# I bought the cheapest Y axis power feed I could find for my milling machine.



## John Conroy (Jan 16, 2021)

I paid $160 tax in from Vevor Canada.

https://vevor.ca/products/power-fee...ling-machine-110v?_pos=1&_sid=4b4240a60&_ss=r

The kit was very complete and installed with no issues. It seems to work fine so far. Less than half the price I paid for the Z axis one I bought last year.


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## DPittman (Jan 16, 2021)

I think that is identical to one I bought of Amazon.  I paid $245  for it and thought that was a good deal.  I now see that Amazon has it for $215.  I'd say you did very well.


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

I mounted the travel stop switch to the same bracket as the Y axis DRO scale.  The tracks are mounted with four M5 screws, holes drilled and tapped in the knee. Nothing about this in the instructions but if you have done one of these before the hardware is good.





The instruction manual is skimpy to say the least.


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

Too bad they don’t seem to carry drives for RF30 style mills.


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> Too bad they don’t seem to carry drives for RF30 style mills.



My thought as well.   As soon as I saw the $160 I checked.


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

it might be a fun project to adapt a cheap bridgeport style one to fit. you would have to fabricate a bearing/support block and shaft extension but I think it's doable.


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> it might be a fun project to adapt a cheap bridgeport style one to fit. you would have to fabricate a bearing/support block and shaft extension but I think it's doable.



I think there is a little bit more to it than that.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/327...earchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

So this gear/dog combo engages the small drive gear in the unit. 




If I'm not mistaken, on the version that John has, the small drive gear engages a bevel gear on the shaft of the mill.
I'm very confident that the guts of the two units are identical.
I think it would be pretty simple to make the pictured gear/dog and the associated brackets.
@John Conroy did you take any photos of the drive end of the unit before it went on?


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I think it would be pretty simple to make the pictured gear/dog and the associated brackets.



Bracket yes, gear/dog not so much.


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

OK, you would need a bracket/support/bearing block to bolt to the table on the mill and support the drive with the center hole aligned with the x axis lead screw. like the black piece in this pic. 





The small pinion in this pic drives the bronze bevel gear supplied in the kit.









the support bearing in the drive unit runs on this sleeve to keep it centered on the shaft





The shaft needs to be extended so you can still have a hand wheel. Shaft extension show here.





The bronze gear drives the shaft through a key.





Shims are used to control the backlash between the 2 gears.





The key in the extension shaft engages the handcrank.






I don't know what the end of the lead screw looks like on an RF mill. Maybe it would be too difficult to extend the shaft through the drive. If it can be extended you would need to make 3 main parts. The adapter block to attach the drive to the mill table. The shaft extension and the sleeve that fits into the drive unit bearing and slides over the shaft.


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

Judging by these 2 pics there are no threads on the ends of the lead screw to easily attach a shaft extension but the shaft could be removed and threads added in a lathe.


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> Judging by these 2 pics there are no threads on the ends of the lead screw to easily attach a shaft extension but the shaft could be removed and threads added in a lathe.
> 
> View attachment 12757View attachment 12758



Thanks John, that’s pretty much exactly what mine looks like.
Curiously the two ends are different diameters. The left side is 5/8”, the right is 3/4”.


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

The threads are 5/8" nf


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

I strikes me that if a block were added to the right end of the table, it could be made to work. 
Pondering...


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## Chicken lights (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I strikes me that if a block were added to the right end of the table, it could be made to work.
> Pondering...


You can do it...


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

I might give it a go!


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I might give it a go!



I thought you got all the bits and pieces together to build one?  I've been waiting to see your build


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> I thought you got all the bits and pieces together to build one?



I have the gear motor and dc power supply. I might turn that into a rotary welding table. 
Still undecided.


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> I thought you got all the bits and pieces together to build one? I've been waiting to see your build



I’m curious about the left side handle on yours Craig. 
How much past the end of the table does the lead screw project?


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I’m curious about the left side handle on yours Craig.
> How much past the end of the table does the lead screw project?



Both ends of the screw measure 17mm in dia.  

The left side projects 60mm out from the mounting bracket and the bracket is 15mm thick.

The right side projects 80mm out from the mounting bracket and the bracket again is 15mm thick.

If that makes any sense...….


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Both ends of the screw measure 17mm in dia.
> 
> The left side projects 60mm out from the mounting bracket and the bracket is 15mm thick.
> 
> ...



