varies from very slow to faster than I would ever want to lift the z-axis and most importantly, the motor is only $42 should I ever need to replace it.  All other parts Love-Joy coupling, 24v psu and 60a variable speed motor controller are also easy to source and reasonably priced.

Only real concern I have at the moment is that the six tiny neodymium magnets are much stronger than I need.  I may remove 2 or 3 of them. 

I may attempt to completely remove the love-joy connector in the future to lower the entire assembly down 3 more inches, but I'm 6'2" with long arms, so it's no problem for me to reach where it is and I feel like the rubber coupling keeps things smooth and virtually silent.


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## Cletus (Nov 2, 2021)

alfaspider said:


> **********************************
> 
> Not sure if the PM30 is much heavier than the PM25?
> 
> ...


One of these before the reversing switch on each axis and you can have speed control as well


			https://www.amazon.com/RioRand-7-80V-Motor-Controller-Switch/dp/B071NQ5G71/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2KOBMU0DUP09B&dchild=1&keywords=riorand+12v-40v+10a+pwm+dc+motor+speed+controller&qid=1635891501&sprefix=pwm+12v+speed%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-4


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## acruxksa (Nov 4, 2021)

I just finished fly cutting .355" off a part I'm making (.020 at a time) and I can say the the powered z axis is very nice for tool changes.  Next up is a 4th igaging absolute scale for touch dro z axis summing, then an x axis powerfeed.  Still deciding whether I make my own or order it from PM......I called them a week ago about a quote to ship me a power feed and have heard nothing but crickets........


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## acruxksa (Feb 7, 2022)

I've bored several holes since installing my z axis power feed, but this is the first time I've actually attempted to used it as a power feed.  Typically I would just use it for tool changes.  It seems to work great for boring operations though. 

z axis power feed for boring 
I made this video a couple weeks ago, but didn't really want to post it because in the video I reach behind the boring bar and adjust the light.  It looks a lot closer than it really was, but it's still not good practice and I was a bit embarrassed by it.........

Working on incorporating a 24v electromagnet for manual disconnect..........not sure yet if I can make it happen though.


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## davek181 (Feb 7, 2022)

Thank you for posting the video.  I do stupider things myself than just a light reposition.  I have that same light myself and move it while running too. I am watching with great interest because i too have been designing in my head a wiper motor power feed for my MV 30 and I like your disconnect idea.  That was where I was having design issues because i wanted to retain the original handle control.  
I was very pleased to see the speed can be regulated low enough to use for boring, which is also in my ideal design criteria.
Thank you again, I may steal some of your ideas if you don't mind.  I would gladly buy you a beer for rights to use them, if only you were closer....


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## acruxksa (Feb 7, 2022)

davek181 said:


> Thank you for posting the video.  I do stupider things myself than just a light reposition.  I have that same light myself and move it while running too. I am watching with great interest because i too have been designing in my head a wiper motor power feed for my MV 30 and I like your disconnect idea.  That was where I was having design issues because i wanted to retain the original handle control.
> I was very pleased to see the speed can be regulated low enough to use for boring, which is also in my ideal design criteria.
> Thank you again, I may steal some of your ideas if you don't mind.  I would gladly buy you a beer for rights to use them, if only you were closer....


Thanks,  I wouldn't have posted the video if I didn't want people to take any ideas I used and try them, or likely improve them.  Chances are, I picked up most of my build ideas from other places as well.  I know the wiper motor power x feed videos, although a bit different, did inspire me to try this.

I'm at a roadblock with the 24v electromagnet idea simply because it magnetizes the entire shaft, so it doesn't draw the socket up .......... I need to make everything out of aluminum except the steel ring on the top.    might be delayed a bit with that idea, but eventually hope to get there.

I love these motors, they're cheap and seem to be very versatile.  Time will tell just how dependable/durable they are, but no issues yet.

Here's a bit better view with a slightly larger cut from the boring bar.


