# Mini mill power feed



## Hukshawn (Mar 2, 2017)

The next project on the docket is a power feed for my mini mill. The belt drive was a huge success. Really happy I was able to get that completed. 

I picked up a DC gear motor for an electric car seat adjust and a controller at princess auto from the surplus section. Took some playing with to figure out if the controller was going to work. Looks like it will.  

Cobbled together some parts and came up with this. 



The lead screw is conveniently keyed so I made a shaft to fit into it with a collar to slide over top to keep it all aligned. 
Used the gears I took out of the mill from the belt conversion. They work great. I had to make a shaft to fit the motor. It has a square shaft, the gear is round with a keyway. Some 6-32 screws in the ends keeps the assembly together. 
I have a brass bushing holding the shaft. 



I set it up so I can slide the shaft in and out to engage and disengage the motor gear and the keyed lead screw. 





I have to make the plate for the other side to hold the mounting bracket and shaft. I'm going to make some kind of detent for the shaft positions. But as they are they don't slip together under power.
I did a test run once I had it together, nice and smooth. No more steps in the cut due to hand turning the crank handle. 


Pretty pleased. 

Once the metal work is done I'll sort out all the wiring. Right now it's a spaghetti pile on the bench. Need to get a 1K pot, the 500K I'm testing with is no good. Motor only runs on the last 1/8th of pot travel. Since the controller doesn't have a reverse, I'll wire a switch and just reverse the motor leads. Set to the limit switches and control panel. 
Fun fun!

On a side note. I think I need to get some carbide end mills. I think it'll make me feel better when milling harder steels over the aluminum I've mostly been doing. 
I'm anticipating them being a but privy... I found a tool supply store locally that sells USA made mills. Not the Chinese stuff I can get from busy bee at a fraction of the price.... 

Thanks for looking!


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