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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Mackay Qld
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    Default Drill press mods

    After reading the posts about GMF Betts 12 speed drill press I had a rush of thoughts about the various modification that could be possibly by added to drill presses and what was planned for them.
    Of the common tools to be found in a metalworkers or woodworkers shop, the humble drill press is available in many forms and levels of quality.

    Being of low funds some of us may not have been able to purchase the top model drill press, but yet still desire, the one we did buy to have some of those extra features.

    Of course these will be differences between the many brands, types and models but there will be similarities too.

    Hopefully any information or ideas, that come from any information exchange may very well help someone else now ,or later, to copy or at least synthesise the function to their own use.

    Below are pics of my humble offerings of my DP mods already completed.

    The easy riser mod to the make the table height adjustment a 10 second chore- (this one not shown)

    A mobile stand (under my bench model) and drawers for all the bits and piecesDSCF5031.jpg


    A quick change belt tension lever .DSCF5052.jpg



    the motor hinge


    A center pivot point - for drilling through knife handlesDSCF5028.jpg

    Extra modifications to complete
    An auxiliary table for bits and pieces JCDPStorage.jpg

    Up grade the 3 arm screw to boss connection - I have thoughts of a plate bolted to the axis of the spindle and welding on the offset cranked arms. Some newer model DPs do this with a cast plate. I envisage an internal LH thread so the thread tightens under load.

    Turned balls on handle ends.

    Please add the mods you have already made or discuss, or inquire about the mods you wish to make.

    Grahame

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    The most significant mod on my DP is the VFD.
    I upgraded the motor from 1kW single phase to 1.15 kW 3 phase and added a 1.5kW VFD
    I run between about 20 (236) and 120Hz (1400 rpm) for most bits on the same belt but still change the belts occasional for very small or large bits.
    This gets used daily and works very well.

    The other mods I have made are a home made easy riser.

    I started to collect the parts to make a recirculating coolant system for it but these days most of the larger drilling seens to be done on the lathe so I haven't progressed it past that.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Kalamunda, WA
    Age
    52
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    1,989

    Default

    Seeing the GMF Betts is mine I had better post the belt tensioner mod. $20 for a horizontal clamp from H&F and half an hour with a cordless drill followed by a M6 tap. Makes belt change a breeze and you can flick the lever to take the tension off the belts when your done.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    59
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    3,149

    Default

    When I had a bench drill press with round table I made up a catcher for swarf - the idea being that most would fall through the slots or be brushed off saving me having to brush down as much. It was published as part of an article in MEW in 2008. Sorry - this is a scan of the published article photo - all I could find to hand.
    Swarf catcher (Medium).jpg

    Now I have a pedestal drill so I have made a roll out trolley with a removable tray on top that does a similar thing. (covered for the night but you get the idea - tray is the black bit just visible)

    trolley (Medium).JPG

    Michael

  6. #5
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    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    Default

    Michael, I like the idea of a DP swarf catcher but I wonder how effective it is?
    My DP table is a rounded/square and has no slots in it but I still seem to spread swarf out to about a 1m radius from the DP. I guess I should be backing out the drill a bit more often to make smaller lengths of swarf. Every now and then I use a mag broom to pick up the stuff that's on the table and the floor but it's still a very messy system.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
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    59
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Michael, I like the idea of a DP swarf catcher but I wonder how effective it is?
    I take the view that every piece of swarf I can catch like that is a piece I don't tread on or have to sweep up. It was not too bad. Vertically there was 25mm or so clearance between the table diameter and the top lip of the cone, so I could gently wipe/brush swarf off and it would go in the cone. Best idea may be to experiment with some cardboard and see what geometry works best without getting in the way. The tin on the bottom was a small pineapple one by the way.

    Michael

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Peakhurst
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    66
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    1,173

    Default

    The best mod I did was to take the 60W bulb and turf it.

    Had some bakelite baynot fittings so wired up one to a computer splitter cable and mounted two flexi leds on either side of the DP.

    So for $50 (lights) and a bit of scrap and other bits laying around the shed I got a massive improvement in lighting.

