Precision Matthews X Axis Power Feed

[erikmannie]

Here's a picture of the bracket I made for my PM30 to replace that clamp on bracket. Not the prettiest bracket, but functional, and it makes the ball oiler available again, and frees up the space at the end of the table that the clamp on bracket steals.
View attachment 302964

Ugh, another blocked ball oiler. I am just finding out now that the ball oiler over there will be blocked with the power feed kit. Apparently this power feed kit blocks two ball oilers.

Did you have to drill and tap the table to attach your custom bracket?

I test fitted the switch with my modified brackets, and realized that I will have to use spacers to get the dust cover over the limit switch. I looked online and most of the installs shown do not use the dust cover. I attached a picture of this dust cover below. It serves to protect the switch from coolant and chips.

 

[erikmannie]

The dust cover has two springs in it.

In my first post of this thread, I said that I was still trying to warm up to this power feed kit. At this point, I wish that I would not have bought it. Turning the x axis handwheel by hand is starting to look like the smoother path here.

First I will try mounting all the parts included in the kit, which will include a longer bolt and some washers so the dust cover fits. Spacing it out more takes the limit switch off center of the stop plungers, but it still makes contact. If it doesn't work reliably, I might run it without the dust cover.

I am also leaving the door open to removing the whole x axis power feed kit, setting it aside and going back to manual feeding. I don't imagine that PM would accept the return with the modified brackets.

If anybody from PM is reading this, the power feed kit that I bought said "Fits PM-25MV Only", so I don't know how that allows for the dust cover to fit if the customer has to (1) put it together only to realize that the dust cover interferes with the mounting bracket, and (2) go buy washers and longer bolts. Getting this kit installed is taking way longer than I could ever have imagined.

This power feed kit came in a box marked "Fits PM-25MV Only"; it would only take a little review of the engineering to allow it to be closer to bolting on. This could also include maintaining access to the ball oilers.

If one is willing to drill and tap their saddle, then the kit come with a pair of "alternate" mounting brackets that would not interfere with the dust cover. One is pictured below. If you want to use the dust cover, plan on using these and drilling and tapping the saddle.

 

[erikmannie]

So I’ve decided that I will not mount this power feed kit because I would rather have access to those two ball oilers.

The bracketry requires so many modifications to get it to mount. Further modifications for the purpose of maintaining access to the two blocked ball oilers would be too much.

I bought the kit hoping for more or less of a bolt on. Losing access to the two ball oilers is unexpected.

So now I will just try to return this kit to PM. I sent them a detailed email, and they asked for photos. They said that they sell tons of these and “no one has ever said anything about any problems with it in the past”, so the power feed kit had a perfect track record until I came along.

 

[pontiac428]

Nice job, @WyoGreen . When I got my power feed, I was a little put off by the cast aluminum and I immediately went online to see what the deal was. That's where I saw photos of broken castings from overtightening; lesson noted. I did see another thread somewhere on the wide wide web where a user remade the whole assembly, mounting it to the lead screw support like a Bridgeport. That writeup should be searchable, if that's a route you want to go, Erik. In the end, I used the supplied mount. It's been a year and I haven't had to touch it. It's a modification that I don't know how I ever lived without. Not for the hand cranking (I don't mind that), but the control I have over finish is so much better.

 

[erikmannie]

Nice job, @WyoGreen . When I got my power feed, I was a little put off by the cast aluminum and I immediately went online to see what the deal was. That's where I saw photos of broken castings from overtightening; lesson noted. I did see another thread somewhere on the wide wide web where a user remade the whole assembly, mounting it to the lead screw support like a Bridgeport. That writeup should be searchable, if that's a route you want to go, Erik. In the end, I used the supplied mount. It's been a year and I haven't had to touch it. It's a modification that I don't know how I ever lived without. Not for the hand cranking (I don't mind that), but the control I have over finish is so much better.

The control over the finish would be worth the extra effort of getting this kit to mount.

I will keep an open mind and be patient. I had thought that I would just bolt on the power feed kit (I budgeted two guys and four hours). I had hoped to be using the mill already, and now I am headed off to find longer M8 bolts and washers. I see that I can also file a relief into the dust cover to bring it flush to the (saddle) mounting bracket.

My general problem is that I have too many (4) unfinished projects. I have put all of those on hold until I got the mill going. Working a full time job leaves little time to tinker in the garage, but I'm sure everybody has that problem.

I will eventually get this power feed kit mounted, and I'm sure that this effort will pay off.

What do you guys do about accessing the ball oilers that are blocked by the power feed kit?

 

[erikmannie]

The bracket supplied does not allow room for the tall dust cover, so I filed a relief in the dust cover. One could also use washers, but this would further limit travel in the y-axis (the limit switch cord limits travel here).

 

[erikmannie]

I used the dust cover. I left about 1mm room between the bottom of the limit switch and the y-axis handwheel. The dust cover rubs up against the vise, so I can see why people don't use the dust cover.

 

[erikmannie]

I finally got in a few hours of milling (fun!). After two hours, the power feed had changed position because I had not tightened the bolts enough. I carefully reinstalled the power feed with just enough torque to avoid slippage without cracking the cast aluminum brackets.

 

[erikmannie]

I am still in contact with PM about returning this kit for a (partial) refund. If they won't let me, one of my first projects on the mill will be to redo all four of the brackets and make a shorter dust cover (which actually sounds like fun).

The cast aluminum brackets would work better if they were made of a more ductile material (e.g. aluminum plate). Tapping the saddle would also make things go more smoothly for the mounting of the limit switch. The motor is fine like it is.

 

[WyoGreen]

Erik,
I didn't have to drill and tap any holes to mount the power feed to my PM30MV. After going back and looking closer at your pictures, I can see that the PM25 and PM30 have quite a few more differences than I figured. Anyway, the end plate I made completely replaced the stock end plate, so I was able to use the holes it used to mount my new end plate. I also put a bronze bushing in my end plate to better support the lead screw, so it has less slop and runs much smoother. I removed the ball oiler from the old end plate and put it in my new end plate.
As far as the limit switch, my original stop had two side by side holes instead of the two up down holes you have, so the limit switch more or less bolted right up and did not interfere with the ball oilers. I did not use the dust cover either.