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## davek181 (Feb 8, 2022)

I have wanted to do this for quite a while and have played with ideas of my own and looked at others too.  I do like your simple disconnect idea and will for sure copy it in some way.  Thank you for the permission to use it.

I own an import repair shop and have many motors I have been looking at utilizing in different ways.  Wiper motors are very high torque but a little large.  I have several other smaller high torque motors that I thought might be useful like window lift motors, sunroof motors, seat motors etc.  I scrapped out a wrecked 2016 Jetta that i harvested all of those from.  I really like the window lift motors because they are smaller and have incorporated in them a semi lovejoy connection with a rubber damper on their drive shaft.  The only problem is the drive is a plastic splined shaft that plugs into a cable drive pulley in the car.  I have considered making a metal drive plate that could have whatever connection I desired featured on it.  I have taken a picture of it next to the wiper motor from the same car in case someone else is shopping for useable motors for similar uses and want an alternative to the bigger wiper motor, and like me are attracted to the rubberized drive built in.

I will probably use the wiper motor as size is not important there, but the only roadblock I have is how to hook to the output shaft of it effectively.  It is a short tapered and threaded shaft that I have yet to devise a durable concentric hookup to act as the driveshaft for the quick disconnect.  How did you resolve that problem, or am I overthinking the torque requirements of this project?


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## acruxksa (Feb 8, 2022)

davek181 said:


> I have wanted to do this for quite a while and have played with ideas of my own and looked at others too.  I do like your simple disconnect idea and will for sure copy it in some way.  Thank you for the permission to use it.
> 
> I own an import repair shop and have many motors I have been looking at utilizing in different ways.  Wiper motors are very high torque but a little large.  I have several other smaller high torque motors that I thought might be useful like window lift motors, sunroof motors, seat motors etc.  I scrapped out a wrecked 2016 Jetta that i harvested all of those from.  I really like the window lift motors because they are smaller and have incorporated in them a semi lovejoy connection with a rubber damper on their drive shaft.  The only problem is the drive is a plastic splined shaft that plugs into a cable drive pulley in the car.  I have considered making a metal drive plate that could have whatever connection I desired featured on it.  I have taken a picture of it next to the wiper motor from the same car in case someone else is shopping for useable motors for similar uses and want an alternative to the bigger wiper motor, and like me are attracted to the rubberized drive built in.
> 
> I will probably use the wiper motor as size is not important there, but the only roadblock I have is how to hook to the output shaft of it effectively.  It is a short tapered and threaded shaft that I have yet to devise a durable concentric hookup to act as the driveshaft for the quick disconnect.  How did you resolve that problem, or am I overthinking the torque requirements of this project?


I ended up internally threading the part that hooks to my wiper motors output shaft, then drilling and pinning it to keep it in place.  It works great and simplified everything.  It needs to be either pinned or keyed to keep it from unscrewing during reverse operations.  You can see the 1/8" roll pin in this picture.  I also tapered the hole before the threads so I could screw it on to the output shaft a little farther to make pinning easier.


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## davek181 (Feb 8, 2022)

Thanks again.  I may do the same.  I had considered cutting a tapered hole and boring the hex shaft large and deep enough to slip a nut on the shaft to pull it into the taper much as the original wiper arm was done.  Your way seems easier and if the torque load is low enough the pinning should be enough in addition to the taper.

I just need to accumulate a couple more pieces and I can begin the build.  I had thought hooking up to the mill itself was going to be the hard part but I think I have that all figured out.  I have a lovejoy coupling coming with a 14mm bore and a slit side to tighten it up on the shaft.  I intend to remove the top locknut off the mill and thread the lovejoy fitting to match and then cinching the slit tight to hold it.


