Rockford/Hedwick MV100 power table feed install

Brucepts

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More than a few years ago I purchased my Rockford MV100 mill it came with the factory table feed but it was non-working, my intent was to someday get it working but the more I thought about what was required (it lacked the engage lever and had something homemade) I started looking at a Bridgeport style power feed but wasn't sure how it would work and what was needed to make it work on my mill. The end plate that comes with the standard unit was designed to work with the 4 hole Bridgeport table and mine was 3 holes. The 4 hole pattern would not work as there was no room to drill it on my table, so my only option was to use the stock parts.

The leadscrew would need extended and a keyway cut. Since I could not extend the leadscrew and cut a keyway if the leadscrew was removed from the mill so I made a new stub to extend my leadscrew doing this I could mill a new keyway using the mill. Once this was done I could then take the leadscrew out and do the lathe work to prep it for the stub extension that would be welded on.
table feed-1.png

Modified my leadscrew with a socket so my extension could be light pressed on. I also filled in the existing keyway that was badly damaged.

table feed-2.png

I pressed my stub onto the leadscrew and TIG welded it checking as I went to make sure it was staying straight. I'm not an accomplished Tig welder but muddled my way through the process, it wasn't "going to the moon" so it did not have to be perfect just straight and functional.

table feed-3.pngtable feed-5.png

After welding it was put back in the lathe to cleanup the shaft.

table feed-4.png

I needed to then attach the powerfeed gearbox to my end plate so I simply transferred the hole location onto my endplate there is clearance on the gearbox holes for alignment. I needed to use a Bridgeport dial and had to purchase one that matched my leadscrew rotation (0-100). Extra clearance is needed if you want to use the dial since my mill uses a round handle and it limits your "reach" into the dial. I spaced/shimmed everything up and then cutoff my stub extension. Fit my handwheel and added a screw to give positive load for the gears/spacing/shims.

table feed.png

I still have to install the handle on the wheel and make a proper washer for the handwheel attachment but, I have been quite pleased with this setup!

I have a DRO setup on this mill so the dial has not been an issue.

Sorry my video is sideways but you get the idea . . .
 

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  • VID_20160924_161127.mp4
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I also have an MV100. The table feed works okay in a wonkie kind of way, but I have been considering a retrofit like yours.
 
Nice job Bruce. I think you sent me a drive belt, springs and a ball bearing to get my quill feed operational. That was many, many years ago.
Well I finally got around to installing the parts last year and the quill feed works perfectly. I also made a wheel to drive the rpm meter on the front. That is functional, but I am not sure it is accurate. What was dead on your factory table feed?
Oh, and welcome to the forum,
Erich

ps I uploaded whatever Hedwick documentation I had onto this website. Just search the downloads area under my user name.
 
Thanks! It's funny how people drift into and out of our lives I do recall sending out some parts way back when, glad I found out they got used to help someone out!

My factory power table feed was missing the front gear box cover and it had what looked like a homemade engage setup, I found little info or pictures of what it should look like and work like to get it working that I just gave up. The powerfeed is out in my shed if anyone needs any parts.

A buddy and I talked about adding a Bridgeport table feed so I took the plunge and picked one up from Enco with a 20 or 25% discount before they went back to MSC. Once I got into the mod it was just figuring it out as I went along and getting up the nerve to cut things up and make it work.

My mill where the speed dial is located was broken from the top being dropped at some point before I got it so my speed dial is not working and never will. I picked up a digital speed meter last year that I haven't gotten setup yet to read off the top drive gear using an inductive sensor.

To many projects not enough time!

Good to connect/reconnect with other MV100 users!
 
I'm actually just starting to work on my powerfeed unit. Someone from the other machining forum sent me the blueprints to the powerfeed, and I have most of it. Would you be willing to upload some pictures of the unit you have? I think the biggest things I'm missing are actually the worm gear on the leadscrew, not the parts for the feed unit itself, but I'm not 100% sure yet....

In related news, I have a few questions about the old MV-100 now that there's a non-necropost thread available.

Have any of you had your head apart? Is there a spindle oil reservoir somewhere in there? I've filled the gearboxes, but those take a gearbox oil and I don't see anywhere to fill the spindle itself.

Do any of your MV-100's have any way wipers at all? Mine doesn't and I think that's the source of a lot of my way scoring and general condition of the machine.

Oh, and if anyone wants my partial copy of the manual or the blueprints for the powerfeed, I'll be uploading them this evening when I'm back on my home computer. If you have any documentation, I'd love to see it!

Thanks,
Will
 
I just reread the thread and see that Asm109 posted his documentation. I actually have worse scans of the same information, so I'll be using these pdfs from now on. I do still have the powerfeed blueprints, so those will be up later today.
 
I think the spindle bearings are sealed, no lube required. No way wipers on mine either. Love to see the bps for the power drive.
 
I've attached everything here, including my lesser scan of the manual and the Logan version of the catalog information. I'm going to spend a bit of time trying to identify what exactly is missing from my powerfeed to see if parts from Bruce's powerfeed can fix it.

Thanks,
Will
 

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  • Rockford Manual1.pdf
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  • Rockford_NC_Brochure.pdf
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  • Rockford_powerfeed 1.pdf
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  • Rockford_powerfeed 2.pdf
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  • MV-100 Mill Catalog.pdf
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I'd also like to encourage all of us to take some time to take a few documentary photos of our machines. For instance, do any of you use the coolant tank in the base? I don't even think my pump motor works anymore...
 
My mill has no coolant pump. The holes in the base have some hard plastic plugs in them.
 
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