    P3240146.jpgP3240145.jpgP3240147.jpg

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
    Age
    63
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    2,765

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    I take the view that every piece of swarf I can catch like that is a piece I don't tread on or have to sweep up. It was not too bad. Vertically there was 25mm or so clearance between the table diameter and the top lip of the cone, so I could gently wipe/brush swarf off and it would go in the cone. Best idea may be to experiment with some cardboard and see what geometry works best without getting in the way. The tin on the bottom was a small pineapple one by the way.

    Michael
    I am working on the swarf problem, but it generally comes to mind just after I have flicked it off with a brush. I haven't had time to work on my new DP yet. A good reason to follow this thread.

    Grahame, did the picture of the motor hinge go missing in action? Does the quick change belt tension lever have an over centre locking action?

    Dean

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    920

    Default

    Sorry no photos as I don't own the drill press any more, but had a Taiwan made unit for several years. It was cheap but quite good, and I liked the No.2 Morse taper for the chuck arbor to fit to the quill.
    I can describe a simple modification that allowed me to do light milling, before I got better equipment.
    There's a slot in the quill that has a grubscrew with locknut engaging it, to guide the quill. The screw's tip is turned down so it fits the slot nicely.
    When milling, it was necessary to lock the quill to prevent it from moving vertically. The drill's depth stop provision doesn't do that adequately.
    Replacing the slot grubscrew with a bolt, with the end turned down but a bit deeper than the original grubscrew, allowed it to bear down to the bottom of the slot.
    That effectively locked the quill in place, so milling could be done.

    Jordan

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay Qld
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    3,466

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldneweng View Post
    Grahame, did the picture of the motor hinge go missing in action? Does the quick change belt tension lever have an over centre locking action?
    Sort of Dean, a long story short, was I had some problems positioning that pic. I can see to hinge pic it is jammed up,to the right of, the tension lever. You blokes may not be able to see that pic , for some reason.

    I will just repost it ok ? The assembly is a piece of angle section with turned hinge tubes tacked at the angle section toe position - to their respective members.8mm Cap head screw are tapped into the DP body
    DSCF5033.jpg


    As for the over center lever . It does need a bead of weld or block bolted to the motor plate as it tends to hit max extension and skids off on the opposite side.


    The lever itself is just a bit S/ S rod threaded to a hex section rod joiner ( as in cyclone rod joiner ) that in turn is welded to a turned disc fitted with a shoulder bolt. On my Taiwanese model,the wall thickness to tap the shoulder bolt into is uncomfortably thin - say 4 or 5 mm.
    If I do recall properly, the only other issue was to enlarge the hole where the motor spindle comes through the bottom belt guard-as the motor shaft now swings to the left instead of back and forward and needs a bit of extra clearance.


    Grahame

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    North Of The Boarder
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    Default

    Using mine for wood and metal means swapping the drill press table on and off depending on whats in the pipe line. I made a table up some time ago MDF but due to someone spilling his tea over it .

    So I scored some thicker MDF did some improvements to the fence, as well as T-slots.
    Trouble is when the additional table is on raising and lowering the height was ARPIA using the winder.
    So I removed the winding handle drilled a nut out to fit the shaft, drilled and tapped a grub screw into it found an old spark plug socket 13/64? an old ratchet now no more hassles. See Here

    I made a wheeled frame no draws similar to Graehme's one above.

    As for swarf collection I use L & P plates LOML picks up which seem to be along the walk ways and road sides. It doesn't cut down on it all going to the floor but it helps. I have an idea which I'll trial first.

    I did start making a depth gauge for mine made the shaft and fitted still not got an old vernier or ruler set up as yet.




  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Townsville. Tropical Nth Qld.
    Posts
    1,243

    Default

    Speaking of a swarf collector, the best I have seen is to use an upside down plastic garbage can lid on an articulated arm that slips in under the table and keep breaking up the spiral as you drill. I have just moved all my machines around to get the old lathe out and was horrified how much swarf was spread by the drilling process.
    Rgds,
    Crocy.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    295

    Default Hole drilling gremlins.

    This is my drill press, I bought it way back around 1985 - it cost around $320 then - not an insubstantial sum in 1985. I'ts Taiwanese I believe, branded Klass.

