help with power feed on RF30 table

The Servo power feed drives I have for my Millrite (Bridgeport take offs) coast to a stop after the motor switches off. They coast to a stop at different points depending on the speed in use at the time. I assume that the Asian imports copied from the Servo originals use a similar system. The cure is having your hand on the the handwheel ready to continue the cut at the speed you desire until just before it hits the hard stop (you do set the hard stops, correct?). I have not had trouble with using the stops. The soft stops kill the power before the hard stops limit the feed, and the stop parts must be set up to reflect that requirement.

I have seen many mill power feed installations that do not follow the installation instructions that Servo carefully spells out. The feed drive and the on/off switch only is not a proper setup.
 
Bob Korves said:
The Servo power feed drives I have for my Millrite (Bridgeport take offs) coast to a stop after the motor switches off. They coast to a stop at different points depending on the speed in use at the time. I assume that the Asian imports copied from the Servo originals use a similar system. The cure is having your hand on the the handwheel ready to continue the cut at the speed you desire until just before it hits the hard stop (you do set the hard stops, correct?). I have not had trouble with using the stops. The soft stops kill the power before the hard stops limit the feed, and the stop parts must be set up to reflect that requirement.

I have seen many mill power feed installations that do not follow the installation instructions that Servo carefully spells out. The feed drive and the on/off switch only is not a proper setup.
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I believe you just clarified what I have been doing wrong. Looks like I need to set the hard stop to the desired stop point and when the soft stop shuts off the feed drive, I need to manually finish the feed to the hard stop. Makes sense now.

Investigator said:
To clarify, you both don't like the soft stops, or you both only rarely use them? Don't use the soft stops, or don't use the power feed?
I'm a little confused on reading it, maybe it's just me. Would both/either of you say the power feed is great to have or only seldom useful? Trying to decide where if I want to upgrade my mill with that feature.
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It was the soft stop that I didn't like and don't use very often. But I do love the power feed. Like Mikey said just do it. It is just soooooo much nicer to have the power feed. I originally made an adapter to allow the use of a cordless drill to drive the table but I still had to fiddle with the speed and had to hold the drill the entire time. With the power feed and the auto stops it's basically a hands free operation and the speed can be adjusted precisely.
 
My Align unit disengages crisply when I throw the feed lever into stop. There is a mechanism inside that pulls the drive gear out so that it does not over travel. Cuts out the gear and the motor coasts to a stop without moving the table. This is a unit with a horizontal mount, so there is an idler gear between the drive and the lead screw. I think it has a sprag to accomplish the immediate stop.
 
pontiac428 said:
My Align unit disengages crisply when I throw the feed lever into stop. There is a mechanism inside that pulls the drive gear out so that it does not over travel. Cuts out the gear and the motor coasts to a stop without moving the table. This is a unit with a horizontal mount, so there is an idler gear between the drive and the lead screw. I think it has a sprag to accomplish the immediate stop.
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Mine does too when the feed lever is used to stop the travel. We are referring to the auto stops that are mounted on the table. When they are used the feed coasts to a stop.
 
Aha. That makes sense, if the feed lever is what disengages the sprag, it won't disengage when using the soft stops. I never knew because I never set up the stops, the construction of the switch and wires was too funky for me to take seriously, so it lives zip-tied nice and neat behind my mill. Sorry for contaminating the discussion.
 
I also have not used the auto stops. I have a x axis dro scale mounted on the front of the table, and have not spent the time to figure out how to mount the stops with the dro. Has anyone else done this.
 
Not a direct answer to you question Mopar geek, but I am planning on mounting the DRO on the back side of the mill table with a guard to prevent interference. In my experience with my Enco 105-1117 I would say if you don't use them now, don't start. I am guessing you would continue with your DRO and hard stops. The construction of my mill table to continue using the soft stops would require the DRO be mounted lower and a small distance away from the table, also there is the cross feed (y axis) to contend with.
I have the soft stops on the front of the mill and rely on them, but I do stay near the mill. Yes a lot of fudging around for adjustment.
Have a good day
Ray
 
I put the scale on the back of the table of my RF30 clone so that any future powerfeed stops wouldn’t be an issue.


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Thanks for the reply DavidR8. In planning this project I foresee problems to be solved such as chip interference over the x axis and the y axis lead screw. On the Enco mill it may be possible to press the glass bar against the round column, thus some sort of travel limiting back there. Haven't checked the RF 31 yet.
Have a good day
Ray
 
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