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## acruxksa (Feb 9, 2022)

davek181 said:


> Thanks again.  I may do the same.  I had considered cutting a tapered hole and boring the hex shaft large and deep enough to slip a nut on the shaft to pull it into the taper much as the original wiper arm was done.  Your way seems easier and if the torque load is low enough the pinning should be enough in addition to the taper.
> 
> I just need to accumulate a couple more pieces and I can begin the build.  I had thought hooking up to the mill itself was going to be the hard part but I think I have that all figured out.  I have a lovejoy coupling coming with a 14mm bore and a slit side to tighten it up on the shaft.  I intend to remove the top locknut off the mill and thread the lovejoy fitting to match and then cinching the slit tight to hold it.


If I was worried about torque, I would have just welded it.  The motor is super common and the part is just 1" round with some threads, a small taper and a 5/8" hex machined into it.  Probably $45 and an hour to replace (now that I know what I want  ), so it wouldn't have been a big deal to remake the entire setup if the motor failed.

I eventually realized that if I shear an 1/8" hardened roll pin, while using the z axis,  I'm probably doing something wrong.   End result, simple, cheap and effective.  Not pretty, but entirely functional.

I'll eventually clean up the wiring and a couple other things, but I'm pretty happy with it for now.


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## davek181 (Feb 9, 2022)

True, wiper motors are easy to come by and easy to replicate the setup for sure.  I will quit stressing about it because as you say shearing a 1/8 pin takes a bit of force and a good mistake.

I like the design, it looks good.  I do like the simplicity of it all on display.  A person could make covers to hide it all, but why?

I am not sure how fast or slow my motor will be, so the slow feed for boring is still a mystery.  Usually a wiper motor has at least two speeds and could conceivably be switched between to change feed rate for slower , or speed up for tool changes while still retaining the variable voltage/speed control on both speeds. 

 Unfortunately the motor I have in hand is a CAN controlled unit with only one speed I can see and all other functions of speed, park, intermittent are regulated by a control module in the car, which might be a good thing as the motor would be designed to be variable speed.

Other motors if need be are readily available in old school 2 or even three speed models.  I think I have a spare Chevy wiper motor for my tow truck that would have speeds and tons of power if I need to go that route.  Also the simplicity of this design could easily be offset to the side and an addition of a 1:2 belt drive would slow things down if needed without too much more fabrication.

I will see what I end up with.  Probably I will just steal your design verbatim and be done with it, but you know how these projects go.


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## davek181 (Feb 21, 2022)

I got mine done, well at least functioning well, you know the projects are never fully done as you think of modifications and things you should have done in the first place.

I mostly copied your concept but lightened it up a little mostly due to what I had on hand.  The entire project was built from scrap or salvage except for the power supply and speed controller and lovejoy coupling. 

I used 13mm hex aluminum stock for the drive and used a cheapie deep socket for the sliding sleeve.  I cut the drive end off the socket and bored the inside where the hex wasn't so it would slide on the shaft well.  Rather than the magnet to hold the sleeve disengaged I drilled the shaft and installed a spring and small ball to provide friction to hold it in place.  It was simpler than the magnet idea and I didn't have any on hand anyway, but I do have small ball bearing balls and gutted a pen to get the spring .

The lovejoy coupling was an Amazon buy for $14.49.  It has a 14mm and 10mm hole on each end and is slotted with a pinch screw on each end.  I threaded the 14mm side to screw on top of the shaft on the mill and tightened the pinch bold to lock it in place.  The other end I cut the hex shaft down on the lathe to snugly fit in the 10mm side and locked it with the pinch bolt too.

I made a plate to mount the motor on and used 3/8 rod salvage to make the standoffs to hold it.  I also discovered while playing with the motor hookups that my motor did indeed have two speeds, so I incorporated a switch into the circuit to use both of them.

With the speed controller I can slow the motor to a crawl.  I test bored some scrap aluminum and it worked great.  The high speed up and down that I am sure will be used a lot for tool changes and setups  is just a little slower than I can crank it by hand, but I don't even have to get off my stool and reach up to raise and lower the head.   So it is actually faster to use because there is no wasted motion standing up, cranking, looking to see where the head is, cranking some more, etc.  I can merely sit there and watch it or get the tool change ready while the head is moving on it's own.

