Replacing Drill Press Column Rack

[Steve Reich]

I have an old Continental International (made in Taiwan) 15-inch floor drill press that I bought on Craigslist several years ago. The machine, I think, dates from the mid-1970s. It works very well, but it had a broken column rack when I bought it. After years of struggling to raise and lower the table, I finally tried to replace the rack. With the help of a very good friend, I finally was able to lift the head off the column and remove the broken (mangled really) rack. I now need to purchase a new rack. There are no existing parts for this model. So, I seek your wisdom on how to select a rack that will fit. What specifications should I be looking for? I found three searching online. A Craftsman that fits a 15-inch machine that is 26 inches in length and 4 TPI. A PM/Jet rack that is 31 inches in length and is 5/8 inches thick. It does not give TPI. And I found a Delta Part no. 1346083 (no specifications listed and am awaiting a customer service reply). The old rack appears to have been 33 inches in length (though I take that this is the least important spec). It is 3/8 inches thick. I measured between 4 and 5 teeth per inch. Do you also have any other recommendations of sources for a new rack. Thanks in advance.

[Andrew DiLorenzo]

You can repurpose a car jack to raise and lower the table. Either scissors jack or hydraulic jack.

[lowell holmes]

Would something like this work?

https://www.amazon.com/Walker-43782-Exhaust-Pipe/dp/B000C93BAU/ref=asc_df_B000C93BAU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312142084264&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6984402057527552662&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027818&hvtargid=pla-568890094019&psc=1

I'm sure you could find a tail pipe that is the right diameter.

[Bill Dufour]

Its called "gear rack". it is probably metric. (243 hits on bay) Any decent industrial house will have several different sizes. the problem is figuring out what you have. Metric is defined by pitch, mm from tooth tip to tooth tip. Is it regular 60 degree tooth form or acme, butress ,square etc?
Also pressure angle etc come into it. Can you measure between ten teeth on the rack in mm? Or effective diameter of spur gear and tooth count.
Can you switch the spur gear and use another size.

Bil lD.

[Dave Cav]

Look for similar drill presses from Grizzly; I'm willing to bet one will have a rack that will fit.

[marlin adams]

why not have it repaired? Or is it to far gone.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I use McMaster-Carr for most of my unique machinery hardware. You might find something that will work here:

https://www.mcmaster.com/gear-racks

[Steve Reich]

Many thanks for these helpful suggestions. The rack itself is too far gone to be repaired. It is severely bent and broken in two with the other half long gone. I shall follow Bill Dufour's suggestions on measuring the pitch, etc. Dave Cav's suggestion to look at Grizzly is smart. Parts for the G7944 look similar and readily available (and affordable). I shall call them tomorrow for specs on the replacement rack. But it might be just as easy to also order a new gear and worm gear to match the new rack. It's only a few extra dollars to add those parts.

[Steve Reich]

Just an update and an additional thanks to Dave Cav. I ordered a rack (and some other assembly parts from the Grizzly G7944); the rack, a new worm gear, and a new handle all fit great. I replaced the table arm bracket, which fit onto the existing table bracket (I had ordered a table bracket as well but it was too big for my column but luckily the rack and arm bracket worked with the old table bracket). As long as I have taken some of this thing apart, I resolved to commence with a complete rebuild and repair. I have begun to remove a significant amount of rust as well as old wasp nests. I'm going to remove the remaining rust and old paint (using rotary tools and grinders) and then prime, repaint, and top coat. Stay tuned for updates.

[Dave Cav]

Glad it's working out. I bought a pre-Grizzly generic Taiwanese drill press in about 1985 or '86 which has the same main casting and table raising hardware. I finally put new bearings in the spindle a couple of years ago and it's still in daily use in my shop.