Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this post.
So I finally added a Grizzly mini mill to my basement workshop (along with a Keurig). It's my first mill and I'm just getting used to how it works. I have two ideas for modifications, and would like to get your opinion.
1. The mini mill I have has a MT3 spindle, and I really don't like hammering the draw bar to release it. It just feels wrong. The top of the spindle is ringed by the 4 mounting screws for the motor mount. I was thinking of essentially making a "bridge" between two of the mounting screws and over the top the draw bar. In the middle of the "bridge" (bracket?) I'd drill a hole and then put a bolt in it head down and secure it in place with two nuts. The bolt's head would be adjusted so it sits just above the draw bar's top. This way when I loose the draw bar it would hit the bolt and as I keep loosening it, it would push the tool out of the spindle.
Fear my MS Paint skills:
2. I'd like to add a power feed to my X axis. Looking at the mill it seemed like the easiest way to do it would be to turn a V-groove into the OD of the hand wheel, attach a bracket for a motor, and then just rig a speed control of some kind. It's wouldn't look pretty, but it seems like it would work well.
So I finally added a Grizzly mini mill to my basement workshop (along with a Keurig). It's my first mill and I'm just getting used to how it works. I have two ideas for modifications, and would like to get your opinion.
1. The mini mill I have has a MT3 spindle, and I really don't like hammering the draw bar to release it. It just feels wrong. The top of the spindle is ringed by the 4 mounting screws for the motor mount. I was thinking of essentially making a "bridge" between two of the mounting screws and over the top the draw bar. In the middle of the "bridge" (bracket?) I'd drill a hole and then put a bolt in it head down and secure it in place with two nuts. The bolt's head would be adjusted so it sits just above the draw bar's top. This way when I loose the draw bar it would hit the bolt and as I keep loosening it, it would push the tool out of the spindle.
Fear my MS Paint skills:
2. I'd like to add a power feed to my X axis. Looking at the mill it seemed like the easiest way to do it would be to turn a V-groove into the OD of the hand wheel, attach a bracket for a motor, and then just rig a speed control of some kind. It's wouldn't look pretty, but it seems like it would work well.