delta 17-990x VS drill press experiences, vibration?

[john tomljenovic]

hey folks,

I just took delivery of my delta 17-990x variable speed drill press; got it together and have been noticing some vibration. not enough that it can't drill a straight hole but anoying as hell. the quill itself is pretty smooth, but the rear hi/lo speed lever shakes and my 30lb vise will walk across the drill-press' table when in operation. I have called delta once and had new belts sent my way thinking that would be the problem but no.

So as I call delta again with the what-up I just want to lean a those creekers who have this delta DP and thier experience. what vibrations have you all encountered? what were the fixes and the like? BTW mine is noisey as well. at least from the average step pully DP, same experience with others?

I would accept my DP as just being what it is, if only the lowly 150$ harbor freight DP that it replaced was not smoother/quieter. :confused: I mean come on, its a harbor freight!

anyway thank for letting my vent guys, and if you have any advise.....

[Daniel Shnitka]

Try link belts. They quited my refurbished 1950's Canadian Tire tilting table saw.
Check for run out of the electric motor causing vibration to the drill press.
The pulleys: are they cast iron which have been machined and dynamically balanced?
General out of Quebec sells thick rubber washers. You may want to considerusing them as spacers between the electric motor and the cast iron frame of the drill press. According to there published literature they are designed to reduce vibration.

[Roy McQuay]

I have a 4 year old Delta 17" DP that has manual speed change and though I don't remember vibration as you describe, I did put link belts on it right after I got it. I think I did it because the link belts don't have to be as tight as the V-belts, putting less stress on the bearings, not to mention easier speed changes. Mine gets used quite a bit and I have not had any issues.

[J. Greg Jones]

I have the 17-925, which is the same drill press with a couple of small differences. I don't have any appreciable vibration in mine at all. I'd say there is something amiss with yours. Being a variable speed press with a large cog belt, I would think that a link belt is not an option.

[john tomljenovic]

huh, I totally forgot about this thread. anyway, I did end up taken mine to delta's service center for them to look at it, and they replaced all the pully sheaves, belts and whatever else. and the result is pretty much the same thing. although less than before still vibrates some, oh well. I thought this was just a thing with VS style drill presses. untill a friend of mine got his VS dayton drill press and it is dead smooth :mad:.

I have thought of calling delta again on this but I really don't see the point, so I can haul the thing back to have someone work on it that knows less than I do about drill presses? what do they say; fool me twice, shame on you again?

thanks dan and roy for your comments, but link belts are not compatible with the adjustable sheave pullies found on these machines. if you are familliar with snowmobile transmissions you will understand.

I will live with it for awhile till I turn new pullys out of steel, (the ones on there are aluminum and have unaccpetable to me runout) and blueprint this thing till it runs like it is supposed to. Or thow it in the river.

later..........