Dore Westbury x slide motorising

Has anyone had success in fitting a traversing motor to the lead screw on a DW or other m/c

Things to be considered I think

what feed rates were deemed suitable

Given a 10 tpi thread what size motor, rpm, torque, gear ratio, dc watts, variable speed control

How was it disengaged for manual operation

Are there any commercial kits available

ps

i have for example got an old cordless drill motor/chuck which looks promising

Edited By brian jones 11 on 18/08/2021 11:15:04

pps i dont thin i need to go to the trouble of limit sw cut outs

Edited By brian jones 11 on 18/08/2021 11:21:11

Have a search for "power feed" using the search box on the home page. loads of threads about home brew X axis feeds from wiper motors through to steppers all can be adapted to your machine.

Also ask yourself how much you really need one. I have on on my main mill and maybe only use it 5% of the time if that. If it did not cost me anything then I doubt I would have bought it. Depends what you intend to do on the mill.

Edited By JasonB on 18/08/2021 13:02:05

My Dore Westbury is the one in the photos on Tony Griffiths site, **LINK**, this has the original power feed option but I can truthfully say I’ve never used it whilst milling!

OBTW Ive noticed one fundamental stumbling block, that is that the lead nut is fixed at the rhs side of the table so the lead screw winds in out out following the x slide - ie just like the Myford compound slide.

So attaching to the LHS end of the lead screw means an extension shaft (with horizontal slot for a drive Cog) poking out the full length of the table

Thats pretty clumsy I think

More work needed

Any ideas?

My VMB has a handle at each end. The LH one is modified to take a timing belt pulley and a pin clutch. Feeding manually I use the RH handle but I could use the LH one. It has lost it's micrometer scale but I have a DRO anyway. I'm sure a micrometer scale could be retained I just didn't need it. Sureley you do something like this at whatever end has the feed handle?

.

Here is a link to the home page, Brian: **LINK**

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk

The box you want is about half-way down that page.

Enjoy the exploration !

MichaelG.

Thnx MG I see what I did wrong, I was searching locally under workshop thread rather than the home page which goes across the whole site - stupid boy Pike again

…
Things to be considered I think

…

Would it not be better to seriously consider using some of that “ten grand’ and just buy complementary lathe and milling machines (such as Sieg) and retire both myford lathe and DW mill? And still have change after buying the extras like power feeds and DROs?

WHAT

I am reporting you to the Monsignor for obscene language

Wash your mouth out

I can read nothing obscene in ndiy post, it is always good advice to have a re-think. Niko.