    The day I bought it, the cast winding handle for the rack broke in two, welded it back together and it's never given trouble since. The columm is quite a bit larger than most pedestals of this size (100mm) so it's quite a sturdy unit. The three arms and mount for them was abysmal so I machined a boss, drilled and tapped it and threaded three 12mm arms in place. The hole for the swinging intermediate pulley bracket and the shaft on the intermediate pulley bracket itself wore out over the years so a year or so ago, I machined up a bush, shrunk it into the head casting and fabricated a new steel swinging bracket. The light is just a piece of PVC pipe cut at 45 degrees with a light inside, it swivels from side to side and is wired to the drill on/off switch. I also made a smaller table and clamped a two way vice on top, the original table rarely gets used.

    I'd like a new one as over the years the table has gathered a few extra holes (no idea how that happened - workshop gremlins me thinks), but this one has lasted so well and given such stirling service I'm reluctant to part with it.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
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    1,417

    Default Modifications to my Waldown 8SN

    1.jpg2.jpg
    Front and back

    3.jpg5.jpg
    The quill handle lets me snug up or lock the quill
    without tools. The table lock feels better than
    the original handle. Both handles are indexable.


    4.jpg
    Link belt. Much smoother, quieter, less vibrations.


    6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg17.jpg18.jpg
    Of all modifications I can think of, this has to be the most useful.
    1HP VFD, 1HP 4-pole motor. The housing was saved from going to the tip.
    The yellow button turns the work light on. The relay in the back is the
    latching for the on/off buttons.


    9.jpg10.jpg11.jpg12.jpg
    I mounted the control box on top of where the original on/off switch was.
    On top the speed potentiometer, below the reverse/stop/forward chicken head knob.
    The toggle lever at the right of the box selects control input either by the chicken
    head knob, or by the foot switch.

    13.jpg14.jpg
    Have you ever been drilling, holding the workpiece with the left hand and the quill lever
    with the right, the drill starts binding and you cannot reach the stop switch?
    This is the second-most useful mod I did. A footswitch. Pressing on the right is forward, left
    is reverse, no foot on either switch is stop. Both hands remain free.


    15.jpg16.jpg
    This shows the two little indexable levers that I use to lock the belt tensioning. Not that I
    change belt often. 99% of the time it sits on the 2000rpm setting, the VFD then can be
    varied from near standstill up to about 4500. I actually only choose a lower belt setting
    when using a circle cutter.



    I hope some of my ideas may be useful to others. I really love to use my Waldown. When renovating it, I did also restore the original 1-ph motor, cleaned it, new paint, new bearings. But somehow changing belt speeds spoiled the fun. The VFD turned it all around. And the restored old motor I sold on eBay, it nearly paid for the brand new 3-phase motor. If I could go back, I would again buy an old grotty Waldown and restore it.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    68
    Posts
    1,417

    Default Conversion of my TOYO210 milling attachment into a drill press

    For about 20 years, this Japan made Toyo was my only milling machine


    Toyo1.jpgToyo2.jpg
    Here shown attached to my EMCO lathe. The stand is already heavily modified. In 2005 I bough a standalone mill.
    Then the lathe was fitted with DRO, with the scale behind the cross slide. The Toyo had to go.


    1.jpg2.jpg4.jpg5.jpg6.jpg
    I mounted it onto a solid Aluminium plate, to remain useful as a drill press for my PCB's and other small jobs.


    3.jpg
    The speed range is clearly more for a mill head than a drill press. That is with the stock 1-ph motor.

    7.jpg
    The Toyo210 came standard with 3 collets, 6, 8 and 10mm to accept milling cutters and the keyed 6mm chuck. I added the "large" 8mm quick lock chuck for larger tasks.


    8.jpg9.jpg10.jpg11.jpg13.jpg14.jpg
    About one year ago I converted it to 3-phase VFD. The beige motor is salvaged from a skip, it belonged to a swiss made distillation apparatus. The VFD I bought NOS from eBay France for peanuts. The housing comes from China via eBay. The remainder are bits and pieces from my scrap box. In the second and third picture you see in the background the foot switch. For me, a drill press needs a foot switch, I like to have both hands free.

    I hope this gives some inspiration on what can be done with an old left-over milling column. Sometimes very similar Unimat or Emco Compact5 milling columns can be found on eBay for not too much expense.

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