# Z Axis drill operated power feed



## bobdog (Jun 8, 2021)

Anybody ever use one of these. Do they work well. On a 1/2 inch drill. Is it enough power for 1/2 drill to operate knee up and down ?


----------



## jwmelvin (Jun 8, 2021)

I made one and use it with a 1/2” 18V (brushed) drill. It works well for big moves and then I switch to the hand crank for fine moves.


----------



## benmychree (Jun 8, 2021)

I made one for the Induma 1-S that I had, I did not have a reversible drill but it is easy to crank down, much more taxing to crank up.


----------



## hman (Jun 8, 2021)

I went the lazy way when I built a knee drive for my PM knee mill.  Instead of hauling out the rotary table and cutting the crenelations, I simply tapped a circle of holes, screwed in nine 8-32 socket head cap screws.  See post #17 at








						Z axis (knee) power feed recomendations
					

I would look at the Align power feeds, I have two on my mill and they work very well. They are made in Taiwan and I find things like the switches and body to be more solid than some of the cheaper modes I have seen. They are less than 1/3 the price of the servo, and I have found them very well...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				



It's worked very well for me ... plenty of power!  I did make one change since I built it - removed the timing belt pulley "fine adjuster."  Didn't really use it, and removing it allowed me to store the drill nose down in a nearby chunk of 2" PVC pipe.

Here are some recent photos of how I crank the knee ... either by power or by hand:


----------



## Tmate (Jun 10, 2021)

I hang mine on a short length of 8020 extruded aluminum, along with a rubber hammer, a VFD, and a shop towel bar.  Red object in first photo is battery powered work light.

A similar solution for a power drawbar alternative is a right angle drill coupled with a separate right angle adapter.


----------



## Winegrower (Jun 10, 2021)

One of the better things I've done in my life is to add a Z-axis Align drive.   This has been well appreciated and I notice in general I work with the quill less extended since it's so easy to raise the table.

But there is a slight problem in that fine tuning of the Z axis, say you want to raise by 0.005" or so, is a bit awkward...first, if you are using the hand crank for that adjustment, you have to find it and put it on.   Then, forget to remove it, you break your leg or arm the next time you go for the power drive.    There is a goofy spring that keeps the crank from remaining on the shaft, but is so annoying I removed it.   My solution is to get a 5" handwheel, smooth, no handle and put it on the shaft permanently.   So I can use the power drive and still move the table a few thousandths by hand.


----------



## Cadillac STS (Jun 10, 2021)

I have one of those adapters and it works nicely.  I bought a low speed high torque drill motor that I use just for that.


----------



## ttabbal (Jun 10, 2021)

I use one of these. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2794803

If you have a printer or know someone who does, they work well. 

You do have to pay attention though, if you hit the end of travel, it breaks the plastic. I suspect that's nicer than breaking the drill though, so I just print a new one when I get stupid.


----------

