Drill Press Gloat and Looking for Table Lift Ideas

[johnny means]

Picked this baby up today. 1 HP", 6" throw, variable speed from 450 to 4700 rpm. $400. A little more than my usual offer would have been, but something told me she was the one.

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Anyway, I'm looking for ideas on how to raise and lower the table without staining my back and with some precision.

[Carroll Courtney]

What does a new DP cost of that quality if you could find one?Well worth the cost,and still looking for one.Congrads on your find---Carroll

[Stephen Rottloff]

Try a simple counterweight and pulley. Try to match the weight of the table, or as much as will let you move it easily. That won't help with moving it with precision, but should help your back.

Another thing I would check is to see if a similar model had a rack and pinion option for moving the table. Maybe the parts are still available and can be fitted onto your drill press.

Stephen R.

[Bill Huber]

Boat trailer jack, cables and weights, hydraulic jack.

The lazy way to do it is with the hydraulic jack, I got one on sale at Harbor Fright and that is what I use. I just put it under and it worked find but you can only go down so far with it. I have never found a time when it would not go down low enough but if I ever needed to I could just pull it out, I have a low bench next to the drill press and I would have to pull the whole drill press out.

No screws, clamp or anything, just stuck it under the table and that is it. I really like boat trailer lift but I just did not have the room for the crank to stick out.

Here is a thread on this subject and it shows the trailer jack.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?131065-Drill-press-crank-table-retrofit&highlight=drill+press+table


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[Phil Thien]

I think they still make similar models but they cost thousands of dollars. $400 is a bargain.

[Julian Tracy]

189934189935I picked up a simple trailer tongue jack from Walmart for $30 or so.

Mounted it to the drill press column with a couple of u-bolts. No mods at all to the jack - just took the wheel off and the wheel flanges mate up with the table rest bottom pretty well. The swing down function of the jack still works if need be and allows the table to be lowered right down to the jack mount.

The drill press is my Grandfather's old Clausing - made in Kalamazoo MI - near where my grandparents lived. He was the original purchaser; an honor to own and use.

I suppose it would act as a very precise depth change as well, as the handle turns would be very simple to count and figure out changes in height.

My other plan was to cut off the handle and attach a socket fitting and do the height changes with a low rpm drill body.

Has a total height change range of 10-11".

Beats the heck out of manually lifting it up.

Julian

[James Baker SD]

I thought about using a jack, but could not find anything appropriate--guess I just did not know where to look. This was my alternative solution using a Lie-Nielsen vise screw. It is a little slow, but it sure beats trying to muscle that table and x-y vise back up the column.

James

[Bob Vallaster]

Here is a link to some DP accessories offered by the factory back when... http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=1462
The table counterweight is shown on page 4. If you're handy at fabrication, you can round up a sash weight, pulley & bracket, steel cable and be in business.
Other pubs for your machine are also available at the same site.

BobV

[Greg Bender]

I also recently obtained a Clausing model 15 drill press out of the metal recycling dumpster and it was in mint condition. I am looking for a setup to accomplish the same task.I'll be watching to see how many great idea's are offered. I have some cable and pulleys but had not found a ratchet type crank to effectively move the table .
Greg

[Lee Schierer]

Here's one idea. easy riser (http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm)

[David Hostetler]

That's one mean machine of a drill press. If you want a kit to do what you are talking about, the Easy Riser that Lee mentions above should do the trick.

I am admittedly a bit shocked that such a high end drill press would lack a gear lift mechanism on the shaft, but then again, that's a pretty old drill press...