LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
I would love to see you do that! Might give me an idea how to make mine! Been wanting to put one together for awhile but was stuck on creativity of exactly how to do it. Let the chips fly!!
| | |
has anyone build a power head to raise and lower the head? i have a manual IH mill as well as a cnc model and it gets to be a pain to get to the handle and crank the head up and down. really kills the productivity. if no one has one then i will start working on one and post some pics as i go.
I would love to see you do that! Might give me an idea how to make mine! Been wanting to put one together for awhile but was stuck on creativity of exactly how to do it. Let the chips fly!!
i was really hoping not to be the pioneer on this effort. my current thought is to drive the crank handle, but leave the handle in place just in case or for fine adjustment. ultimately its far enough in the back of the machine that no one would get hit while its spinning.
I thought about making an attachment pulley of some sort to fit over the shaft coming out of the column. The handle would be discarded. Maybe then use a DC motor with a speed controller to regulate how fast the the pulley attached to the shaft would turn. All I would then need to do is figure out what size pulley & motor I would need to turn the thing to make it work. Doesn`t seem like it would take too long to do but there are always the design & debugging stages where you mod, mod & mod some more. Then it works & several nights have passed. I usually forget about all of that later down the road after I am enjoying the fruits of my labors. I know my back would!
Look back at the old posts in this forum. There was someone who added a 90V DC gearhead motor. It was nearly a direct connection after making the mounting plate.
Not wishing to totally reinvent the wheel I've been toying with the idea of adapting the motor & mechanism from an inexpensive ATV winch.
Tractor Supply has some cheapies on sale, certainly cheap enough for a "proof of concept" exercise in turning that crank handle shaft.
Rather let the smoke out of one of those than my shoulder!
Here ya go; http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...g=true&cFlag=1
Actually, I think this Warn might be better;
https://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...http:ClickInfo
i did some rough calculations yesterday and came with about 10 in lbs of torque needed to move the head from a stationary position. mind you this is ignoring friction on the ways. i have a 40 in lb gear motor here that runs on 90vdc and i have a variable speed control to test with. the only thing i'm wondering now is if its worth while to go to a toothed timing belt or use a chain drive. i do still want to retain the handle. i will be starting work on this hopefully today or tomorrow. i will keep you posted.
Just to add something... I have put two 80lb gas springs underneath my head. I need to fasten them, but they help tremendously! Since this is non cnc, the backlash is irrelevant. You can definetly feel it as you crank the handle the other way. But it has made lifting the head almost feather light. I would highly recommend it. I got the gas springs from SurplusCenter.com
can you post some pics of how you installed them?
I've never been called a pioneer but I put a power elevator on my HF mill.
Power column elevator for HF mill
nice work. that lends some credence to my calculations as those motors run at about 40 in/lbs. and if you figure another 10-15 in/lbs in friction, i can see how that motor will work.
All compliments are accepted with relish! (LOL)
I have to turn the speed control all the way down, turn it on by selecting up or down and then ease up the speed control or else the thing will sail past the mark. Oooodles and gobs of power to spare.
Mine was just lying about after being replaced, otherwise the price is prohibitive. Perhaps if you could locate one in a flea sale?
Posting Permissions
| | |
