drill press

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] That is a GREAT tip on using the chalk to make Morse taper hold better. When I "rebuilt" this auction sale drill press, I re-designed the speed reduction system by machining the smallest pulley off the jackshaft step pulley and dropping the jackshaft down one complete groove. The little pulley on that jackshaft cannot transmit the low-speed horsepower to the quill with the small amount of belt contact on the smallest pulley so I eliminated it and went to the next step. Yes, my "bottom gear" is slightly higher now, but their bottom gear was unuseable anyway with such a small secondary drive pulley. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] Now that we have had this press in service for a while, I find it a pleasure to use; [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] all of the little improvements were worth it especially the addition of reverse to the 3/4 HP motor. [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Pat]

I have had the 16 speed double reduction Harbor Freight cheapie floor standing for about 8-10 years and never had a problem except for sticking a bit just as it breaks through and having to kill the motor and reverse the bit manually then resume drilling. I do NOT make my living as a machinist nor do I really push the edge of the envelope in my usage. The other problem I have is to forget which switch turns on the light and which the motor but it hasn't caused mush of a difficulty yet.

Once in a while I drill into something too tall to fit on a bench model drill. I can pivot the table out of the way or lower it WAY down past where a bench model could be lowered. If you have a place for a floor model, go that way. Give a lot of thought to what you may use it for and decide if you need the extra quill travel. I haven't been limited but I am not a POWER USER.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]