Restoring a Servian Pedestal Drill press

**jhovel** · 21st September 2011, 11:21 PM

Well, I made a little start on the Servian drill press purchased for $75 early in the dispersement of one of Bendigo, Victoria's earliest engineering factories.
The factory was started in 1860 to service and manufacture mining equipment for George Lansell - the gold baron of Bendigo.
The grandfather of a workmate from the early 70s around the turn of the century was the foreman and later the manager. He then bought the factory off George Lansell and ran it as a family business. Two of his sons took the business over in the 30s and hired a foundryman with the same family name but not related - and the two Osborne brothers and Stan Osborne the foundryman ran the business until the early 1990s. By then only one of the brothers and Stan were alive - and in their 80s. In the meantime they had apprenticed my workmate Lance in the 60s, but he moved on to bigger and better things in mechanical services and is now retired. The business was closed around 1993 due to ill-health of the two remaining Osbornes, who died a couple of years later.
Like most Bendigonians, I watched the very old and rusty building of "Golden City Implements" being secured and boarded up, catch fire at one end and slowly being demolished by the elements - most recently loosing a large part of the roof in a storm. Most of us assumed that the building was empty, the old machine tools long sold off or scrapped.
To my surprise, some new activity began last week, with some visible cleaning up and a "garage sale" last Saturday.
I had to have a look - and posted a number of photos in another thread here. The entire contents minus some looted handtools was still there!
I purchased their old drill press (and a cylindrical Van Norman grinder) and a few bits and pieces - top have some of Bendigo's history in my shed..
Here are the "before" photos of the Servian 3/4" capacity, 1/2HP single phase, 5-speed, MT2 spindle and VERY HEAVY pedestal drill press.
I intend to restore it to 'nice looking' working order and will post my ~~pregress~~ progress here.
Tonight I managed to rewire the motor for testing, cleaned and regreased its bearings, freed everything that I had already sprayed on arrival with Lanolin penetrating oil and managed to drill a hole! - using the MT2 drill chuck from my lathe. I've also ordered a 0.6mm - 16mm keyless chuck on MT2 adapter from Germany - I look forward to that arriving.
I think I also want a cross slide drill chuck after looking at them in the shops for the past 30 years....
Joe

**neksmerj** · 21st September 2011, 11:50 PM

Pregress, now that's a term I've not heard before. Does that mean before progress, or some other sinister term.

In any case, a progress report will be well awaited.

Tongue in cheek,

Ken

**jhovel** · 22nd September 2011, 01:24 AM

There is always one..... you'll keep Ken!

**Stustoys** · 22nd September 2011, 11:20 AM

Hi Joe,
For $75 how bad could it be? Bargin I'd say.
Any date on the drill? The table looks pretty good.
Do you have a closer picture of the depth stop? It has me scratching my head.

Stuart

**jhovel** · 22nd September 2011, 08:49 PM

Does this help, Stu?
Now you made me clean and shine a couple more bits....

Very simple indeed - but completely effective. The threaded stop rod is clamped in position and the thread is 20TPI. There is a feduciary line to allow you to set the stop by eyeball (say 45 deg turn of the large knurled nut) which equals 0.00625". That stop nut is locked by the smaller one which misses the quill. Pretty clever, isn't it really.

Sorry, no date yet. No-one can remember when it was bought - I'm guessing '60s.

I've been looking at fitting a counterweight for the very easily height adjustable - and very heavy - table. The other option would be some sort of crank on a threaded rod / acme screw setup. Not sure which way to go.
Any views or ideas anyone?
Retrofitting a rack and pinion seems too complex.

Joe

**Bryan** · 22nd September 2011, 10:22 PM

Joe, I'm planning a counterweight for the Tough table. With a sturdy vise on it's quite heavy. Should be pretty simple to execute. Like you said, the other options are complicated.

**Stustoys** · 22nd September 2011, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by jhovel

Pretty clever, isn't it really.

Hi Joe,
Thanks for the picture.
Very clever, all the ones I recall seeing work the "other way up", so there isnt room for nuts you can tighten with your fingers, you needed two spanners which is a pain.

I have a rack and pinion on my table, I'd vote for a counter weight. Although it maybe nice it the weight acts on a lockable collar below the table on the pillar so you can lock the height and still move the table side to side(starting to sound complicated again)

Stuart

**jhovel** · 22nd September 2011, 10:51 PM

Stu,
since I have never owned a "good" drill press, I will listen to you suggestion of a locking collar being useful - separately from the counterweight. That would be pretty easy I think.
Joe

**Stustoys** · 22nd September 2011, 11:45 PM

Hi Joe,
I'm not speaking from experience as far as the locking collar goes. But one of the things a rake and pinion table has going for it is that you can have the table loose so it can be moved from side to side and rotated it without worrying about it moving down. Handy if you have the part clamped to the table and you have to pick up a few holes.

I guess the same could be achieved by having the counter weight act on the table and a lockable collar below? Set the table to height, lock table, bring up collar, lock collar, unlock table.

Stuart

P.s.... one wonders sometimes if I can read. Surely that picture wasnt there when I first read your post?

**jhovel** · 23rd September 2011, 01:30 AM

Sorry to trick you Stu. I made the picture after I put the post up. Tjought it might help confirm my thinking.
I then posted it as an edit - a bit naughty, I know. But there were no replies at that stage....

Joe

**Stustoys** · 23rd September 2011, 10:57 AM

Hi Joe,
Well now you know how slow I type sometimes lol.
Is your table and column clamp cast as one piece? I had another idea for a mod but it may not apply to your table.

What did you draw that clamp with? Something free? I really need to get something better than paint. I've asked people a couple of times in the past and I can find the answers now.

Stuart

**Anorak Bob** · 23rd September 2011, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Hi Joe,
Well now you know how slow I type sometimes lol.
Is your table and column clamp cast as one piece? I had another idea for a mod but it may not apply to your table.

What did you draw that clamp with? Something free? I really need to get something better than paint. I've asked people a couple of times in the past and I can find the answers now.

Stuart

Do they still sell pencils?

**Anorak Bob** · 23rd September 2011, 01:00 PM

I could recall seeing a device South Bend offered in their catalogues that provided a lifting / jacking action. Had a skim through the library and found this.

BT

**Bryan** · 23rd September 2011, 03:02 PM

Stuart, have a play with Google Sketchup. It's free to download and it's pretty easy to get started. There's even a subforum about it right here: DESIGN & DESIGNING / GOOGLE SKETCHUP - Woodwork Forums.

**Stustoys** · 23rd September 2011, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Do they still sell pencils?

You mean like free hand? Now there is something I've never been able to do well enough to let anyone else see it.
My drawing board is in the shed and one of the cars has to be out for me to be able to use it.(when I say one of the cars I mean "the car that can fit at the minute", the other car is outside all the time ATM due to lack of space......... or should that be "due to to much ebaying"? lol

Thanks Bryan, I really will have a look this time.

Stuart

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