Super, that makes perfect sense.


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

I knew I'd seen it done.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/rf-31-or-rf-30-power-feed.77516/post-654814


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## YYCHM (Jan 17, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I knew I'd seen it done.
> https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/rf-31-or-rf-30-power-feed.77516/post-654814



I'm mounted on a bench and can't afford to have the drive sitting in the vertical unfortunately.  Need the horizontal version.  BTB - They aren't all the same.  Have a close look at the drive gear on John's unit vs the one I posted the link to.  Different gear configuration.


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## David_R8 (Jan 17, 2021)

Here's another example


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2021)

That's how I imagined it David.


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

I used the Y axis power feed for the first big job today. I am very pleased with how it operates.  I was able to achieve a better surface finish than I have in the past when making the same part. A worthwhile addition I think.


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## Tom Kitta (Jan 18, 2021)

So how is the quality as compared to the $100 more expensive units?


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

I don't see much difference compared to the Align brand one I bought a couple of years ago. I paid more than $400 including shipping for that one but it was for the z axis and needs more power to lift the knee I think.


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

@John Conroy did you get free shipping on your power feed unit?


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

Yes free shipping from Richmond BC


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

I just found this series.




Pretty much a tutorial on how to do it. 
I need to figure out how much vertical height I need. Would you measure from the midline of the shaft to the bottom of the unit for me?


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## YYCHM (Jan 18, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I need to figure out how much vertical height I need.



Being mounted on a stand why is vertical height a concern?


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Being mounted on a stand why is vertical height a concern?



I’m planning to build a new stand which will be wider than the base and I want to know how much clearance I need between the lead screw and the top op the stand.
Give the video a watch and the reason will be clear


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## YYCHM (Jan 18, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> I’m planning to build a new stand which will be wider than the base and I want to know how much clearance I need between the lead screw and the top op the stand.
> Give the video a watch and the reason will be clear



Hmmmm…… I wonder what it would cost to ship your stand to Calgary?


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Hmmmm…… I wonder what it would cost to ship your stand to Calgary?



Probably $200+. It probably weighs 50+ lbs.


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

From the flat bottom of the unit to the center of the shaft is 10 3/8"


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> From the flat bottom of the unit to the center of three shaft is 10 3/8"



Thanks John!


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

I just watched Lee's video. There are a couple of things I would do differently but he proves it can be done. The instructions don't cover it well but those thin shims he showed are selective and designed to positively control the backlash between the pinion and the brass bevel gear so no matter how tight the nut is on the end of the shaft, the lash will not change. I would have made an extension for the shaft so the micrometer scale and handwheel could be installed as well as a cover to keep chips out of the gears.


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> I just watched Lee's video. There are a couple of things I would do differently but he proves it can be done. The instructions don't cover it well but those thin shims he showed are selective and designed to positively control the backlash between the pinion and the brass bevel gear so no matter how tight the nut is on the end of the shaft, the lash will not change. I would have made an extension for the shaft so the micrometer scale and handwheel could be installed as well as a cover to keep chips out of the gears.


I agree, I would have made the extension longer to accommodate the dials. Seems a shame to leave them off. 
I also noticed the lack of cover on the gears, looks like a swarf trap in the making. I wonder if a cover could be turned from aluminum?


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## John Conroy (Jan 18, 2021)

The micrometer dial acts as the cover on a Bport style. Held on with the plastic nut he discarded and the threads he cut off.


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## David_R8 (Jan 18, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> The micrometer dial acts as the cover on a Bport style. Held on with the plastic nut he discarded and the threads he cut off.
> 
> View attachment 12760


Ok that's a helpful photo John. Dials on an RF are not that large of a diameter So a different arrangement will be necessary.


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## Tom Kitta (Feb 6, 2021)

So I did the same - for 187 from Ontario I got one for my Y. eBay seller asked me how I like it and I responded with follwing:

The following product deficiencies were noted:
1. There is no speed on the speed control dial - thus one has to guess or add numbers with a marker
2. The screw on extension key-way was poorly milled and thus they key had to be filed
3. the nut provided did not have threads cut properly, had to be re-threaded - also it feels like the hole was made with a metric drill and thread engagement is low - like 50%
4. Any English text is in Chinese-English - is it so hard to translate few sentences on the product itself using proper human translator not google or who knows what?
5. Instructions in addition to having above English problem are not complete, for example they skip installation of limit switches. 
6. There are extra parts supplied & longer M6 screws were missing - looks like someone remove some things at semi random from X axis kit and left other things in
7. All other power feeds have a breaker at the front - this one does claim it has safety but "inside" - I sure hope so as I do not want my garage on fire.
8. For some unknown reason there is a cheap plastic dial holder supplied to thread on brass part - why not use standard metal part that machine already has - why make for 20 cents cheap plastic part - all one needed was cut imperial threads in brass vs. metric and supply ... nothing. Would it not be cheaper to supply nothing & just cut imperial? 