All in all a very excellent design, thank you for showing us and inspiring me to copy.  I have ordered a limit switch that I will incorporate into the mix soon.  I will only limit the top because the bottom is too variable due to different setups and I figure I will be watching the descent closely.


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## davek181 (Feb 21, 2022)

Here are pics of my install.  Very similar but different.  I used it a little today on a quick project with a couple tool changes and I already wonder how I did without.  While making the faceplate for the switches and display this weekend I was wishing it was operable then.

Still a little cleanup and and wire routing to do, but that will get done with the limit switch install.


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## davek181 (Feb 24, 2022)

I installed a limit switch on the top travel just in case.  It was pretty easy to do, just made a bracket to hold it and wired it in.  It works great and is adjustable to a point but that is not so important way up there on the column.  I just wanted it to stop before the mechanical stop caused it to strip or break something.

I figured I didn't need one at the bottom since that value is variable depending on what is mounted on the table, but knowing me I will probably make one eventually anyway.  If I do I will probably make it quick adjustable like the Quill stop to accommodate the setup of the day.

I can't believe how much I use this now that it is there and functional.


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## acruxksa (Feb 25, 2022)

davek181 said:


> I installed a limit switch on the top travel just in case.  It was pretty easy to do, just made a bracket to hold it and wired it in.  It works great and is adjustable to a point but that is not so important way up there on the column.  I just wanted it to stop before the mechanical stop caused it to strip or break something.
> 
> I figured I didn't need one at the bottom since that value is variable depending on what is mounted on the table, but knowing me I will probably make one eventually anyway.  If I do I will probably make it quick adjustable like the Quill stop to accommodate the setup of the day.
> 
> I can't believe how much I use this now that it is there and functional.


I like it am very intrigued about the spring and ball detent, great idea!  I hope it works well for you and welcome any and every addition/change that makes it better.


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## davek181 (Mar 3, 2022)

After quite a bit of use I have found the spring and ball to be all I need.  I don't call it a detent because I did not make a divot or groove for it to lock into, although I considered it in initial design.  I was going to take the boring bar and cut a groove if I felt I needed one.  As it turned out, just the friction from the ball inside the sleeve was enough to get the job done.  There is also an option for a stronger spring, but I like it just how it is.

Actually in use I find that I rarely disengage the the drive and rely on the motor for movement.  It is just too easy to raise and lower the head with the motor, and the variable drive adds quite a bit of control as you near the work.

Excellent design idea I stole, and recommend others steal it too, and maybe make more improvements as they work out how to build their own.


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## Winegrower (Mar 3, 2022)

_Actually in use I find that I rarely disengage the the drive and rely on the motor for movement_

Yes.  Regarding handwheels on the Z-axis:   When I added an Align type drive to my Bridgeport clone, I made a round handwheel that is permanently attached...can't hurt me when I forget to remove the crank (which I did an embarrassing number of times).   But, in use, I find that it's very easy to turn the speed control down to zero, put the handle in the up or down direction, and slowly increase speed to move exactly to the mark intended.   It's easy to hit a 0.001 tic mark this way, and if you overshoot a bit, just back off and redo.    So I don't really use the handwheel, is my point.


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## davek181 (Mar 3, 2022)

My handwheel is far from anywhere I would be otherwise, up near the top of the mill and a bit of a stretch to get at, so I left it intact just in case.  I find the power feed much easier to watch because I can sit on my stool and run it.  With the handwheel so high you would have to stand to reach it, crank it some, stop look where you are at, repeat.

I often just get real close with the coarse Z feed and use the slow feed on the quill from there which has a DRO scale on it too, unless boring.  I don't often need the extra accuracy of having the quill locked and only use the Z movement.


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