Gearbox addition plus 6" of feed screw. Ideas?

Sterling · Mar 19, 2017

I added a gearbox from a 36" Model A to my 30" Model B, with much thanks to Halligan142's YouTube video.
After turning down six inches of the feed screw to make it fit, I now have 6" sticking out the end of the bearing at the tailstock end of the bed.
I'm a novice, but not so much enough not to ask advice of wiser folks before cutting that extra 6" off.
Can anyone tell me any advantage of adding a handwheel to the feedscrew?

Thanks.

iwananew10K · Mar 19, 2017

Handwheel I'll pass on...however a small gear motor could be rigged to the free end to give you unlimited on the fly feed rates, and instantly reversible to boot.

just stick the reverser in the neutral position and no gearing required...save the gears and gearbox for threading.

here is a thread from a member that did such a thing, and would be even easier now with the abundance of cheap DC gear motors.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...gear-train-noise-191190/?highlight=Eliminated

promacjoe · Mar 20, 2017

If you go with the electric motor idea, consider using a wheelchair motor. (Not a scooter motor). A wheelchair motor has a lever on it that will disconnect the gears. This allows freewheeling of the output shaft. These motors have plenty of power and speed. And will work off of a 24V/12V PWM controller.

A handwheel is also nice, On short machines, 1' or 2' beds. But they are useless on long machines. If you're able to reach the handwheel, but you can't see what you're doing. Why have it.

Stay safe and have fun.

Joe.

gadget73 · Mar 20, 2017

You'd also have to drop out the second tumbler lever on the gearbox to let the screw run free if you do this.

Sterling · Mar 20, 2017

Thanks guys. Good point about the wheel on a long bed. I hadn't actually put my hand down there to simulate using it whilst cutting until reading this, and now I see how awkward it would be.
I like the variable speed motor idea, but I'm not "there" yet in my experience and needs, so I'll cut all but 1.25" off of the shaft so I still have that option for the future.

mcruff · Mar 20, 2017

How do you have a 30" B model, the smallest standard bed was 36" long.

tommy1010 · Mar 21, 2017

If you used the leadscrew from the model B why did you cut down the tailstock end? The headstock end is usually longer to make up for no gearbox. At least that is how I see it. Having that much blank on the headstock end night be a problem when you run out of leadscrew thread. Unless you got a gear box leadscrew from a 42" bed with the gearbox I could certainly understand the extra 6". A picture or two would be helpful.

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Gearbox addition plus 6" of feed screw. Ideas?

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