Added a power draw bar to my mill.

[WillieL]

I wanted to put a power drawbar on the mill, but being a smaller Enco machine there is no provision for mounting one. Because of this, no one even makes a power unit for it.
 
 I hate it when somebody says I CAN'T do something so..... I bought a Kurt mechanical Powerlock unit that is designed to fit a full sized Bridgeport mill. After a lot of measuring and "cypher'n", I sketched out a coupler to connect it to my little Enco mill. The head of the Bridgeport drawbar is quite a bit longer than what is on my machine, so I needed to mount the unit much higher to make it work. Thus the riser block design. I also had to drill & tap the bearing plate / brake housing on my machine to add some studs in order to attach the riser to it.
 
 The 6-1/2" aluminum (or aluminium) round stock was turned on my lathe to the same diameter of the mill upper bearing/brake housing. I drilled the center hole for the drawbar to pass through, and drilled and tapped 1/4-20 holes for attaching the drawbar unit to the top. My original plan was to drill all the way through the riser and attach it with long hex-head cap screws, countersunk into the top of the riser. I didn't really like the thought of using the extra long bolts, so I  decided on the shorter studs and lock nuts instead. (Those  are left over from a Honda Civic intake manifold actually.) lol.
 
 In planning for installing the studs I removed the bearing plate from the mill to look for a good place to locate them, so that I didn't drill into anything "important".
 After removing the spindle brake parts from the housing, I discovered that the bolt holes that hold the brake shoes in place were the same size and pitch of the studs that I already had! 
So all I had to do was extend the holes already in the underside of housing, and thread the upper half of the now through holes. Then just screw the studs in the top.
 
 I have a severe case of arthritis in one of my shoulders, and it is much nicer to just push a lever with one hand to install or remove collets etc., instead of having to reach overhead with a wrench to undo or tighten the drawbar.
 
             

[Brass_Machine]

That's a nice fix/mod. From what I have seen, you do some nice work!

I hate it when somebody says I CAN'T do something so...

Yeah, me too. It is fun to prove them wrong 

Nice stuff.

Eric

[sparky961]

Is that a re-purposed off-the-shelf air tool I see?  It sort of looks like an air powered "butterfly", common in the mechanic's tool box.

-Sparky

[WillieL]

Sparky, it is indeed. There are several videos on YouTube from folks that have made their own utilizing a butterfly impact wrench. Several more as well,  that are much more elaborate and employ special air cylinders and motors for a more automated operation. I took the easy way out and bought a commercial unit.

 

[Jonny]

Nice work Will been meaning to do one for mine for 12 months or more.
Got everything exactly the same airline reg/oiler, think butterfly wrench is the same as well.
The only thing that put a block on doing it was i need to remove the drawbar.

I do like the Acurite readout.

[DaveH]

Willie,

A really nice job you did on that
 

DaveH

[WillieL]

Jonny, I completely understand. A good deal of my "ideas" wind up sitting in unopened boxes for months at a time until the mood strikes me to get after them. I get busy doing something else and then completely forget about them.

What kind of mill do you have? If you are like me you will ask yourself why you ever put it off when you get it installed and working. I am soooooo spoiled now. Same with the DRO. I would be lost without them now.

DaveH, even I manage to get lucky once in awhile mate.   

[Swarfing]

What model of mill do you have? i would love something slightly smaller that BP but they are always too small........great job by the way.

[WillieL]

What model of mill do you have? i would love something slightly smaller that BP

I have this 8x36 model from Enco. I think there are a few different companies that offer them. Grizzly used to offer one, but they discontinued their model. I was originally looking for a smaller Grizzly 6x26 mill because of the low ceiling in my basement workshop. A full sized Bridgeport was right out because of it's height. I tried for months to get a Grizzly machine but they never had any in stock.

I stumbled onto an Enco promotional code that was posted on another forum, for 20% off of any item. When I went to their web site I found this machine and it was on sale - with free shipping to boot!
With the sale price, minus the 20% discount and the free shipping - I got a brand new mill delivered to my door for $2,200.00 (1/2 of it's current selling price). Needless to say, I was happy with the outcome.   

The motor on the 8x36 mill JUST fits below the floor joists overhead, so it is approximately 2/3 to 3/4 the size of a standard Bridgeport mill.

The trick however was having to take the entire machine apart down to the last nut and bolt, sitting outside in my driveway. Then carrying each piece down the stairs into my basement, cleaning each one thoroughly, and then reassembling the mill. All by myself.   



Looking back..... it was all worth it!   

[Jonny]

Nice mills those Will been looking at them for four years since they came out.

They are known or sjhould i say rebranded as:-
http://www.chestermachinetools.com/Products/Product.aspx?productID=35 £5375 plus vat used to be £3600.
A few on the bay from old eastern block delivered for the old price, whos kidding who.
http://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/45-variable-speed-horizontal--vertical-milling-machine.html
http://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/43-4vs-turret-mill---precision-milling-machine.html

I need to be able to fully remove the drawbar to use MT3 drills and of course change back for normal drill chucks and collets. Thats the main reason i didnt do it unless i figured a way of quick disconnect.

First thing i did 8 years ago was make up a spindle lock, almost as quick as a powered drawbar when spanner and hammer left by the side.