Need help with a G0704 Mill & Power Feed

[hedgetank]

Good morning, guys! I have a G0704 mill and i love it, even if it is small and not a bridgeport (I got spoiled in college by having access to one, and until I have the space to get one, this guy will have to do).

I'm working on slowly upgrading it further with a power feed and power lift for the head, but I've run into a bit of a problem/conundrum. The previous owner fit the machine with a DRO (which is awesome), and when I began to look at installing the grizzly power feed, I discovered that the automatic stop box would need to mount in exactly the same spot as the DRO's x-axis sensor mounts. Further, the X-axis sensor for this DRO has replaced the ruler and slot system on the front of the table with a magnetic strip, so there's no slot to mount the auto-stop sensor blocks even if I wanted to.

Now, I realize that I could probably mount the power feed without mounting the auto-stop, and just be careful to pay attention when running the power feed so I don't do something crazy like crash the table into one end or the other, or worse.

However, I would like to use the auto-stop feature if possible. Given how it appears to work, it seems like it doesn't necessarily need to be centered on the machine as it shows in the instructions, so I suppose that I could mount a bracket of some sort to then mount the box to, and then mount the stop blocks to the metal shield that covers the DRO sensor, etc., but i'm not sure that's the best option.

So, I turn to you guys as experts. I would welcome any suggestions as to how to get both the power-feed and the DRO going without having to sacrifice either one.

Thanks!

 

[markba633csi]

Maybe relocating the dro strip? Pics would help
Chief Bowels says something's gotta move

 

[hedgetank]

pictures as requested

 

[markba633csi]

Doesn't the power feed have a slip clutch in case of crashes it just slips?
Anyhow, it looks like you would have to create another surrogate table edge with a t-slot piece of material and mount it in front of the dro strip
in order to recover the auto stop function- but you might need to modify the stop box also

 

[PHPaul]

Apologies for the thread drift, but...

What vise is that you have? I have the same mill and need a larger vise and that one looks perfect.

 

[hedgetank]

Doesn't the power feed have a slip clutch in case of crashes it just slips?
Anyhow, it looks like you would have to create another surrogate table edge with a t-slot piece of material and mount it in front of the dro strip
in order to recover the auto stop function- but you might need to modify the stop box also

I don't know. However, I do have some extra t-slot tracks from a woodworking project that I could mount on the aluminium cover for the DRO. The biggest issue will be mounting the stop box itself as i'll need to come up with some kind of a bracket.

I was thinking of piggy-backing it off of the bracket for the DRO sensor itself, and since I just got a pan break I might try it, or come up from the empty base area to the right of the Y-axis travel handle, since technically I don't think the stop box has to be centered.

 

[markba633csi]

I think you've got a handle on it, you just have to come up with mounting arrangements