My new toy

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:52 am

It's not in the shop yet, but I committed to buying it this morning.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/cgi-b ... /4024.html?

Oh I have big plans.

Pete

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:10 pm

Nice one Pete! I have often thought that one of those would make the ultimate wood shop drill press. What are your plans with that three headed beast?

Nico

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:43 pm

I think the plan is to leave the left-most head, center one head on the base, and put the other head in the right position so it is symmetrical.

I am beginning to think it is much bigger than I think, perhaps 7' long. Which is trouble, but I have been so frustrated having the two drill presses next to each other with independent tables. I drill more holes than most woodworkers, and this should be the crown jewel of my drilling operations.

The other part of the plan is to de-ascession one or two of my floor-standing deltas. I currently have 4. I would like to have a dedicated tapping machine, and a dedicated metal working drill press. The three heads are probably overkill for the woodshop- I definitely need two, but what is life without a little bit of excess?

pete

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:37 pm

The new drill press is off the truck at the shop. Now for some cleaning. Unloading pics tonight.

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 8:01 pm

Well here are some pics. The unload went smoother than expected. Al, the machinist who sold it to me was nice enough to bolt it to some 4x4 skids, and they made all the difference.

After getting it off the truck, I spent the remainder of the day cleaning, stripping paint, and sanding the table. It is getting close to being ready for paint. The old green paint is, fortunately, not too well adhered.

My absolute dream would be to regrind the table, I just have this vision of highly polished sexy cast iron. However, I do not think this is in the works. The table is quite dinged, and has a number of random holes. Surprisingly it has not been drilled into too many times in its 53 years of life.

My original plan was to swap out the three heads with heads that I already have. This will certainly be the short term plan, but I have to admit I am becoming strongly tempted by the consecutive serial numbers on the three heads which now lay next to that big old base........

So here are some pics. The last one is the table as I left it at the end of the day.

mr douglas t · Post by **mr douglas t** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 12:03 am

looks like a nice saturday prodject. I have a porter cable sander that is waiting for a saturday of paint removal and bondo

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:43 am

What does the table measure? It looks like a seven footer. What condition are the heads in?

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:27 am

Yup, a nice weekend project, I haven't had one in a while. Fortunately the casting is clean enough that I will be skipping the bondo.

The table measure 6' 11" overall length- it's all of 7'

The heads are in medium condition. One is definitely the worst- missing the depth stop, has a large hole in the cover (I have a spare), and has the high speed front pulley (I have a spare slow speed.)

Also There seem to be some issues with the rack and pinion system, but I have encountered these in the past and normally have found them to be loose set screws and missing or sheared pins- real simple stuff.

I am still trying to formulate a master plan for the fleet of drill presses.

Also plans are in the works for an adjustable fence system for the new press, any ideas?

Pete

mr douglas t · Post by **mr douglas t** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 9:58 am

For a master plan, I would like to be considered for one of your old production tables. It would be a nice upgrade for mine. All I would have to do is paint it blue. As far as a fence system, I think you should have three independant fences. I have a fence on my twin head, and I find that for the fine adjustment I rotate the head ever so slightly to bet it into position than I lock it down.

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:51 am

Mr douglas, I am hoping that you will post a picture of your fence system.

Pete

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 12:23 pm

I am thinking about ways to patch the holes in the top of the table. On previous drill presses I had used an epoxy putty. This press presents an interesting option in that the holes are almost entirely tapped- as if every one had a purpose. They are in a total random pattern, so I am not tempted to leave them.

My thoughts are loctiting bolts in, sawing their heads off, and grinding and sanding them flush. The one problem with this plan is that the holes seem to be well stocked with oil and grease. I have re-tapped them all, but still have not been able to fully purge all of that oil- There is quite a bit.

For those of you who are wondering about the harm of leaving these stupid holes, I find that chips get stuck in them and it ends up that things don't sit flat on the table.

Pete

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:25 pm

If you have a can of carb claener with one of those extension straws you can spray the oil out of the deepest threads.

nico

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:30 am

Thanks for the carb cleaner trick, I had the press upside-down when you posted it, but I used it on every hole I saw poking through. I think I may also try to back up every cut-off bolt that I can with a set screw from below- thus giving it a second push beyond the loctite to hold it in place.

I have started a new thread on the painting process in the rebuilding section.

Here is a link.

http://machinejunkie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=209

Pete