How Do I Tune a Drill Press?

[Pat Germain]

This past weekend I picked up a Delta 17-950L Drill Press. I was planning to buy a small, benchtop DP. However, I got the larger DP at the, I guess you guys call it "The Borg", for $40 off and it seemed like a good buy.

My first impression of the DP is that it's pretty heavy duty for a home shop machine. (It sure was heavy assembling it.) I thought the laser was just a gimmick. However, I went ahead and took the time to align the laser and it actually seems pretty handy. It's also good for impressing visitors to my shop. ;)

One thing I'm concerned about is the DP vibrates more than I'd like. I moved the motor in and out and found a sweet spot which lessened the vibration. However, it's still there. I'm thinking of installing some link belts. Before I do that, I'm wondering if there is some other tuning I can do on the DP. I noticed the motor was installed at the factory with a slight tilt and I'm thinking I should probably adjust that. Are there other things I can adjust? Or, is some vibration normal for this type of DP?

My TS is an old, Craftsman contractor saw I bought when I first started woodworking and didn't know much about tools. After much tuning, it became useable. I have since "hot-rodded" this saw like Chip Foose would a '69 Camaro and now it's a pretty decent machine. So, I'm thinking there's gotta be some tweaking for the DP as well.

[Pete Bradley]

Correct the twist and make sure the pulleys are directly across from each other (really coplanar) using a straightedge. The belt's likely been sitting in one position too long. If you run it for a while it should smooth out. No need to go crazy on a new DP, especially for woodworking purposes.

Pete

[Lance Norris]

I have this drill press and I dont have any vibration, so I would follow Petes advice. He is also correct in saying the belt may have a deformity in it where it was sitting against the pulleys during shipping and storage. I dont know if that will ever work itself out, but simply taking off the belt and having a look at it will tell you if its deformed. If so, your local auto parts store will be able to hook you right up with a belt with no kink. Make sure you take the belt with you 'cause you are sure to get stupid looks and talked about after you leave, if you ask for a belt for a Delta drill press:rolleyes:

[glenn bradley]

I have that DP as well and intended to put link belts on it. So far, no need. I'm in SoCal where it is pretty warm this time of year so maybe the belts are just relaxed.

I did have a run out problem at first assembly. I was very careful about cleaning the taper and chuck, etc. Despite this, I disassembled the chuck and taper, cleaned everything again and reassembled. It runs very smooth now even at full extension.

Beyond that I squared up the table using the available stops and added a table/fence combo. The aftermarket table is not really necessary as the 17-950 table is very nice in its own right. I just happen to do things where the table made sense for me.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57826

[Kim Spence]

I have an old hand-me-down delta dp, not sure which model, that was in pretty rough shape when I got it. I realigned the pullys so they're co-planar, squared up the motor, and swapped the belts for a pair of the red link belts and it made a world of difference, much less vibration.

[Pat Germain]

Thanks, everyone. I'll go ahead and make sure my motor and pulleys are all alligned. If the belts are deformed, I'll probably just go buy some link belt. I like that stuff. (It sure made a difference on my table saw).

I will also check out available accessories for the DP. The fence sounds promising.

[Art King]

I bought a new Jet recently with exactly the same problem. Turned out that there isn't enough motor shaft in the step pulley to keep it from vibrating under tension. It smoothed out completely when the pulley was lowered even though the pulleys no longer are running in alignment.
Regards,
Art

[Pat Germain]

Thanks, Art. I'll take a look at my pulleys and shaft and see if I can find a sweet spot for those.

I did try to align a few things two nights ago. From the factory, the motor was way off. It was bolted on off to the side and at an angle compared to the other pulleys. I centered and straightened the motor as best I could. Then I notice the motor appeared to "sag" a bit. That is, the bottom of the motor was closer to the drill than the top. This, of course, had the opposite effect on the drive pulley. I put a washer on each side at the bottom of the mounting plate. This moved the bottom of the plate back ever so slightly and appears to have helped this part of the alignement as well.

After starting the drill, there was significantly less vibration. The drill also came from the factory with the belts positioned for maximum RPM. I changed the belts for a lower RPM, and there was even less vibration. Even at max. RPM, I think the vibration I have now is no big deal.

Thanks, everyone. I guess I should stop tweaking my tools and actually make something...

[Art King]

In a perfect world all the shafting and pulleys would be fully bottomed,secure and the belts perfectly aligned. This sure wasn't the case with my drill press, nor is it the case with the many belt drives with which I am involved (more than 200) One of the nice things about belt drives is the amount of misalignment they will tolerate without problem. If it is a choice between a pulley being well mounted and secured vs perfect alignment, make sure the pulley is fully located on the shaft and accept the misalignment! I know it's offensive but the only good alternate is to rework the motor mount if that is possible.
Regards,
Art