Restoring a Servian Pedestal Drill press

**jhovel** · 16th January 2012, 11:30 PM

Here is a photo of the reassembled vice on the Servian table. The base is just visible in this view and looks really ugly all of a sudden

I started off with the very reasonably priced 100mm vice from C-Tools-plus in Melbourne (eBay). It is clearly made to a price and I had no illusions. However, the castings are pretty good and the design sturdy. The machined surfaces are VERY rough and neither flat nor parallel.

So all I did was replace much of the hardware, scraped all surfaces flat, true and parallel, including the dovetails and gibs and now it has a pretty good action and looks nice too.
Cheers,
Joe

**Bryan** · 16th January 2012, 11:54 PM

Looking good Joe. The drill and the vise. Looks like a good first dovetail scraping project. And encouraging to know cheap stuff can be redeemed. Some at least. Looks infinitely better without the wrinkle black too.

**Anorak Bob** · 17th January 2012, 01:16 AM

Come on Joe. Is that overspray I'm seeing on the top of your chuck?

**Abratool** · 17th January 2012, 03:24 PM

Joe
There is something great about scraped surfaces that indicates a lot of thought time & expertise has been allocated.
Scraped surfaces on earlier machine tools still holds appeal.
A nice job

regards
Bruce

**Stustoys** · 17th January 2012, 03:35 PM

Hi Joe,
Great work, the first picture of your vice certainly didnt do your work justice.

Stuart

**Anorak Bob** · 17th January 2012, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Abratool

Joe
There is something great about scraped surfaces that indicates a lot of thought time & expertise has been allocated.
Scraped surfaces on earlier machine tools still holds appeal.
A nice job

regards
Bruce

Like this Bruce? A 40's Rivett 608. A photo lifted from lathes.co.uk

**jhovel** · 17th January 2012, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Come on Joe. Is that overspray I'm seeing on the top of your chuck?

No Bob, just sanding dust from the first coat.... I brush painted the whole thing - no overspray from that....
Sorry I overlooked it before photographing it

Joe

**RayG** · 17th January 2012, 09:55 PM

Hi Joe,

Looks great, the vise rebuild is the perfect finishing touch.

I retract the offer to paint it Waldown blue...

Regards
Ray

**jhovel** · 19th January 2012, 11:52 PM

Actually Ray, your offer prompted me to have another look at my GREY Waldown high speed drill press. I had either not noticed or fogotten that there were some rmoved safety lables (or inventory lables or whatever) that indicated that the machine was oversprayed grey when it was new. The 'proper' Waldown blue is quite visible there and looks perfect.
I might one day try some citris based paint stripper and see if I can get just the grey off. No doubt some parts may need to be resprayed. So please don't tip the left over Waldown blue out. I may yet take up your offer for a few parts.
Can't have a Waldown in non-standard colour now, can we

Joe

**jhovel** · 19th January 2012, 11:56 PM

Oh, I also got a very well used Macson milling vice with the drill press. Truth be known, it was probably sut put out of the way and plinked on the drill press table.
I asked for it to be included in the drill price but got asked to cough up $15

Anyway, I pulled it apart, cleaned it properly and painted it tonight first coat.

What's happenning to me? I think I'm loosing my mind.... it IS a sickness this caper....
WHO STARTED all this????? Bob???????

Joe

**Anorak Bob** · 20th January 2012, 12:50 AM

Hold on! Hold on! You blokes can't be pointing the finger at me.

**Bryan** · 20th January 2012, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Hold on! Hold on! You blokes can't be pointing the finger at me.

We can and will. Herafter all restoration projects shall be officially Bob's Fault.

**RayG** · 20th January 2012, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by Bryan

We can and will. Herafter all restoration projects shall be officially Bob's Fault.

+1

Regards
Ray

**Michael G** · 20th January 2012, 05:11 PM

It's worse than that - After Bob mentioning how nice his solid indicator stand was, today by chance I found and bought a rust covered Mercer stand for $10. That means he's responsible for not only me having to restore a bit of equipment but also buying it in the first place!

Michael
Attachment 195287

**Abratool** · 20th January 2012, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Hold on! Hold on! You blokes can't be pointing the finger at me.

I am hovering over a possible purchase of a South Bend 9" flat belt drive Lathe of the 1940s era to restore, complete with a WW2 war tag on it.
I do not need another lathe, but this "restoring virus" I believe has travelled across Australia. Its origin can be traced to Perth WA,

regards
Bruce

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