Thread: GMF Betts 12 Speed Drill Press Tidy Up

And last one.

This shows the belt tensioning lever. It goes inside and slides a fork (from memory?) back and forth that acts on two 3/4" dowels that attaches to the motor mount. This moves the motor back and forth to tension the belt.

Hope this helps?

20140801_101056-2.jpg

Simon

My drill press is the same. when I purchased it, I had the choice of a tilting table or fixed one. An old fitter from the Victorian Railways workshops told me not to touch the tilt table one. If I did he said to align it properly and weld it so it couldn't move.
His comment was that I would never need the tilt table, and it was a bugger to get exactly trued up, and stay that way.

You have a machine that should be easy to restore.

Regards,

John.

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

What say you to a new separate thread on drill press mods ?Anyway the forum is a bit slow .Until I get my finger out this should help to get you started. I think I posted it before but have no hope of finding it in the search function.

OnlineToolReviews.com - Easy Riser Drill Press Conversion Kit - Detailed Review

Grahame

Good idea to have a mini-forum on drill presses.
I had a couple of minor mods on my old Taiwan drill press, that I could contribute.

That's a neat counterweight idea. I can't use it on my current drill, as it has a solid column rather than a tube.
I noticed a somewhat similar solution on the Sieg X3 mini-mill, that had a gas strut to help lift it.
Maybe a occy-strap attached to the ceiling could work too.

Jordan

Originally Posted by nadroj

That's a neat counterweight idea. I can't use it on my current drill, as it has a solid column rather than a tube.

Easy fix,

Use an external tube - a piece of PVC tube perhaps- the counter weight needs to fit inside or even no tube at all ,if you are not bothered by the CW swinging abou.

In terms of difficulty, it even easier than going through the hollow column as rollers/pulleys can be attached easier to arrange locations.

The counter weight needs to be the weight of the table and table arm support.

Getting the arm off might be a pain, but the work around might be a tube/pipe with an end base welded in it and gradually fill it with weight ( sinkers or small work shop scrap until the weight is reached)

If you have no lathe those little rollers in the bottom of sliding screen doors might do the the trick as pulleys. The wire cable and clamps are not too hard to get.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Easy fix,

Use an external tube - a piece of PVC tube perhaps- the counter weight needs to fit inside or even no tube at all ,if you are not bothered by the CW swinging abou.

In terms of difficulty, it even easier than going through the hollow column as rollers/pulleys can be attached easier to arrange locations.

The counter weight needs to be the weight of the table and table arm support.

Getting the arm off might be a pain, but the work around might be a tube/pipe with an end base welded in it and gradually fill it with weight ( sinkers or small work shop scrap until the weight is reached)

If you have no lathe those little rollers in the bottom of sliding screen doors might do the the trick as pulleys. The wire cable and clamps are not too hard to get.

Grahame

I am thinking about doing this to my mill head. Then I can make a power Z feed, or use a drill with a socket.

Dean

Bought one of these in the late '70's I think, was definitely branded Taiwan, and apart from replacing plastic knobs several times, it ran without fault in my earthmoving shopfor many years until I scored a larger geared head machine. Lost count of the number of 20mm holes it drilled in 70mm excavator bucket pins, and similar jobs. New owner has it running diamond core bits on decorative stonework items.
My intermediate pulley mount had a pair of stiff compression springs under the bolt heads, and allowed it to slide and self adjust. Belt tension lever and locks were as in Simonl's picture. The bolt and fastener firms sell cup shaped spring disc washers (called Schnoor discs) which would work well on those pulley mount bolts. Best type of belt for small pulleys is the cog belt design, Gates etc, as they grip a whole lot better without deforming and pulley wear. They will take extra tension and let you drill some serious metal. Should be good for a lot more years now. Regards,
Combustor.

Thanks for the pictures and comments guys. Mine is definitely different to SimonL's, different idler pulley setup, belt tensioner and my post base is longer and chunkier. Things are moving along, the spindle, quill and morse taper are all cleaned up regreased and back together and I am off to find some new paint today. New ball knobs and rack handle on order and I will remake all the arms and thread to 10mm so get rid of the worn 3/8 holes.

Threw a lick of paint on it yesterday and back together today. I still need to bolt it down and do a belt tensioner, not sure whether I will just go with the original style or have a bash at a quick change type. Also have to make three new arms, a rack collar and oil blacken and refit the table lock offs. Not sure when my new rack handle and ball knobs will arrive but for now it is all together and operating.

