Power feed for mill table

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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Emfinger
Posts: 229
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Yucca Valley, CA

Power feed for mill table

Post by Emfinger »

Hello all, I have a Rockwell 21-100 mill and can't seem to find a power feed for the table.
Any help would be wonderful.
Thanks
Tom
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

Here is a picture of one with an x axis power feed.

https://www.sterlingmachinery.com/rockw ... -mill.html

II wonder if you would just need to make an adapter or something.
Anyway, this isn't really much help.
Have a nice day,

Mike
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by pete »

Since I've never owned that model of Rockwell mill Tom I can only make general comments that would apply to any non Bridgeport mill. Possibly Servo makes or at one time made adapter kits for that mill and that's how the one in kl17sg's link was done? Hard to make out in the picture, but it appears to be a real Servo power feed. Even if Servo still has them available they aren't going to be cheap. I'd say it's worth at least an email to them to check. I bought an off shore power feed kit meant for a real Bridgeport and got a bit lucky since my BP Taiwan made clone did use the exact same table bearing hanger for the X axis screw and even the feed screw dimensions were exactly the same so everything just bolted on without any modifications. A guess only, but buying one of the same kits should give you enough of the important dimensions to make up any adapters as kl17sg said. If there's a smaller diameter feed screw in that Rockwell compared to the Bridgeports it might take building your own larger bushing that will need a keyway in it, as well as up to even making a whole new bearing hanger bracket that matches the mounting screw dimensions in your table end.

Depending on your experience and what size of lathe you have for eccentric boring for the bearings in that bracket, it's certainly not impossible. But for sure finding a bolt on power feed for that mill just sitting on the shelf probably isn't going to happen. And most definitely it won't with any of the off shore manufacturer's. It basically boils down to how badly do you want one and what your willing to do to get one mounted. If and it's a big if, Servo ever did make bolt on kits for your mill, running a continuous search on Ebay might pull one up if anyone ever lists one there? Yeah a real long shot, but who knows you might get lucky. That mill in the link has one, so either it was done with custom machining or a manufacturer made the proper kit for adding one.

I ran a short search and this popped up, https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum ... post414225 Not conclusive Servo didn't make a kit, but it looks like making your own adapters is going to be required. I know enough about mine that getting everything very concentric as the parts are machined isn't going to be optional. The crown and pinion gear they use are pretty fussy about alignment so there's no binding or tight spots on the gear engagement. Those power feed kits all come with multiple shims to properly set the gear lash so even that takes sharpie marking of the crown gear teeth and trial runs until the clearances are correct.
whateg0
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: Wichita, KS

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by whateg0 »

I also don't know the dimensions of your table, but a kit for one of the smaller machines on the market today might be a closer fit out of the box, and I would think easier to adapt if not.

https://www.shars.com/products/machiner ... et-machine
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

If it would be helpful, I have a x axis power feed that I can measure and make a drawing of the mounting bracket. This way, you can see if it will be practical to try it on your machine.
Have a nice day,

Mike
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

Here is a quick drawing of the power feed drive gear shaft dimensions.
The shape is not correct but you can see if it will fit onto the x axis acme screw shaft.
X axis Power Feed Drive.pdf
(93.21 KiB) Downloaded 367 times
Have a nice day,

Mike
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

Here is another quick drawing of the "Wen" X axis Power Feed mounting plate.
The shape is not correct; but, it will give you an idea of the locations of the mounting hardware relative to the X axis acme screw shaft.
Power feed mounting plate.pdf
(96.77 KiB) Downloaded 320 times
Have a nice day,

Mike
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

I think this is the manual for the Wen power feed.
Power_Feeder_Manual.pdf
(204.16 KiB) Downloaded 319 times
Have a nice day,

Mike
Emfinger
Posts: 229
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Yucca Valley, CA

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by Emfinger »

Thanks guys so far no help.
Any drive made for a Bridgeport will not work, to adapt one is out of the question for me.
Thank you
Tom
Emfinger
Posts: 229
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Yucca Valley, CA

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by Emfinger »

kl7sg wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:41 pm If it would be helpful, I have a x axis power feed that I can measure and make a drawing of the mounting bracket. This way, you can see if it will be practical to try it on your machine.
Mike, what king of Mill do you have the drive on?
Thanks
Tom
Emfinger
Posts: 229
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Yucca Valley, CA

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by Emfinger »

Make that what "kind" not King...
kl7sg
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:00 pm
Location: Springtown, TX

Re: Power feed for mill table

Post by kl7sg »

Hi Tom,

This power feed is on a Grizzly G0757Z.

Mike
Have a nice day,

Mike
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