Drill Press Options

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Posted by Bazyle on 21/07/2014 21:51:04:

Now a question. Does anyone know which back geared drill used a pin in the bull wheel like some lathes and had a pulley cover that moved up and backwards while staying parallel to its closed position? Just that we had one at work and curious as to what it was. My intro to that workshop was using it to trepan 3 in holes for moving coil meters.

Hello Bazyle.

I think the drill you might be thinking of is the Kerry Super 8 back geared pillar drill. I used to own one of these and it had the features you mention, I wish I had never sold it.

John.

 I have an Elliot Progress 2G back geared pillar drill now. This has thick heavy castings with a solid round steel column, a quill lock and a quill that is a precise fit in the bore of the head casting and with a speed range of 45 – 2500 RPM. But even this protests when used for milling although it is just about possible with small cutters, but is still a bit dodgy.

Edited By Lathejack on 22/07/2014 00:55:40

[John BromleyParticipant @johnbromley78794]

Thankyou all for the replies, much too take onboard indeed.

I like the idea of a combined mill drill but sadly the budget won't stretch that far presently. Space would also be an issue. So I think for now a dedicated drill press will have to suffice. I need to make neat round holes now.

For the milling side of things, a vertical slide and ER32 collet chuck Should give me capacity to mill small items. I can get these together in time, spreading the cost and without the space requirements of a mill with the drilling capacity I would like.

I will pop down to warco and have a look at the 2B12 drill. It looks to be a very competent machine. I like the the MT2 socket and the lower speed range, so I think the Fobco and Elliott machines are out. Anyone know if they have demonstration machines on site?

John

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Lathejack
I have a Kerry Super 8 . I have fitted an X Y table & clock for z depth . great for milling with various cutters
I don't mill with cutters in drill chuck.
Nobby

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Lathejack & Guy
Here is a photo of my Kerry with guard up also showing some cutters on bench

[Yngvar FParticipant @yngvarf]

Hi Nobby

Nice super 8.

I've got one too, sadly with quite a lot of runout.

Mine is mt2, is your spindle threaded or have you made some kind of collet system?

Yngvar

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Hi John,

The Warco 2B12 is a good drill press. I;ve had one for a few years now and no complaints. Mine was bought as a reject as there was excessive play in the spindle, I rectified this with a bronze sleeve and it has performed well for me.

They do QC their kit before it goes out which is how mine came to be rejected.

I'm pretty sure Roger has them on display.

No affiliation just a long standing satisfied customer.

Graeme

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Yngvar
I fitted a mandrel that I screw my drill chuck., cutter holders, fly cutter ect to as you know it has a morse taper 2
Please see photo or my album No morse taper Nobby

[Yngvar FParticipant @yngvarf]

Thank you.

That is a clever solution. You have given me some ideas how to proceed with mine.

Yngvar

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Hello Nobby.

Your shorter bench top drill with the milling table on the drill base casting looks more suitable for milling. My Elliot Progress is a taller floor standing type, so I had to mount my milling table on the drill table. I bought exactly the same milling table as the one you have modified, I got it from Axminster Tools almost twenty years ago, I think it was called the CT1, Home And Workshop Machinery sell them now.

I used a 2MT milling chuck, for threaded cutters, from Modeloy, remember them? With a simple but effective mod to the milling chuck and drill spindle to keep it in place.

I only experimented and used it briefly all those years ago, as once I restocked my workshop with more machinery it was returned to just a drill, the milling table is still under the bench somewhere.

You seem to have the whole thing well sorted, and it obviously works very well.

All the best.

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

Nobby

I am envious of the location next to the window. Beautiful light; at least during the daytime. I have many lights in my basement shop. Sometimes I wish had more windows. Then again, if I had more windows, the neighbors might occasionally catch me scratching my extremities.

