Does anyone have a drill attachment to the mill handlewheels?

[Pcmaker]

I hate having to turn the handwheels on my mill, even though it's a smaller benchtop mill, PM25MV.

Does anyone have a drill attachment to the handwheels? Turning the Z axis, especially, is a pain in the butt, especially when going up.

I was thinking of adding some type of drill attachment to the wheels on the Z and X axis, so I can jam my drill in there and use that to move the axis faster and easier. Not sure how to go about it, though, I'm still on planning stages on the best way to do it.

I'm already using my drill on my lathe's 3 jaw chuck to open and close faster.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Several of us have built 12 volt drives for the X and Z movements, no big deal, really. My X only goes 8 inches a minute, the Z 6, but it sure beats hand cranking.

 

[brino]

Does your mill have those castellated removable cranks?

I believe I saw a tubal cain/mr pete you-tube video of making one...........found it:

There is also a commercial one crank yanker or some-such.........found it:
http://www.snrmachine.com/cybp.htm

-brino

EDIT: there is also another related thread here:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/knee-mill-crank-handle.40583/

 

[higgite]

Before I got a Z-axis power drive for my LMS 5500 (Sieg SX2.7 w/ mods), it had a Z-axis crank very similar to the PM25. I used a cordless drill with a socket that fit the center nut on the handwheel. At first, I was afraid it would unscrew the nut, but my drill is variable speed, controlled by trigger pressure, and I started slow and build up speed and had no problem with it. (Except the one time I forgot to unlock the Z-axis, but we won’t talk about that.) I also used it on the X-axis when I wanted to move the table quickly before I got a power drive for that, too. Same socket fit both crank nuts.

I used this type adapter to fit the socket to the drill chuck.

Tom

 

[ttabbal]

Bridgeport uses the castelated style and there is a model for an adapter on thingiverse.com for an adapter to connect a drill. It works well, unless you hit the end of the travel and keep the drill running. Then the plastic breaks. I suppose that can be a feature though. Beats breaking the drill or the mill.

I would consider making a metal one, but I lack a rotary table. There is a version using pins that could work for me, but I haven't decided yet if I want to go that way.

 

[Canus]

T Bredehoft do you have plans or a link to these builds?

 

[chip maker]

I built a 12 volt power feed after watching some youtube builds. The link I am showing is some what how mine is set up. There is another that really shows how to use a computer power supply and controller to make the speed adjustable as mine is and works great and was well worth the work setting things up.

 

[T Bredehoft]

T Bredehoft do you have plans or a link to these builds?

NO, just a memory of having done it. The only important thing I remmeber is that the sides of the bosses/cavitiess are truly radial. With that and a little imagination anyone with a mill (and a rotary table) should be able to duplicate them.

 

[dcsleep]

There's a recent thread on a z-axis build in the Precision-Matthews forum. MrPragmaticLee also has a series on youtube showing a x-axis drive that can be adapted for the PM-25MV. The design is the same as the video posted by chip maker above.

 

[chip maker]

There's a recent thread on a z-axis build in the Precision-Matthews forum. MrPragmaticLee also has a series on youtube showing a x-axis drive that can be adapted for the PM-25MV. The design is the same as the video posted by chip maker above.

Yes MrPragmaticLee is the one who has the info for using a computer power supply' I just couldn't remember who it was but my built is on the order of the one in the video.