Thread: Dawn 600 Drill

Originally Posted by jmk89

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how rapidly the advancing mechanism is supposed to work and how I should adjust the drill so that the quill advances at the required rate. Is there an owners manual or similar anywhere?

Nice.

I may be misunderstanding you, but there is no "advancing mechanism" other than the hand wound wheel at the top

Here's a gratuitous picture of one done up...

Drill press Dawn.jpg

And a copy of someones catalogue...
Dawn Post Drilling.pdf

The post drill's not mine, and the advert is filtched from the interweb thingy...

Cheers, Vann.

its pretty simple, just turn the big crank wheel and slowly advance the feed wheel with the other hand - you will get a feel for it.

If you advance the drill down too much the drill may get harder to turn if doing metal. I used to have my 5yo son using it to keep him busy. Unless you have a set of 1/2 inch shank drills get a drill chuck with a 1/2inch shank and use modern drills.

Thanks Van and zsteve.

I confused myself because when I turned the big handle on mine, the top wheel went round by itself at a rate slower than the quill was turning and advanced the quill. Turns out that the reason it did that was gummed up oil in the works causing a slipping friction fit! A quick spray of WD-40 to clean out the gunge and the drill works as advertised!

It makes me think that some kind of geared ratchet on the top nut could turn the top handle automatically....but in the meantime, I'll just get it working as advertised and then consider 'improvements'

Originally Posted by jmk89

It makes me think that some kind of geared ratchet on the top nut could turn the top handle automatically....

You mean like this

Kitchener1b.jpg

(also "borrowed" from the web)

Cheers, Vann.

Something like that

Nice drill. Where'd u find it?

Fleabay in Coogee


Screwing up in new ways every day

I turned down one of these just the other day because of the cost. Did you do much research into the value and what do you believe it is worth??

I was happy to pay $70 -$80.


Screwing up in new ways every day

Nice - are you expecting blackouts?
or haven't you paid the electricity bill?

Interesting I can see where you attach the base to a post but not the top, but than again I suppose you don't need to

Originally Posted by jmk89

It makes me think that some kind of geared ratchet on the top nut could turn the top handle automatically....but in the meantime, I'll just get it working as advertised and then consider 'improvements'

There has been a thread on here about such an auto drill ... but I don't know the different models.
Maybe a year or so back.
Cheers,
Paul

Originally Posted by Vann

You mean like this

Kitchener1b.jpg

(also "borrowed" from the web)

Cheers, Vann.

Is that a Dawn???? the top of the casting with the ratchet is flat like mine!

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Is that a Dawn????

Nope. I think it's a Canadian Blower & Forge (I would have started collecting photos of them after buying one recently). Canadian Blower & Forge are the Canadian branch of Buffalo Forge - and I reckon Dawn based their 611 on the Buffalo Forge 611 (but that's another thread)

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Interesting I can see where you attach the base to a post but not the top, but than again I suppose you don't need to

That one is missing the top bracket, which is only needed if you wall/post mount it. As you've noted, it can also be bench mounted.

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Nice - are you expecting blackouts?
or haven't you paid the electricity bill?

We had a big storm through here on Thursday evening - lost power from 7.30pm to noon on Friday. Some rural properties still don't have it back on. Unfortunately my post drill still isn't mounted

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

We had a big storm through here on Thursday evening - lost power from 7.30pm to noon on Friday. Some rural properties still don't have it back on. Unfortunately my post drill still isn't mounted
Cheers, Vann.

Hmmm ... ... What you ideally need is something that would work even without electricity ...

Paul