Ratchet quill handle for my Bridgeport.

[misty]

I like the idea of easily resetting my quill handle in any position with one hand. A sprag clutch seems the best option for infinite adjustment so I made a boss to suit.

 

[johnmontrose]

Is there any operation that would require you to raise the quill quickly or against resistance?

Back facing is one possibility. What if you are drilling and the drill grabs?

I would be circumspect about relinquishing bi-directional positive control of my quill.

 

[misty]

Is there any operation that would require you to raise the quill quickly or against resistance?

Back facing is one possibility. What if you are drilling and the drill grabs?

I would be circumspect about relinquishing bi-directional positive control of my quill.

Back facing is something that I have rarely done in toolmaking. I would lock the quill & use the knee for control.
I always try to avoid setups where a drill could grab. If it is unavoidable then once again I would lock the quill & feed with the knee.

 

[GregSY]

I gotta be honest...I was expecting less hairy arms and perkier breasts from someone named Misty. But I digress.

It looks like a nice piece or work but I agree...no way would I want to give up direct control of the quill. The number of times I need instant up/down is.....always.

 

[Ralph_P]

How do you get the quill back to the top?

 

[johnmontrose]

I always try to avoid setups where a drill could grab.

The idea is good. It would benefit if it evolved into the Mk 1.5 model that allows you to lock the two parts together when required.

I am giving you a free idea for another YT video (more views, more thumbs up, more like, comment and subscribe) that you can post around the fora when it is ready.

 

[Donkey Hotey]

By design, the Bridgeport quill is not supposed to return under its own strength. It's in the manual. It's supposed to be neutral. How are you supposed to retract the quill?

 

[misty]

The idea is good. It would benefit if it evolved into the Mk 1.5 model that allows you to lock the two parts together when required.

I am giving you a free idea for another YT video (more views, more thumbs up, more like, comment and subscribe) that you can post around the fora when it is ready.

Thanks for the tip.

Just for the record. My YT channel is entirely altruistic, it is deliberately non monetised & does not promote me or any products. Sometimes I win design awards where any prize money all goes to Guide dogs for the blind. The content is key, likes and subs are not the goal, just leaving a legacy of a lifetime in engineering. I did discuss using my youtube content to help describe myself instead of just words & the moderator agreed, as they are not for personal gain.

Back to the handle. I did make a bidirectional lathe chuck key with opposing sprag clutches ( see video lol ) which inspired the quill handle. Having played around with it for a couple of days & taking onboard the comments I have modified it to give more grip on the return stroke. I added a torsion spring to act as a brake which is now much more positive. A consequence is that more acceleration is required to reset the clutch, this can be overcome using drag on the quill lock briefly to reset. Or retract to the top & continue to rotate the handle the required extra amount. The video had the unit too loose, very easy to reset but still retracted by pushing the handle towards the machine to induce drag. It works a lot better now but it does not have a solid lock. It is easily changed back to the original handle in a couple of minutes, perhaps the unit could be suited for production jobs i.e. drilling deep blind holes.
It looks like I have a challenge to tick all the boxes, but that's what we do, any help will be gratefully received.

 

[eKretz]

Not a great idea. Drilling a hole or plunging an end mill through an existing hole could cause disastrous consequences. We all *try* to avoid such an occurrence, but it only takes one time. Like another guy mentioned, I would never give up positive engagement in both directions either.

 

[bhigdog]

A solution looking for a problem?......bob

 

[Greg Menke]

Not a fan of the quill being susceptible to being sucked into the work OTOH some kind of fancy engaging mechanism that can be switched from lock to a ratchet return going up and down might be pretty cool. Then the handle can mostly stay secured on the quill feed speed, so it doesn't awkwardly fall off or get in the way.

 

[eKretz]

Not a fan of the quill being susceptible to being sucked into the work OTOH some kind of fancy engaging mechanism that can be switched from lock to a ratchet return going up and down might be pretty cool. Then the handle can mostly stay secured on the quill feed speed, so it doesn't awkwardly fall off or get in the way.

They already make a setup that works great. Pull the handle away from the machine to pull engaged face drive pins out of a hub. Reposition, and let the handle pivot back and they go right back to providing positive engagement.

 

[Booze Daily]

Yep. Have one.

 

[GregSY]

That's how my Wells Index works...a dowel for driving and you can easily reposition it with one hand, if one of ya's has ta.....

Now if one of you has to, take that old woman over there. She might be worth maybe one donkey.

Sound clip from The Outlaw Josey Wales 🔊 Click to listen

movie-sounds.org

 

[atex57]

They already make a setup that works great. Pull the handle away from the machine to pull engaged face drive pins out of a hub. Reposition, and let the handle pivot back and they go right back to providing positive engagement.

View attachment 428915

I want one of these for my Wells 747.

Ed.

 

[eKretz]

I want one of these for my Wells 747.

Ed.

I've got one on my 847. Had to make my own adapter, they didn't have one for it.

 

[jbacc]

I was given one of those steering wheel type wheels for the quill on my BP. I wasn’t sure I’d like it but after a few weeks of use, I find it quite convenient to use, more so than the stock BP quill handle.

 

[GregSY]

Of all the obstacles I have in my life - lawsuits, crabs, etc. - my quill handle not being perfect in every way just does not rate on the Top 100.

 

[eKretz]

When working quickly and accurately, a reliable position of the handle is needed. Drill 50 holes where the handle does not return to the same spot every time, that handle is in the bushes in a heartbeat.
Now, that said, I like the thought. A nice 40 tooth spline with a pushbutton so it only slips on the up when I want it to. does not have to be strong as the sprag holds the force. The pull out action and coarse pitch of the handle like eKretz and most of us have makes it less than perfect

Meh, I've made my own adapter that can be repositioned every 30° instead of the 60° that the handles are generally sold with, a simple matter of adding 6 more holes to the original pattern. I'm perfectly happy with that. And the pull mechanism is pretty simple and dead reliable on my machine, I have zero complaints there. There comes a point that we're adding *too* much complication, IMO.

 

[steve-l]

I very much like your idea, but safety concerns linger. Why not use a spur gear mounted to the shaft and a spring loaded tooth that can be lifted by a Tee handle for repositioning. That would allow one handed positioning and positive quill engagement.