Author Topic: Drill Press Help Needed  (Read 3434 times)

Offline Mosey

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Drill Press Help Needed
« on: January 01, 2013, 02:36:32 AM »
 :old:For reasons that I can't go into, I can no longer lift the table up on my drill press by hand, so I need a mechanical way to raise it. It is a 25 year old Sears floor model drill press, with a cast iron table that slides up and down the round column by hand. There is a hand lock and a bracket on the side of the table to mount a swiveling thing. I need to be able to crank the table up and raise it.
I'm thinking there must be a way to mount a crank at the top of the column, and a chain or gears that will allow me to raise it without lifting it's weight with my arms.. Any ideas will be appreciated.
Mosey

Offline Captain Jerry

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2013, 04:08:13 AM »
Mosey

Have you thought about a counterweight with a cable over a pulley or maybe a hydraulic or mechanical jack.  No real plans in mind, just ideas to kick around.

Jerry
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Offline Jo

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2013, 07:05:04 AM »
Careful with the idea of a jack you could  :hellno: crack the table if it puts uneven pressure on it.

The drill itself provides a rack system.. put a suitable bar in the chuck, wind it down and clamp the end of the bar in a vice, clamp the vice to the table. Now loosen the table and use the drill turret handle to wind up the table, clamp the table. I also use the turret handle to help higher/lower the head as I struggle to move mine :-\.

Jo
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Online steamer

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2013, 01:06:18 PM »
Mosey,

If you want to lift it...you are best to lift it near the column.   I think Jerry's idea of a cable and counterweight would be best, but getting the weight in position and sized right would be problematic.

So Im thinking a block and pulley arrangement.

To keep the table from "window locking"  attach the block and tackle as close to the column as you can.. On the side seems the best location to me as that is where the rack is on my drill press.

Dave
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Offline Mosey

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2013, 02:14:24 PM »
All great ideas...can't wait to try Jo's. Simple...put a hooked bar in the chuck, hook it onto table, rack it back up?!
Of course I could trade it up ($$$) on a newer one with it's own rack on the column.
Thanks, guys.
I may post some real plans here to have further feedback on a plan to build something.

Offline Mosey

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2013, 05:32:56 PM »
Doesn't work, Jo.

Force is too far from the column making it jam on the column rather than lift.
I have a new idea...call wife down to shop and she helps lift the table. This works very nicely, but is VERY expensive. Other type of costs.

Offline Jo

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2013, 05:51:30 PM »
 :o Works on mine.

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Mosey

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2013, 05:53:19 PM »
Co'mon over and show me... :ROFL:

Online steamer

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Re: Drill Press Help Needed
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2013, 06:22:50 PM »
Your both right.

The table will lock up if you pull too far away from the column....how far?   Measure the length of the column bearing...if you pull more than twice that distance away from the center of the column....approximately....it will lock up...the actual dimension will depend on where the CG is...the coefficient of friction...ect.

That is called in the trade....."window locking".....
Generally with plain bearings you assume a coefficient of friction of .2....and and the " 2 to 1" rule applies.

Grab and/or push closer to the column...it'll work.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

 

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