Bill

[Clive Haynes 1Participant @clivehaynes1]

I have a floor standing clarke pillar drill which I have owned for many years and have had no problems with accuracy but I have replaced the chuck as the one supplied is rubbish. So save yourself some cash and just replace the chuck or try your tailstock chuck.

Clive

[VicParticipant @vic]

I use my mill for accurate drilling unless a milling job is already set up in it then I use my Progress No1 bench drill. The Progress only has a 1MT taper in it whereas the mill has a 3MT so I can use larger Morse taper drill bits. I only have a few morse drill bits though, the biggest being about an inch or maybe inch and an eighth diameter.

Elliott, Fobco or Meddings, they're all better than the Far East stuff if you can get one in reasonable condition.

[John BromleyParticipant @johnbromley78794]

Since my last post in this thread my budget has been reviewed, I am going to wait until November when Warco have the end of year open day.

This is also the month of my birth. Hmm…

Hints have been dropped liberally.

This will give me time to save up for a WM-16 Mill drill.

I feel this will give me all the functionality I would need presently and take up little more room than a sturdy drill press.

John

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

John Bromley.
Hi John,
Yes Warco have got a large showroom.Been to open days a couple of times.
Take care and keep your speed down as the very narrow country roads near Warco are rather dangerous. Hope you enjoy trip and get what you want. PS normally food drink and toilets on site. Good day out.
John.

Edited By DMB on 18/08/2014 23:30:18

[Phil SwallowParticipant @philswallow52314]

Picking up on RobC's experience of restoring Fobco Star drills, I recently purchased one and am about to start renovating it. It is an early model with an extended spindle which does me no favours as it almost forces use of the lower table/stand through lack of travel. That said, the spindle is slightly bent so introduces a wobble. I've been in touch with Tony Griffiths and he recommended part dismantling it and replacing certain parts with what was used in slightly later models. That's my next task and will then allow me to make full use of this fine tool.

So within that I assume there is no alternative to removing the return spring? If so, is there a magic way to remove it and keep it intact?

One other thing, the thread on one of the spindle knobs has gone completely. How can I tell what thread size it should be? I've tried M8 & M10 nuts that both start ok but then don't travel all the way down the thread – very confusing.

Hope someone can shed some light and offer some advice, many thanks.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Bazyle on 21/07/2014 21:51:04:

Now a question. Does anyone know which back geared drill used a pin in the bull wheel like some lathes and had a pulley cover that moved up and backwards while staying parallel to its closed position? Just that we had one at work and curious as to what it was. My intro to that workshop was using it to trepan 3 in holes for moving coil meters.

The Qualters & Smith QDM 750 is a close match but the belt cover only moves upwards to get at the pin. There a knob to twist to engage back gear. The Later Kerrys are similar.

No oil to spill either.

 

PS Fobco  £200 – Qualters £50 guess which I bought

Edited By Dave Halford on 03/03/2015 12:44:15

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Phil I would suggest that the threads on the knobs will be Whitworth possibly BSF but I would think Whitworth

Think when the drill was made and we used proper threads

Roy

[RobCParticipant @robc77385]

All the Fobco Drills have worked with had BSF threads on them, which was very handy, as I have a good set of taps/dies for them. There will usually be an oddball thread among them, probably where something has been replaced.

[Andy Smith 12Participant @andysmith12]

Thanks Nobby for a simple solution to holding a milling attachment with no drawbar,i have the same X – Y table as you on my Meddings Pacera drill,now it has another use for light milling.

cheers

Andy

Coventry.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Andy, be very careful milling in a drill press with out a proper milling chuck with a draw bar. When I first got my Rexon mill drill I knew nothing of how to use it, so I put an end mill in the Jacobs chuck, and got milling, that didn't last long, the chuck dropped out of it's socket. I still use the tap wrench that I was making, it still has the little step made when the chuck dropped down. I went and asked a few questions, and found what I needed and why. All that was 25 years ago, and I'm still learning.

Ian S C

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