Power Feed for a Small Lathe

This little lathe is a delight to use for small parts. I am very pleased with my purchace.
Axminster CO Micro Lathe: bit.ly/3ynTjyb

[@pcka12]

Your control lever works at a 'mechanical disadvantage'! I used to buy bits and pieces from Axminster when they were starting out, I visited the grand new shop in Axminster a while back, 'bumped into' the Boss & congratulated him on the business they have built over the years.

[@HomeDistiller]

Nice design! The only change I would make is turning the clutch around, so it's only turning on the lever when the stepper is running rather than whenever the lead screw is turned, just to save the wear on the lever etc

[@davidwillard7334]

Turning the Clutch around ! Would Not! Do Any Good ! So you have ! Not Fixed ! The Problem that you have Created ! Here !

[@inspector1794]

Well done. This reminds me of the electronic lead screw by You Tuber Clough42 but, nicely scaled to the mini lathe and mostly using off the shelf parts. Thanks for sharing your work and ideas, always enjoyable to watch.

[@RetroSteamTech]

A very nice setup 👍👍👍 I particularly like the ability to have different rates for the the different directions, very useful. Cheers, Alan.

[@spudnickuk]

When Myfordboy goes quiet for a week from KZbin, you just know he is up to somthing amazing. And This Is It . Amazing! I hope Axminster tools company finds this video, im sure they would love you to make this as a product for them I would. so a big 10/10 from me and two Thumbs :)

[@thisnicklldo]

Very neat, tidy and practical. Elegant design.

[@danielc9312]

Amazing mod. If in the future I can't get a lathe with power feed this would work great.

[@jdmccorful]

Nice improvement! Enjoyed watching, thanks.

[@davidwillard7334]

It's Good ! When all this Electronic ! JUNK ! Just ! Goes ! Haywire ! How Excellent ! It is to See !!

[@percytait893]

Very nice! I did something similar with my Taig II lathe. I added a NEMA 17 stepper motor with a Clough42 electronic lead screw. Works very well for thread cutting.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Brilliant, sir! As always!

[@steved8038]

Really clever,Thank you for sharing.

[@metricstormtrooper]

Brilliant stuff.

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Nicely done, good addition to the lathe...

[@myfordboy]

It would work on a Unimat too!

[@bobweiram6321]

I also have a C0 lathe with some missing and broken parts. I'm planning on turning into a CNC lathe when I find the time and money.

[@hrxy1]

I'm assuming you designed and made the parts yourself. excellent quality workmanship. leaves me in awe its beyond my abilities, great video thanks

[@adrianwilliams763]

Nice design.

[@mattbrown9484]

Very good!

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@CalPil0t]

Top notch. as usual...

[@MoondyneJoe]

Myfordboy (silent Bob😁) Brilliant bit of workmanship I bet that took many hours of trial and error and 3d printing to create. That should assist with the many other improvements that can be made on the small lathes in turning it into a great little engineers lathe or jewellers lathe I came across this Mini Lathe BERNARDO PROFI 550 WQV MANCHINEN - AUSTRIA A few months ago on KZbin, they do a 750w version as well Those looked to be a excellent alternative to the Chinese mini lathes If I only had a workshop to put all the stuff I wanted in, as it is I have on my loungeroom floor All under 2 weeks (working life old from a friends estate) A MIG welder, Air compressor, drill press, band saw and sundries just waiting for a place for me to use it in I'm thinking of turning my sleepout/leatherwork room,/darkroom with all my gear in it into all that and a spare room workshop but it would leave no where for me to move! One powerball... (lotto win but I don't indulge) would do it Tony from Western Australia 🇦🇺

[@stupid-handle]

I personally prefer mechanical feed, because you can also thread (among many other things if automatic feed is also added to the cross-slide). However it is, what tops it up for me is an adjustable end stop (end switch in this case) such that one can just feed in and forget while doing other things between passes.

[@myfordboy]

Look out for my next video.

[@robertoswalt319]

Your engineering and fabrication skills are amazing.

[@GermanDarioCarte]

Genio !!!!

[@wxfield]

Thread cutting next ?? Is it even stable enough to cut a thread?

[@LoremIpsum1970]

Nice one. Were there any limit switches at all for that controller? 👍 DRO and glass scales next 😉

[@myfordboy]

Limit switches could easily be added by wiring them in series with the toggle switch.

[@WilliamChitham]

Love the different speeds on different directions and the simple clutch lever - reminds me of early bicycle derailleur systems. The external switch wiring seemed surprisingly staightforward, I would not have expected that replacing 3 instantaneous pushbuttons with one on-off-on toggle switch would work, is that really all you did wiring wise?

