Advice Mounting a Power Feed

[deema]

Well, I've finally been seduced by a power feed for my spindle moulder. I really appreciated everyone's advise on which to buy on an earlier thread and following the feedback plumbed for a Maggi 2038. What a beast! 60kg!

I've never used a power feed, always hand fed the stuff through the spindle. However, being a little hasty a couple of months ago I grasped the wood on the outfeed side of the table and experienced a big kick back. Fortunately the shaw guards were in place, and stopped any amputations. However, my hand was bruised and my pride a little more so. The frightening part was that I had just put on the shaw guards after using the spindle without them minutes before. Experienced one of those OMG moments and decided that a power feed was now on the essential list.

Sorry for the ramble, but hopefully it may persuade others to follow in my foot steps.

The question is, what should be considered when positioning the base of the power feed on my Sedgwick SM4ii spindle moulder. I have this fear that I will fix it and discover that I have missed something and need to move it! I would like to have only four holes in the table top!

Has anyone mounted one of these in the Sedgwick, and if so could you share with me where you put the base?

The instructions say mount with M12 bolts through 15 mm holes drilled in the top. Does not recommend threaded holes unless the top is c30mm. Mine is 19mm.

 

[RobinBHM]

The first power feed I bought was a maggi 2038 -a 3 wheel 8 speed feeder I seem to recall. I fitted it to a kity spindle moulder and the power feed weighed more than the spindle moulder itself! Swinging the arm round had to be done gently or the whole thing would tip over. You wont have such problems with you Sedgwick.

I know power feeds maybe fitted to either of the rear corners, but cant at the moment think which side is best. If you are not sure on exact position maybe you could bolt it to a double thickness lump of ply and clamp it in place to see how it swings round etc (for safety dont machine like this).

A power feed makes a massive difference to a spindle moulder and can be much much safer. The technique for power feeding is often different from hand feeding. It depends on the operation, but often rebating will be done with the cutting done above not below.

Power feeds are a pain to set up the first time, but once the wheels are set level to the bed, subsequent set ups only need tow in and height setting. Power feeds can swivel round so the wheels push the work against the fence, but what a pain to set up.

If its your first time using a power feed, some dry runs with no tooling would be worthwhile.

The most common error......forgetting to tighten the power feed from swinging: the result is the power winds itself in until the cutter starts machining the wheel down! I do know of machinists that deliberately cut down a middle wheel to allow closer working to the cutters.

As a precaution, once putting in a moulding block, I often swing the power feed round to cover the block before starting up, just in case Ive fixed the cutters in wrong (despite always double checking each tightening screw).

 

[srp]

Not much to add, except that you might want to consider a backing plate, or at least some decent thickness large washers, for the four nuts if the table casting is thin, and double check before drilling to make sure there are no webs where the holes are. I would have thought that a 15mm hole for a 12 mm bolt is much too large - 12.5 mm is ample.

 

[Myfordman]

I would have thought that a 15mm hole for a 12 mm bolt is much too large - 12.5 mm is ample.

+1

MM

 

[deema]

Appreciate the feedback

 

[doctor Bob]

I have power feeds on 2 of my spindles, each is on the back corner but one on the left, one on the right. So they don't hit each other when swung out of the way. Neither is advantageous, both work the same.

 

[cerdeira]

Hi.

I have found that having the feed unit mounted on the normal outfeed side makes it easier to move it out of the way when you're setting up and making test cuts. If you mount it on the infeed side you'll have to swing the unit 180 deg to clear the way.

 

[deema]

Well, the power feed is now bolted on. Drilling through the cast iron top was extemely easy, and managed to avoid any webs underneath. In fact the webs are positioned such that you can just fit the feed unit on without hitting them. The base casting of the Maggi was not symmetrically drilled, which considering the cost of it was not to the standard I would have expected. However, everything else is extremely well engineered and works extremely well.

The 2038 has the right range of feed speeds IMO for everything I'm ever likely to do. I am really appreciative of the advise every gave that persuaded me to spend a few more schekles rather than getting the 2034 which would have had be going back to had feeding for some applications.

Cuts are far superior to anything I used to do by hand, and climb cutting is a revelation. No need for reverse on the spindle!

Verdict, should have bought one when I first got the soundly moulder. Expensive, but worth every penny.

I bought new, but having seen what's inside them and the excellent shares available from Maggi, a secondhand unit would have been an excellent a cheaper alternative.