Thread: Is This Waldown Worth Buying?

The frustrating thing, to me, about good old stuff - particularly three phase stuff, is the two opposing views that exist.

To the people who appreciate them they are solid and good quality and history.
To others they are heavy and old ... and three phase.

This sometimes works in our favour ... I can definitely understand paying $400 plus the effort of moving it to land it in the shed, compared to prices of new stuff. On the other hand, sometimes you can land them a lot less - which is even better.

Don't look at the price, but you might appreciate the pictures ... https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/waldown-drill-press-165096

Cheers,
Paul

A drill press is the second old machine I will be restoring, the other was a 14" Woodfast Bandsaw. I learned so much about Bandsaws in just getting the thing to run. I expect the same will be true for the drill press. Particularly the VFD stuff is making my head spin.

I never considered the Asian stuff, those drill presses are loud made from sheet metal and covered with plastic. I would have to replace the bloody thing every few years. This Waldown & the Woodfast Bandsaw will be kicking heads and taking names long after I have turned to dust. I figure it will probably end up costing a $1000 for a full restore, but it will be worth it. A new Waldown start in the $4000 price range.


Having said that, there are a few machines that I would prefer to buy new but they are German & Austrian (Felder/Hammer) Made not Asian.

I picked up the drill press on Saturday and spent today giving it a general clean and a look over in detail.

Sorry for not knowing all the correct nomenclature for drill press parts.

Lets start with the motor, it is full of grease and dirt. Can this be cleaned up (how?) and will it affect the motors performance?

motor 06.jpgmotor 05.jpgmotor 01.jpgmotor 02.jpegmotor 04.jpg

I believe that the coiled spring on the left hand side of the drill press is worn out as the spindle does not bounce back all the way into the casting body when I realise the handle. Were can I get a replacement?

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Also the piece with the scale on it does not sit snug against the body it spins freely and can be moved by 1 mm up and down.

IMG_4585.jpg

The plastic knob on the right hand side has seen better days can a replacement for be found or made?

IMG_4587.jpg

The depth stop has seen better days can a replacement for it be found?

IMG_4593.jpg

The table has a few errant drill holes in it can those holes be filled with some weld? Then filed flat?

What is the minimum distance the steel post can sit into the cast stand? I want to keep the drill press as high as possible.

I want to replace the chick with a keyless version can anyone recommend a brand?

Also the coupler the chuck sit into that sits between the chuck and the spindle can that be replaced with a shorter version?

Outside of the above the machine came up nice with a good rub down with a turps sacked rag.

Next I want to take the drill press apart completely ready to be shipped off to the sand plaster for clean up.

I think you have the No2 Morse taper version of the drill so it has a longer spindle, which for some is desirable thing.

You can buy the coil/ clock springs for the return mech on ebay for a few dollars.

The depth adjuster bolt will clean up reasonably well but It would be possible to make a new one.

The plastic knob has had a hard life and you may get one of another machine if someone is parting one out, otherwise turn the rough bits off this one on a lathe or make something new.

You can drill the holes out completely in the table and plug them with rod or fill with JBweld etc.

I'm wary about getting any parts sand blasted that are not painted as it will pit the surface and come out matt in finish and then require polishing. Most should come up nice with a wire cup brush and scotchbrite wheel on a grinder.

If the No2 Morse taper is good then lets keep it.

Found coils springs in eBay will just have the find the right one. Thanks.

I think that depth adjuster bolt and the plastic knob will have replacements parts made.

I had the same worry with the sand blasting. However I plan to have all sand blasted parts powder coated.

What about the knob with the scale on it?

In a standard version the chuck is fixed with a stub arbor to the spindle in yours, you can knock the chuck out with a tapered drift through the slot in the side and swap another chuck in or a tapping head etc.

I think the dial should turn so you can set 0 (zero to the top of the work piece and then measure you hole depth as you drill. I think it should be stiff, it may only be loose when that black plastic busted ass knob is undone a bit. I'd have to go look, I mainly use the drill press my grandfather built as I need to fit a motor to my Waldown.

It looks like someone has already brought the star point out on your 3-phase motor. Lucky you! However, this is not the original motor. The original was closed at the ends. This one is open and will continue to collect crud. You will need to keep an eye on it.
Will you be driving it wih a VFD or 3-phase direct? Either way, you need to confirm that the connections are now star or delta configuration! (Delta for 240V VFD, Star for 415V 3-phase).
The others have already covered some of the points, so consider mine a second opinion.