[@myfordboy]

The controller is programable, I have it set so pushing one button powers the motor in one direction and the other in reverse, releasing either stops the motor, so it was just a matter of wiring the toggle switch in parellel with the push button contacts.

[@WilliamChitham]

@@myfordboy I see thanks, that's a really nice controller.

[@johnutting9615]

Based on a Unimate 3 perhaps ? Nice improvement .

[@myfordboy]

Definitely based on Unimat with improvements.

[@stevewilliams2498]

Just a thought. If you reversed the direction of the clutch lever you could have an adjustable push rod on the saddle to automatically disengage the feed. A bit like on a Drummond.

[@myfordboy]

It would not be such a compact solution that way. However in the next video you will see an alternative method that stops the feed at predetermined positions.

[@bobsbits5357]

hi have the same model i have been very unlucky the brass nuts are away wearing out i have talked to them my one has alot of heavy wear i use it for alot of small parts all the same sadle nut 93 there's got to be something i am missing out the cost is very low £8 plus shipping there's a long wait i have a spare small lathe as a back up with a longer room still 40mm max longer bar stock can go the it i use it to cut down the ploy rod bars it save the cutting with a saw there money in some parts as they have to made this way bob

[@gangleweed]

Back in the day the machine spindle itself, via a gear train, drove the leadscrew when a feed was required...........who needs the complexity of electronics and infinitely variable feed rates?.....if it's for ELS that is a different matter.......but with the spindle running at 3,000 rpm there would be an advantage to have an electronic fine feed without a huge mechanical reduction system.

[@JoZf_Gibson]

Merci ! 👋👍 you could perhaps further improve your system by adding electric limit switches

[@myfordboy]

Look out for the next video.

[@josephwarren849]

Hi there, I love the video I have the same model of lathe as you. Could you please tell me what type of servo motor and controller you used for your power food thank you

[@myfordboy]

Controller: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154703472874? The stepper was one I had salvaged from a 3D printer but this one is similar: uk.banggood.com/custlink/DGmJGtf8hz If you would like plans for the bracket and STL files for the printed part email me and i will send them.

[@josephwarren849]

@@myfordboy Thank you very much for the details of the controller and motor. Yes I would very much like the STL files for the bracket etc thank you

[@myfordboy]

@@josephwarren849 Ok, I need your email to send it.

[@karlh6692]

One more axis to go and you can cnc interface it.

[@Tom-yc8jv]

Too bad you didn't incorporate a sensor into the main shaft, then you could do thread cutting and some CNC applications with it.

[@gorak9000]

There's already the Clough42 electronic leadscrew project that does that - he sells kits - you just add a spindle encoder and stepper motor (and appropriate mechanics) and away you go

[@Pustoychelovek]

Hello dear friend, you need to use gears with such a motor. Nema 17 is very weak, and with a direct connection to the drive screw, an unexpected stop and skipping steps is possible. For your purposes, you can use Nema 23, with a small screw diameter, the force will be good. The controller that you use SMC 02 is combined with the driver, and really up to 2 amps - 4 amps peak current. HF020 will be the best option for you. Sorry for my comment, with respect to you.

[@myfordboy]

Gearing is proved by the 1mm pitch leadscrew. The design works perfectly fine. I have a similar set up on my mill that I have used for years.

[@albertogoffi7490]

Premetto che io sono un incompetene principiante. Per quale motivo ha deciso di non applicare un encoder sull'albero del mandrino, così da collegare elettronicamente le due cose ed avete quindi la possibilità di eseguire filettatura di qualsiasi genere? La seguo da tempo e i suoi video sono tra i più interessanti. Grazie

[@myfordboy]

Not my intention to make this a CNC lathe. Any threading can be done with dies.

[@dizzolve]

When the zombies come ...... I'm coming to your shop

[@nickclarke587]

Hi, great design! Do you have a link to the controller? Many thanks...

[@myfordboy]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154703472874 It's availble form other places, all Chinese i think.

[@nickclarke587]

Many thanks, ordered. Are there any details on your blogspot on how to wire remote reversing switch? I am useless at electronics and would probably wreck the controller if I tried guessing it...

[@myfordboy]

@@nickclarke587 myfordboy.blogspot.com/p/wiring-for-external-switch-for-auto-feed.html

[@nickclarke587]

Cheers, now just got to unglue the works from the case..

[@BTSensei]

⭐🙂👍

[@steved8038]

Really clever,Thank you for sharing.