Bridgeport Style X Axis Power Feed On Bench Top Mill Part 1 of 2 

Splendid adapting !

Oh man,,,, you left me wanting more. Like your idea. I’ll be waiting for part two. Thanks Lee 👍👍👍

Enjoyed....looking forward to pt 2, interesting modification

Gday, really interesting video this one, i have a round column mill/drill and looked at the power feed but they quite pricey, this could be a good project later on for mine, thanks Lee, take care mate, Cheer Matty

That’s probably the best solution. Since the table is smaller and lighter than most BP’s it should last as long as the mill

Going great there Lee. I have one of those power feeds that I have not yet installed. You are giving me incentive to get to work.

Good stuff as always. Looking forward to more!

I bought that exact power feed for my Bridgeport and you have to machine some of the parts to make it work so don't feel too bad about adapting it to yours. The Bridgeport keyways are 1/8" and the powerfeed's crown gear has a 3mm keyway (0.007" too small). I didn't have a broch that size so I wound up making a stepped key. That was one of many issues but for the price, it's worth the fiddling.

Always like The mind working looking forward to the rest

Great video can't wait for part 2 thanks for sharing

Lee I can certainly relate to dropping things. When I am gone I hope people remember me by the guy who spent his life dropping things and looking for tools he never found. LOL

I have been thinking about doing that... but chickened out on my jmd45 and put an generic inline mill drill on. Thank for the video

Thank you lee for the great video just what I wanted.

Thanks so much for posting this. I have the same mill on order from Precision Matthews and I'm going to buy their power feed for it I'm not as good a machinist as you are sir.

Thanks for sharing Lee!!!

NICE JOB, WELL DONE, LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT WORK. REGARDS R.

Out of curiosity why didn't you buy the power feed from Precision Mathews that they sell for that mill?

Your right about the X axis purpose built auto feed for the benchtop mill being far to expensive, €299.99 here, a similar one like yours €329. You can get a good quality stepper motor, driver, control and psu much cheaper. I made one similar to your older one to get by till I finish my cnc conversion. Looking forward to the part 2.

All these X-axis drives are from the same factory. I have one, same thing. I purchased it Oct 2007 for my HFT mill similar to a Grizzly G0705. I have run into a TON of problems on my STILL-ongoing install. 1st solution to not enough table clearance on either side, so I put it on the LH side and rotated it CW 90 to horizontal with knobs/lever up

I'm curious, why you didn't make a shaft extension? It would seem to be easier to add length to your lead screw than to modify the bevel gear and cut new threads. To save time, you could've simply bought a tap for the female end of a shaft extension and a die for the male end. Then, cross drill the extension through the lead screw and secure it with a roll pin. Plus, any keyways could've been done to the extension, where keeping the longer bevel gear would've provided enough meat to prevent shearing the soft brass, in the event something happened. I know, I know...Monday morning quarterback suggestion. But, maybe, someone else could use the idea in the future. Really enjoy your channel. I have no idea what you did in your prior life, but would I be too off the mark if I guessed that you were an engineer?? *Just saw part 2, and I'm seeing why you did it this way. Therefore, my only suggestion would be using a roll pin instead of a set screw. I have a servo power feed on a Clausing 8520. And even though I installed a DRO, I wanted to keep it as close to original for nostalgic purposes. Hence, why I left the bevel gear with dial lock threads attached. *But, you ARE being pragmatic!! 😀

The 5/8" part is the bore in the bronze gear, just put that same brand drive on my Hardinge TM, the controls look a little different than yours, but otherwise identical. it cleared the chip pan as its a knee mill, but I had to make a new end plate and an extension adapter for the lead screw as the TM only has one x crank. and no protruding lead screw on the right

Good day sir. I enjoy your videos and look forward to them, as well as the practical projects you do. I have a round column mill and am designing a stand. I am curious what comfortable table height measurement you decided on. Working at a slightly hunched over position is not good for me at all (we are close in age). Of course I don't want to go too high either. I thought I would ask before I start cutting material. Thanks very much. Jim from mid-PA

Thanks for the metric numbers!!

Could you have extended the shaft and not have had to cut the pinion and maybe been able to use your handwheel as well ?

It's called a crown gear... I'm rather surprised at the loss of power with that other motor, but then you're running that a whole lot more than the original design intended, if I'm remembering right and that was an automotive seat motor. Some disassembly might provide a clue.

Lee, before you do any more modification to the pinion gear, put the pinion gear back on the machine and set the end Play Between the rack and the pinion gear using the shim washers that came with the unit. You do not want the thrust of the table to be handled by teeth between the rack and pinion.

Problem after problem Lee, but it will be well worth it in the long run once you have the new drive fitted. Tony

Thanks for sharing!

What the other guy did made another bracket ..same as you bored out gear made a bushing fit shaft to fit shaft and bearing..slid it on at angle so no need to lift mill then using motor marked spots for bolts and retaing pins

eMail sent... Thx for sharing.

Pragmatic, buy once pay once, buy a Bridgeport you have out grown this mill long ago. Yes it’s not my money but you get what you pay for.

Well at least it is easier to get a broken drill out than a broke tap...