The Milling Machine - 8: Quill Feed
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WARNING: Machine tools present a safety hazard. Improper operation can result in severe injury. These topics are for non-laboratory study only and are not to be used in conjunction with the operation of any tool or machine described herein. Never use a machine tool without the supervision of a qualified instructor.
The automatic quill feed is a nice feature to have for certain drilling, boring, and reaming operations. The quill feed mechanism is driven by the spindle so the speed of the quill feed varies with the speed of the spindle. However the rate of feed is fixed as a distance moved per revolution. This is very much similar to the feed rates of the engine lathe. The Bridgeport style machines usually have three feed ranges: .001, .003, and .005 per revolution. There will probably be a selection lever on the head of the machine like the one shown in this video.

Note that there is a quill feed engage/disengage lever on the machine also. This is the lever that attaches the quill feed mechanism to the spindle. It should not be engaged if you are not using the quill feed as this can cause needless wear. Engage this lever only when ready to quill feed. This is not the lever to be used to start quill feed or stop quill feed. There will be yet another lever for this control.

See also Vertical Head and Attachments, Quill Feed Rates
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