adjusting feed nut on mill drill??

[monkers]

I am working on my mill/drill again, here and there. Its a Jet JMD 18, and I was curious if anyone has ever drilled the front of the base below the bearing support for the Y feed screw to allow adjusting the feed nut back lash? I was thinking of drilling a 1/2" hole just below the bearing support, and then making a long "allen wrench" (think its 4mm) out of a piece of 5/16" rod drilling the end and pressing in a piece of 4mm hex, then tack welding it, and welding a nut to the opposite end.
When I built my stand I thought the adjustment screw was lower than what it really is and planned on drilling it as mentioned. Upon looking at it closer, I see the adjustment screw isnt lower than the support. So the "wrench" would be at an angle with the plan Im proposing. Maybe use a ball hex head for this? I understand it will not be a pleasant task. I didnt want to leave the base open because I am going to use it for storage. There is a drawer under the base.
If I cant drill it I may have to cut a access door in the base and just screw a plate to it to keep the chips out of the drawer. This wont be great either because I will have to take stuff out of the drawer to get to the access plate. Does anyone have any ideas about this? I understand it wont need adjustment often, but want to make it as easy as possible. Thanks guys

[EdK]

Couldn't you just pull the drawer totally out instead of emptying it to gain access to the plate?

Ed

[Sunset Machine]

There's a backlash adjuster? Sheesh, mine (a Busy-Bee) doesn't even have zero-able dials on the handwheel feed collars. Real looxery there!!

[stevec]

Sunset, my Busy Bee has thumbscrew set-able dials, what vintage is yours? I bought mine in the early '80s.

[monkers]

Edk, I would have to cut an access hole in the top and put a plate over it to keep the crap outta the drawer, but that is one avenue I am looking at

[monkers]

Sunset, looxery, Ive never run one of these mill drills, only Bridgeport type machines, so it will be a learning curve.....;)

[stevec]

monkers, actually they're an "un"learning curve.

[monkers]

lmao....

[Sunset Machine]

Mine's from 1980-81. I was after a drill press and saw this big honkin' thing that does just dandy for drilling holes. The only "bridgeport" I've run was a profile mill, all hydraulic. A machinist friend stopped by a while back and was surprised to see a 3/4" endmill in the Busy Bee. I plopped a chunk of steel in the vice and made some chips, he said "Huh. That would of tasked a Bridgeport." Our weld shop has a Chinese turret mill with a 5Hp motor, it's a bobble head that shudders and shakes - no way it will deliver 5hp to the cutter. No way. Another friend and commercial shop owner has a bona-fide Bridgeport, and I've seen some pretty rough work come off of that thing, but he's usually in a hurry.

Dunno, the Busy Bee seems fine to me. I've a vertical head for the old horizontal but the mill-drill is already handy. No DRO, no adjustable collars, no vertical ways, it can be a pain at times.

[monkers]

I think Im just gonna take the lead screw out when I need to adjust the nut......I can make an extension to go in the leadscrew hole....