Thread: Servian Drill Press Rebuild

Hi bennyteee,
are you really in Northern California, with an Aussie made drill press??
Anyhow, welcome to the forum.
I scored a 'Premo' branded version of these Servian (made?) machines, last year.
Last I heard, the forum consensus seemed to be, it is unclear what Servian actually made and what was badge engineering...
Hopefully can take pictures soon, to post. On my home computer, there should be pics of a Servian with an intermediate pulley to increase number of speeds.
regards,
AndrewOC

Thank you!

Indeed, I wish I knew the story behind it but somehow the machine ended up in a small town near Sacramento. I'm speculating but the prior owner must have been a widower, I cant imagine my wife letting me accumulate as many pieces of machinery as as he had!

Thanks for the information about Servian. I wonder if they have clones or similar machines under a different brand, if indeed they were re-badged? Through my image searches I had a hard time finding any with similar looking parts. And are there any manuals or parts lists floating around? No luck at Vintagemachinery.org...

Ben

I doubt there was ever much in the way of manuals or parts lists, for these. Hopefully my eventual photos will confirm the similarity. Does yours have a depth stop rod on the opposite side to the capstan handle?
VM and OWWM do give the impression they are focused on USA made machines, though I definitely am a happy reader of those forums.
regs,
AndrewOC

Welcome to the forum.

Okie Doke,
pics, pics, pictures.. where did I leave them?
First two, a Premo branded d.p. Not mine, but basically the same. Tables are different, mine is a square unit, fixed/ one piece with the arm to the column.
Premo drill press2.JPG
Premo drill press1.JPG

The tag says something like Premo made for Goodall & Co by Servian Machinery- I'll have to double check.
Goodall were prominent machinery and tool merchants throughout the 20th C, based in Sydney, NSW.
These machines appear in the 1955 catalogue.
Premo appears to be a brand used by Goodall's for 'their' wide range of woodworking and metalworking machinery. I do know that the metal lathe was manufactured Brackenbury & Austin, engineers also in Sydney.
enjoy,
AndrewOC

Thanks for the welcome Old1955.

And thanks for the pics and info AndrewOC, looks pretty similar to mine too. So if that’s mid 50’s, mines probably about the same. Hopefully will give the 1949 Unisaw some company!

And yes Andrew the depth stop is on the opposite side of the capstan, in the first picture below you can see the nut that it screws into (I disassembled it before the pic). I thought somebody welded the nut to a bolt but after cleaning the grease off it looks machined that way and I’d say factory original.

Had some time the other night to tear into the spindle end. The prior owner was liberal with the grease which aided the removal of the spindle pulley. Just a little pressure with the puller and she popped right off. Quill tube and capstan came off just fine too. Going to take apart the quill assembly this weekend and order some bearings.

A couple questions with pictures down below: 1) All the newer drill presses return springs are in housings you can spin to de-tension the spring. This one doesn't and I'm not sure if I should just pull it out or if that would screw up getting it back in right. 2) What is are the two bolts on top of the main casting for? Center pulley?



The return spring. Also how the depth stop attaches to the right of the spring.
32243043840_45106beec9_z.jpg

Bolts on top of main casting
31778892504_2f551beaf3_z.jpg

Main casting with the bearing and pulley tube still attached, going to try and push it out this weekend.
32581902626_8022027a09_z.jpg
It was late and I was hasty with my pictures but here is the best looking one of the quill tube.
32581897746_1e67784db2_z.jpg
Motor plate.
32499638301_fd12a301ff_z.jpg

Hi All,

I'm new to woodworking (more correctly - restoring old woodworking machines), and new to this forum. I read this thread with much interest, as I recently bought this Servian pedestal drill press from the wife of the original owner, in Sydney. The model number is SA.11.

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.jpg

My apologies - I'm not sure why the images are so small. They were taken at good resolution.

It would seem that Servian DPs don’t have the cup-shaped spring cover (common in other DPs) which enable one to safely tension and de-tension the clock spring without any special tools. I’m stuck at the point of wanting to remove the feed lever. If I simply pull it out from the lever side (right hand side), I’ll lose the tension in the spring. I wonder if standard tools exist for working safely with clock springs.

Regards,
Dave

I have a F&R Tough drill press and the quill has a large nut holding the top bearing. Need to know if this nut is R-H or L-H thread. Your Servian looks similar. When you do your bearings, can you tell me if it is R-H or L-H thread.

And thanks for the pics and info AndrewOC, looks pretty similar to mine too. So if that’s mid 50’s, mines probably about the same. Hopefully will give the 1949 Unisaw some company!

And yes Andrew the depth stop is on the opposite side of the capstan, in the first picture below you can see the nut that it screws into (I disassembled it before the pic). I thought somebody welded the nut to a bolt but after cleaning the grease off it looks machined that way and I’d say factory original.

Had some time the other night to tear into the spindle end. The prior owner was liberal with the grease which aided the removal of the spindle pulley. Just a little pressure with the puller and she popped right off. Quill tube and capstan came off just fine too. Going to take apart the quill assembly this weekend and order some bearings.

A couple questions with pictures down below: 1) All the newer drill presses return springs are in housings you can spin to de-tension the spring. This one doesn't and I'm not sure if I should just pull it out or if that would screw up getting it back in right. 2) What is are the two bolts on top of the main casting for? Center pulley?



The return spring. Also how the depth stop attaches to the right of the spring.
32243043840_45106beec9_z.jpg

Bolts on top of main casting
31778892504_2f551beaf3_z.jpg

Main casting with the bearing and pulley tube still attached, going to try and push it out this weekend.
32581902626_8022027a09_z.jpg
It was late and I was hasty with my pictures but here is the best looking one of the quill tube.
32581897746_1e67784db2_z.jpg
Motor plate.
32499638301_fd12a301ff_z.jpg[/QUOTE]

I have one exactly like this (except not as clean!). Model SA.11. Serial number 847. Inherited from my father 15 years ago. It's built like a tank. The chuck has seen better days but at the rate I use it, about twice a year, I reckon I have about 10,000 years before I need to do any work on it.

The metal working forum has more information on Servian DP's.

Some ads from Newspapers of the era with a few difference styles of Servian drills:

West Australian 23 Aug 1949
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...4|||l-title=30
Servian1.png

West Australian 18 Apr 1945
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...4|||l-title=30
Servian2.png

Weekly Times (Melbourne) 30 Jun 1954
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...|||l-title=621
Servian3.png

Servian even imported drills and re-badged them, mine is one such drill made in Sweden. I think they were the Hare & Forbes of their day to some extent.

just completed a refurbish on this one

is that front pulley just a press fit?? i see the thread at the top and also the key? dont want to force the issue.

cheers.