This has been a really worthwhile rebuild, quick and easy, if anyone is thinking of doing theirs I would recommend it. Before and after photos.

does this count as an easy riser?

20140804_082302[1].jpg

just hope youngest son doesnt get a flat...lol...but it does work well...anything to make lifting the table easy

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Easy fix,

Use an external tube - a piece of PVC tube perhaps- the counter weight needs to fit inside or even no tube at all ,if you are not bothered by the CW swinging abou.

In terms of difficulty, it even easier than going through the hollow column as rollers/pulleys can be attached easier to arrange locations.

The counter weight needs to be the weight of the table and table arm support.

Getting the arm off might be a pain, but the work around might be a tube/pipe with an end base welded in it and gradually fill it with weight ( sinkers or small work shop scrap until the weight is reached)

If you have no lathe those little rollers in the bottom of sliding screen doors might do the the trick as pulleys. The wire cable and clamps are not too hard to get.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Threw a lick of paint on it yesterday and back together today. I still need to bolt it down and do a belt tensioner, not sure whether I will just go with the original style or have a bash at a quick change type. Also have to make three new arms, a rack collar and oil blacken and refit the table lock offs. Not sure when my new rack handle and ball knobs will arrive but for now it is all together and operating.

This has been a really worthwhile rebuild, quick and easy, if anyone is thinking of doing theirs I would recommend it. Before and after photos.

you didnt mess around

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Threw a lick of paint on it yesterday and back together today. I still need to bolt it down and do a belt tensioner, not sure whether I will just go with the original style or have a bash at a quick change type. Also have to make three new arms, a rack collar and oil blacken and refit the table lock offs. Not sure when my new rack handle and ball knobs will arrive but for now it is all together and operating.

This has been a really worthwhile rebuild, quick and easy, if anyone is thinking of doing theirs I would recommend it. Before and after photos.

Good work!

So far I have resisted the urge to repaint mine. But I would be be interested in perhaps fixing the quill slop. There is a grub screw on the side to minimise this (or at least that what I think it's for) but there is only so much it can do. I estimate there to be about 5 thou of slop, as in the quill is about 5 thou smaller than the hole it slides in. I assume the only fix is to create a brass/bronze sleeve and then turn down the quill? I'm not prepared to go that far just yet for a bench drill.

Simon

Few more finishing touches, oil blackened the lock off levers for the table and made three new arms. The arms are 10mm rod rescued from a mower axle and are 70mm longer than the original, the additional length and thickness definitely feels better. Tapped out the old 3/8 threads to M10 and all scewed together nicely. Still awaiting my ball knobs.

Originally Posted by eskimo

does this count as an easy riser?

20140804_082302[1].jpg

just hope youngest son doesnt get a flat...lol...but it does work well...anything to make lifting the table easy

I suppose when you have not got an easy riser it will do
I use exactly the same thing when I do larger diameter drilling as the table tends to deflect under a load, which is one of the unit's few shortcomings.

A question for those of you with the same model/genre drill press.
The beveled face of the spindle were the 3 drill press arms screw into. On my unit the threaded area is not solid for the depth of the female threads.
In fact the female threaded area is only 1 or 2 threads deep. Are there other examples out there, like this?

It makes for the handles/arms propensity to regularly fall out of the female thread and wobble as they can't be tightened up and stay tightened up.

I am thinking of a disassembly of same and replacing the boss (think that what it is called?) with something that has some more "meat" in it.

Is there is a better way to achieve this ?

Also to turn some spoofy brass knobs for it, probably making them the most valuable part of the machine.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I suppose when you have not got an easy riser it will do
I use exactly the same thing when I do larger diameter drilling as the table tends to deflect under a load, which is one of the unit's few shortcomings.

A question for those of you with the same model/genre drill press.
The beveled face of the spindle were the 3 drill press arms screw into. On my unit the threaded area is not solid for the depth of the female threads.
In fact the female threaded area is only 1 or 2 threads deep. Are there other examples out there, like this?

It makes for the handles/arms propensity to regularly fall out of the female thread and wobble as they can't be tightened up and stay tightened up.

I am thinking of a disassembly of same and replacing the boss (think that what it is called?) with something that has some more "meat" in it.

Is there is a better way to achieve this ?

Also to turn some spoofy brass knobs for it, probably making them the most valuable part of the machine.

Grahame

Stand by Grahame, I'll take a photo. My phone is too flat to power the camera so it may take an hour.

Simon