Few other small issues but above more or less gives the gist of it. Product needs "refinement" - I doubt most changes to make it great would cost much money or even any money. I mean how much does it cost to add molded numbers 1 to 9 on a plastic cover? Does it even add to price? Heck if numbers add 25 cents how about just little dashes for 10c? Heck I would rather heave plastic main body of heavy grade not nice casting if it had numbers on the dial.


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 20, 2021)

David_R8 said:


> So this gear/dog combo engages the small drive gear in the unit.
> View attachment 12756
> If I'm not mistaken, on the version that John has, the small drive gear engages a bevel gear on the shaft of the mill.
> I'm very confident that the guts of the two units are identical.
> ...


Any Idea where I could source a gear like this? I have an RF30 and an Al99 drive ( I think it came from Busy Bee) with a straight cut pinion. I am having a hard time finding a gear for my x axis feed.


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## John Conroy (Sep 20, 2021)

Can you post a pic of the gear you need? In place on the machine if possible.


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 20, 2021)

The only picture that I have been able to find anywhere is in post#8 on the first page of this thread.


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## YYCHM (Sep 20, 2021)

Daedaluscan said:


> The only picture that I have been able to find anywhere is in post#8 on the first page of this thread.



Ah..... this one.






Ya, I've never seen these offered for sale anywhere.  You may have to make one.  What's wrong with the one you have?


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## John Conroy (Sep 20, 2021)

If it's the gear that fits onto the X axis leadscrew, shown with red arrow in the first pic, you might be able to get one from Grizzly Tools.Their G0760 mill is an RF30 clone. Shown as number 248-5 in the manual


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## Tom O (Sep 20, 2021)

You can cut a worm gear on the lathe using a tap held in the jaws.


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 20, 2021)

John Conroy said:


> If it's the gear that fits onto the X axis leadscrew, shown with red arrow in the first pic, you might be able to get one from Grizzly Tools.Their G0760 mill is an RF30 clone. Shown as number 248-5 in the manual
> 
> View attachment 17175
> 
> View attachment 17176


Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. Ill try Grizzly.


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 20, 2021)

Grizzly have it in stock, $45 USD


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## YYCHM (Sep 20, 2021)

Daedaluscan said:


> Grizzly have it in stock, $45 USD



Yikes.....$60 cad and probably $15 cad shipping.  Correct dimensions?  They are all kind of different.  My RF30 has metric lead screw ends while @David_R8s machine is imperial.


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## PeterT (Sep 21, 2021)

Back when I had similar PF unit on my RF45 mill, the cast aluminum plate cracked. Grizzly was the only vendor I could find offering a replacement part as opposed to a new unit. The cost & shipping may still not be favorable to you, but just thought I'd mention. BTW if you do a search on this forum you'll find a post I did which replaces the that cast aluminum plate that (supposedly) clamps in the mill table pocket. IMO that is a half baked idea that causes all kinds of other issues due to potential misalignment. You might want to consider something similar when the time comes.


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 21, 2021)

I think I will be looking for a gear that might work and then I can make the dogs. I was given the power feed with the mill. A DRO is higher on my list of priorities now. As for the mount it looks pretty mickey mouse with all of the weight hanging out there on that casting.


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## YYCHM (Sep 21, 2021)

Daedaluscan said:


> I think I will be looking for a gear that might work and then I can make the dogs. I was given the power feed with the mill. A DRO is higher on my list of priorities now. As for the mount it looks pretty mickey mouse with all of the weight hanging out there on that casting.



So you never got the gear with the PF/MILL?


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 21, 2021)

No. Just the drive.


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## YYCHM (Sep 21, 2021)

Daedaluscan said:


> No. Just the drive.



The drive and the mounting plate?


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## Daedaluscan (Sep 21, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> The drive and the mounting plate?


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