1. Clean the motor thorougly and regrease or replace the bearings. You can use kero safely. Don't use metho or acetone! Blow it out properly with compressed air. Then get someone to check the insulation safety (megger). If that is OK, your motor will be fine.
2. The coil spring is adjustable. They don't really wear out. They break or stay in one piece. When you reassemle the drill, with proper lurication, and adjusted correctly, your spring should be fine. The adjustment is made via the engagement point of the rack, from memory. You wind the spring up with the feed pinion and handwheel, then withdraw it just enough to engage the spindle housing but without disengaging the spring.
3. The depth indicator is meant to spin on the spindle, so you can set it Zero. It should have just enough tension not to spin by itself. You may want to insert a shim between it and the spring to give it the tension it needs. It needs to clear the body casting to turn.
4. The plastic knob just hold the engagement of the feed wheel tight. You can tidy it up or make a new one. It's cosmetic. I would keep it but file the finger indentations back to a nice shape.
I actually suspect that the gear teeth for the handwheel are damaged. At leat one of the handles is broken off by considerable force and then someone has used waterpump pliers to tighten the knob on the feed to hold the grears engaged. Find out what's going on there.
5. Not sure what you mean about the depth stop. It is a knurled head bolt meant to have a spring behind it. If the stop it crews against is not broken, it is fine.
6. The vertical post should be well engaged in the foot - if you can get it out at all. But you could lift the body casting up a bit. Short of that, you might have to make a longer replacement post.
7. Your chuck is on a MT2 arbour which comes out of the spindle with a wedge. You can replace it with whatever MT2 arbour and chuck combination you fancy.
There seems to be a grub screw near the ottom of your spindle. Remove it and find out why it was put in there. It seems to go into the side of the MT arbour and is NOT meant to be there. Any bur ot causes on the inside will stop the arbour or MT drills from seating and locking properly!
8. DON'T have it sand blasted. The holes and clearances are all made accurately. They will stuff it up. Use sandpaper and elbow grease instead. The post, foot and table surfaces, the depth gauge and the hand wheel boss will come up nice and shiney with fine sand paper and kero or turps.
If you want the castings to gleam, use a thin layer of filler and rub it back before painting. Read Anorak Bob's posts about his "Waldown beater".
9. The black balls for your feed handles are available in most sizes and threads.

Keep the photos coming of your progress!

Originally Posted by jhovel

It looks like someone has already brought the star point out on your 3-phase motor. Lucky you! !

I thought that too when I first saw the connections but I think those extra wires are just the mains connections.

Originally Posted by jhovel

However, this is not the original motor. The original was closed at the ends.

I have another three phase motor Australian made it is inclosed and in much better condition, no rust, grease or grim it came from a Woodfast 14" bandsaw. It has almost the exact same details on the motor plate but its 0.75 horsepower instead of 0.5. Could I just use this motor?

Originally Posted by jhovel

DON'T have it sand blasted.

I am weary of exposing myself to all the dust and lead based paint from the stripping, not to mention the chemical used in paint stripping. I also do not have a massive yard or a dirty non-woodworking workspace were I can fling around muck. All the internal mechanical parts, the vertical post and the smaller knobs I am okay to do myself as they are in mostly in good order and small. And will need only a buffing.

However the stand, the sheet metal enclosure for the belt and the main body casting I was planing to sand blast. As they would all need to be repainted, they are heavily coated with rust, paint and grease.

I could make some plywood plugs to fill any critical dimensions holes so that the sand blasting does not alter them or get in were it is not wanted.

Originally Posted by jhovel

The vertical post should be well engaged in the foot

The cast iron stand is almost 400mm high does the post need to be in all the way or will 200mm?

If I were to replace to vertical post is it just mild steel or something special?

Had a go at stripping some of the worst rust and paint of the sheet metal enclosure and a little bit from the casting. Just to see how it would take. It took my 2 hours to get it this stage about 1/10 done, I used a wire brush in a hand drill to remove the loose stuff and a drum sander attached to the drill again. If I was to do it all with abrasives I suspect that it would be close to 20 hours of work to do the whole drill press. There are still deep pitting that has not come out from the sheet metal.

Is it necessary to take the hinge apart, it is badly rusted? If yes how can I remove it.

I assume if I was to paint it I would need to remove every trace of pitting and have the surface as clean bare metal as possible.

Here are some photos.


IMG_4602.jpgIMG_4603.jpgIMG_4610.jpgIMG_4609.jpgIMG_4608.jpgIMG_4607.jpgIMG_4606.jpegIMG_4605.jpegIMG_4604.jpg

You get to a point where you treat the light rust with a inhibitor that is paintable. And after etch primer use a sandable primer to fill the pitting for a smooth finish

This is a motor that I have that is in much better condition then the original.

Do you guys think it might make a better replacement? Its full enclosed and clean.

Here are the details:

Horsepower 0.75
RPM 1440
Volts 400
Amps 15
Rating Continues
Wind Star

01.jpg02.jpg04.jpg0 - 1.jpg

Originally Posted by DSEL74

You get to a point where you treat the light rust with a inhibitor that is paintable. And after etch primer use a sandable primer to fill the pitting for a smooth finish

That situation looks like a prime candidate for a Tannic acid rust converter. It needs multiple 3-4 applications with a light dressing down between times but it should dry much cleaner than phosphoric acid and can be painted over quite easily.

Motor looks OK, a bit more power would be nice otherwise it complements the machine nicely in terms of "vintagness:

Thumbsucker,

If the wire wheels you are using to strip the paint are too slow try using a Scotch-Brite paint stripping wheel i.e. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...4248463&rt=rud

I was shown how to use them when helping a panel beater mate to strip paint from a car. They are fairly aggressive while not generating too much heat. I don't think warping the steel is a major concern in your case though.You can get them with a small shaft so you can use them in an electric drill.

Not sure if you have tried them but worth giving them a go, you can get them from most of the big chain hardware stores.

Tim