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Drilling with the Knee
- Thread starter ddickey
- Start date
I use my quill for drilling but the knee if I have a boring head installed. I added a power feed to the knee a couple of years ago and it does a great job when boring. I also have DRO's on all four axis so holding tolerances and repeatability are made easier== Jack
I normally drill with the quill, often with the feed engaged. I don't have a readout on the quill yet so will use the knee when I have to stop at an exact location. I'm just in the process of installing a feed on the Knee. It has been a real PIA. I even contacted the seller to make sure it would fit my Jet 9x49 mill. No problem they said..... Except for the fact that the threads on the shaft they provided were 18TPI and my mill has 16TPI. Strange machine design. On the same shaft there are also 2mm pitch threads & M6-1.0. I made a new shaft but it isn't as good as I had hoped. Works but I don't want anyone to see the behind the scenes view! Had to buy a 3mm carbide end mill for the keyway. Worked but I made a lot of thin passes. Given my past history it was almost a sure bet to get broken, didn't.
I have a Jet 9x49 VS. I'd hate to go back to belt changes. Range is 60 to 4200. Low end is often used for tapping, higher end for aluminum and small tools. Back gear is 60-500. Being able to change speed on the fly has helped me a lot. I don't always pick the best speed first, but a few quick spins of the hand wheel and I'm running where I want to be.
My mill is well worn and I had to replace the VS belt a few months ago. Not the easiest trick to pull off. Sure glad I have high ceilings and access to a forklift.
My mill is well worn and I had to replace the VS belt a few months ago. Not the easiest trick to pull off. Sure glad I have high ceilings and access to a forklift.