Drill press table elevation

[John T Barker]

I've got an old Powermatic drill press which has a table with no crank elevation. I've got it in a position now that I haven't changed in years and fear the day I might need to. I would like to have the crank elevation parts and put them on this machine...it should be an easy change over. I've done a few web searches and have not done real well in finding what I think I need. Any suggestions?

I'm in southeastern Pa., a half hour outside of Philly.

[Jim Dwight]

I have an old Craftsman with about a 10 step pulley for speed changes. I like the speed change feature. It goes from about 100 rpm to about 7000rpm. But it also has no elevation crank. And I have a wooden work surface with a few drawers on the table so it is heavy. What I did was to put a mounting plate up where the motor mount is for a boat trailer winch. I have a small rope attached to the table. It doesn't move the table up and down but it takes the heavy lifting out of the process. When I want to go up, I crank the rope tight, loosen the table height lock, and wiggle the table up. When I want to do down, I put some slack in the rope and let it go down a little. Not as nice as crank adjustment but much better than struggling with the heavy table.

[Ole Anderson]

I probably have the same Craftsman with the skinny belt. I usually leave the table in a fixed position and use blocks of wood and the spindle to push the head up or let it down depending on what I am doing. Yea, I wish I had a geared lift for the table, but if I had to choose, I would take the spindle lock over a lift. So useful.

[Walter Plummer]

Over on the vintage machinery web site there is a thread where he took a Harbor Freight trailer jack and mounted it upside down to the column .330689 Makes you have to bend over to far for me but maybe it could be modified?

[Ole Anderson]

Over on the vintage machinery web site there is a thread where he took a Harbor Freight trailer jack and mounted it upside down to the column .330689 Makes you have to bend over to far for me but maybe it could be modified?

I like the idea, might have to try it.

[Johannes Becker]

I usually tried to avoid moving the table since it was so hard to do. The trailer jack idea look really neat, especially if you want to crank larger distances. I normally need only a few inch up and down so I mounted a veneer press screw to the column under the table. I just loosen the column and then can move the table up and down with a few turns while looking at the drill tip distance to the table.

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[Ronald Blue]

Just food for thought here. Two things, flip the jack over to put the crank in a more ergonomic position and modify the shaft by cutting it off and welding a nut on it and using a cordless drill with a socket in it. Power raise and lower the table.

[Matt Day]

I've got the HF jack like shown above on my 1150. Cheap, easy install, functional.

[John T Barker]

Over on the vintage machinery web site there is a thread where he took a Harbor Freight trailer jack and mounted it upside down to the column .330689 Makes you have to bend over to far for me but maybe it could be modified?

I like that except for the part where I bend down. I appreciate the input folks...I was hoping someone would tell me about a business selling old ww machines and parts.

[Walter Plummer]

Try these guys. http://www.ereplacementparts.com/

[Sam Puhalovich]

Those trailer jacks come in different lengths.
My son-in-law has the same Craftsman drill press.
I mounted a shorter version of the trailer jack.
It worked so well that I bought one to replace the hand crank on mine.

[Al Launier]

I also have an older Craftsman drill press - 1970 vintage and to lower elevate the table I simply use a Pittsburg 3-Ton Long Ram Flat bottom hydraulic jack (http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-heavy-duty-long-ram-hydraulic-flat-bottom-jack-60393.html). It's slow, but works well. Beats having to struggle to raise it.

[Larry Frank]

I leave mine in the same position also. I have a couple of very sturdy little tables that I use on the drill press table to raise the work piece.

A future project is to add a electrical linear actuator to raise or lower the table. Same thing as the Jack but a push button.

[Jon Endres]

I was hoping someone would tell me about a business selling old ww machines and parts.

Here's one I've used: Plaza Machinery in Bethel, Vermont. www.plazamachinery.com

I was able to find a head-raising mechanism for my old Walker-Turner DP, which I adapted to the table instead. It does not give me a large range of movement but it works.

[Matt Day]

There was a company that made a lift mechanism but I think they went belly up. It's very hard to find the oem mechanism.
The other option is a counterweight system and you wouldn't have to bend down for that.

[Tom M King]

They have come up once in a while for the 1150 on ebay. I haven't been able to catch one though, and use a tongue jack on mine.

[glenn bradley]

I like that except for the part where I bend down. I appreciate the input folks...I was hoping someone would tell me about a business selling old ww machines and parts.

Did that model ever come with an elevation crank? The elevation mechanism is often part of the casting that hold the table and surrounds the column. For an actual crank mechanism to work this is pretty much required so original parts would be the way to go if they ever existed. The alternative is a bolt-on like the jack shown, a weight that slips into the column (I don;t know is the Easy Riser (http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm) is still available) and uses pulleys to ease the weight of the table for manual positioning or some other sort of "invention".

[ken seale]

There was a company that made a lift mechanism but I think they went belly up. It's very hard to find the oem mechanism.
The other option is a counterweight system and you wouldn't have to bend down for that.

Anybody have any pics of a counterweight system?

[John Lanciani]

Here's one I've used: Plaza Machinery in Bethel, Vermont. www.plazamachinery.com (http://www.plazamachinery.com)

I was able to find a head-raising mechanism for my old Walker-Turner DP, which I adapted to the table instead. It does not give me a large range of movement but it works.

Looks like he has the elevator setup for a 15" Powermatic DP available right now.

[Doug Ladendorf]

I have a 1970's era Powermatic 1150 that does have the crank mechanism for the table. It was an option and works well. You should be able to lift the table and position, depending on the table you have, but if you want the crank try Scott Redmond: http://www.redmondmachinery.com/old-powermatic-parts-1/

Or post a WTB on OWWM.org.

Doug

[John T Barker]

Did that model ever come with an elevation crank? The elevation mechanism is often part of the casting that hold the table and surrounds the column. For an actual crank mechanism to work this is pretty much required so original parts would be the way to go if they ever existed. The alternative is a bolt-on like the jack shown, a weight that slips into the column (I don;t know is the Easy Riser (http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm) is still available) and uses pulleys to ease the weight of the table for manual positioning or some other sort of "invention".

My thinking is that drill presses come in a variety of column sizes. What I need to do is find a column size identical to mine and get the table and other parts and retro fit them to my drill press.

You all have offered some good sources and ideas. Thanks.

[Nelson Howe]

I attached two screen door springs to the table. Other end attaches to a rod up by the head of the unit. The springs are under tension always. Loosen the table, apply a little up pressure at the front edge of the table, then ease the table up or down, applying the force near the column. It isn't perfect, but it works a lot better than nothing.

Nelson

[Matt Day]

Anybody have any pics of a counterweight system?


Google something like "Powermatic drill press counterweight" and use the image search.

[Myk Rian]

I move the head instead of the table.

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[Ole Anderson]

I move the head instead of the table.

330870 Neat design, I would like to see the size of the counterweight that fits inside the column, could it be lead?

[Myk Rian]

It uses a spring for a counterweight. That thing will bite you when installing it if you aren't careful.

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