Steadying a Machine's Quill

I have to keep a customer's drill press quill from rotating even a half a degree while they are performing a process with a long multiple spindle head. Because of the part's shape, drill bushings are not an option. We told them to get a split clamp and build a support structure off the machine's column but they don't want to do this either.

Context: Anyone have any creative ideas for this one? Imagine clamping a

36" bar to the quill. grab the ends. If you turn the bar like a giant T-Handle, you can "rotate" the quill a bit. At the ends of the bar, the movement is magnified quite a bit. We need to lock that quill in place so that it strokes but does not rotate.

We are suggesting they move over to a Bridgeport which seems to have very little movement... But I'd love to have a secondary suggestion in case they don't have access to one.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 (908) 542-0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:

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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill
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How about a large pin mounted to the table, and a bushing in the drill head?

Reply to
Dave Lyon

Joe; I may not be seeing this right, but if you have a 18" lever, ( I assume the quill is in the middle) even on a Bport you will have some movement on the end. I can see 2 ways to locate this, 1 using a cup and pin off to the side, so the pin engages the cup at the bottom of the stroke and locates it, or 2, make a large die shoe, with a located shaft coming down at each end. Just a couple of thoughts. gary

Reply to
Gary Owens

Does the fixture permit the simple solution of placing two vertical rods

18 inches (or so) from the spindle which the backside of the drill head butts up against (or linear bearings ride, if wear becomes a problem)? That would permit it to slide up and down, but not twist back and forth. Creative means of mounting such things might be called for depending on the setup, but various options exist - and keeping them as wide as possible (perhaps even on extensions beyond the 36 inch head) minimizes any angular movement due to flex, wear or slop. Extensions might permit the support to be beyond the part, thus simplifying support mounting?
Reply to
Ecnerwal

According to the customer, the size and shape of the part being drilled keeps them from using any traditional bushings or table-mounted anything(s).

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 (908) 542-0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:

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Spindle Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

Usually, this is not a problem because the head will rotate only so far and then stay right there... I even suggested a low-tech answer in the form of a bungee cord to keep it rotated a bit and re-orient the whole machine or the workpiece to make it line up with what they need to drill. They didn't like that idea too much.

No room on the table or even around it. They barely make clearance on the column from what I understand.

I pictured it as a large flat aluminum extrusion, but it sounds almost like he is drilling at the bottom of a deep and wide "U" shaped part.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 (908) 542-0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:

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Spindle Drills:
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V8013-R

Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

That is basically what I suggested. Mount them in a "V" shape off the machine's column with a split clamp. Even found a large enough split clamp with a keyway to clear the "rack" for table height. But... They don't like that idea.

So... You can see my dilema. There may be a few good answers... But the customer seems to want a different answer. Maybe because they are willing to purchase a larger and hopefully steadier machine.

Anyone have a JET JMD-15 or JMD-20 Mill/Drill? I'd love to know if the quill rotates under load. :)

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 (908) 542-0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:

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Spindle Drills:
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V8013-R

Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

Hi Joe, I'm a machining newbee but can you tell me what is keeping this quill from rotating? Is it a keyway and key which would allow a slightly oversized key to be installed? Is the fit of the drive pinion to the gear rack (guessing here) a factor which might be able to be tightened up?

dennis in nca

Reply to
rigger

I have a few pounds of Unobtainium left over from a job for this guy's brother, I'll send it along with the Escher drawings.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

this calls for a spindle with a 4th axis servo..unfortunately. Or some sort of really powerful brake. You will have to brake the spindle itself, rather than the motor, else you will get belt flexure/movement. Do you have enough room at the end of the quill to place a split clamp over the end of the spindle? Can you remove the belt guards and clamp the pulley? If so..you can use a brake calipher type thingy on the largest pully step, or make up one. Air actuated should do it well enough. This assumes that the splines that connect the spindle to the pully/quill arent worn. Grab the pulley, and try to turn an allen wrench chucked in the spindle..see how much slop there is. Likely you will need to make an extension on the end of your spindle to clamp.

Remember..quill is the thingy that goes up and down..and carries the spindle with it.

Gunner

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Kind of sounds like a large used radial drill might be a good platform rather than a mill. Really beefy, lots of clearance and probably the ability to add a second quill of sorts to stabilize the multi spindle head.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

"Joe AutoDrill" wrote in news:x5_if.231$s96.29@trndny01:

Fix the quill slide key.

The slot in the quill should be ground, and the key also ground to obtain the correct fit.

Reply to
Anthony

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