Drill Press help and ideas

[Bill Huber]

My drill press is about 35 years old, its a good one and has served me very well.
The problem:
It does not have a crank to raise or lower the table. In the past this was not to much of a problem but where I have it setting now and with the addition of a table and fence it is really hard to raise it or lower it.

So I have been trying to come up with something to help with this and am looking for some good ideas on how to handle it.

This is my idea at this time, the top pulley can be clamped to the tower with hose clamps. The lower pulley can be bolted to the table in a hole that is there for a tilting table you could get at one time for it. The weight, I am not sure how much would just have to test it.

Anyone got a better idea??????

75603

75604 75605

[Terry Beadle]

You can make a coller that clamps to the post and a adjuster C plate that slips onto two or three large teeth bolts. Large teeth meaning that when you turn them they move at a fast rate. The idea here is that you can have a six inch ( depending on bolt length ) range of adjustment that's accurate and fairly quick. The heavier the table hardware/table the harder that pully system will have to work and it may bind on the front side of the pole.

The collor idea is not the fast adjustment but it's cheap and it will not bind. You can also vary the heighth of it by slipping 2, 3, 4 inch, hollowed out plugs on the tips of the bolts that are anchored in the coller. That can make the adjustment within the working range quicker. Make the coller out of two thickness of 3/4 good density plywood with the bolt heads counter sunk between the two pieces. Be sure to buy extra nuts if you go this way. That will give you a locking nut option.

[David G Baker]

Bill,
In your drawing of the drill press with a weight on a cable and pulleys, where the cable is attached to the table and approximately where your upper pulley is attached I fastened a large spring to an eye hook that I added. The spring is two inches across and approximately 16 inches long. It acts as an assist. I have another drill press that has a crank on the table, I like it but use the one with the spring more often.
I may try your pulley and weight idea to see if I like it better than the spring. I have the cable and pulleys so it won't be a problem to experiment.

[Steve Leverich]

As drawn, your pulleys give a 2:1 advantage - so theoretically, the counterweight should be 1/2 the weight of the table.

In actual use, that would probably make it more difficult to LOWER the table - I'd go with maybe 1/3 the table weight. That would give a good "assist" without fighting you too much when lowering the table... Steve

Or, if you want to get really inventive/lazy, you might look at adapting one of these

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95967

[Charles Wiggins]

My drill press is about 35 years old, its a good one and has served me very well.
The problem:
It does not have a crank to raise or lower the table. In the past this was not to much of a problem but where I have it setting now and with the addition of a table and fence it is really hard to raise it or lower it.

So I have been trying to come up with something to help with this and am looking for some good ideas on how to handle it.

This is my idea at this time, the top pulley can be clamped to the tower with hose clamps. The lower pulley can be bolted to the table in a hole that is there for a tilting table you could get at one time for it. The weight, I am not sure how much would just have to test it.

Anyone got a better idea??????


Bill,

I saw an article with a possible solution. I used SMC's email function to send you an email with my email address. Email me back directly, and I will send the article to you via email. It's a PDF - almost 3MB.

[Travis Teichmann]

Bill, I have the same issue as you and have been wracking my brain to come up with a solution. I like your idea about the pulleys and weight, but how do keep the table at your specified height? Do you still use the column clamp, just using the pulleys and weight to help raise/lower the table?

Terry, I'm also interested in your idea, but I can't get my mind to form a picture of what you are doing. Can you PM me or attach a sketch to help my blind brain? I've been trying to figure out how to make a rack/pinion system like newer drill presses, just havent figured it out yet. Maybe scab one on from another dead drill press?

Travis

[Jeff Norri]

There is a kit out there to do what you are suggesting called the Easy Riser. You should check it out as it may give you some good ideas.

http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm

Aslo as it sells for $70 it might be worth just buying it rather then making your own.

[David G Baker]

There is a kit out there to do what you are suggesting called the Easy Riser. You should check it out as it may give you some good ideas.

http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm

Aslo as it sells for $70 it might be worth just buying it rather then making your own.
Jeff,
Thanks for the thread. Looks like a great idea. Never thought about putting the weight inside the post. If I do the modification I will post photos.

[Bill Wyko]

You could always rig up an old style bumper jack to the back of it or a bottle jack of some sort. Just an idea anyway.:)

[Bill Huber]

You can make a coller that clamps to the post and a adjuster C plate that slips onto two or three large teeth bolts. Large teeth meaning that when you turn them they move at a fast rate. The idea here is that you can have a six inch ( depending on bolt length ) range of adjustment that's accurate and fairly quick. The heavier the table hardware/table the harder that pully system will have to work and it may bind on the front side of the pole.

The collor idea is not the fast adjustment but it's cheap and it will not bind. You can also vary the heighth of it by slipping 2, 3, 4 inch, hollowed out plugs on the tips of the bolts that are anchored in the coller. That can make the adjustment within the working range quicker. Make the coller out of two thickness of 3/4 good density plywood with the bolt heads counter sunk between the two pieces. Be sure to buy extra nuts if you go this way. That will give you a locking nut option.

Terry, I am really not sure I understand how it all goes together...

[Bill Huber]

As drawn, your pulleys give a 2:1 advantage - so theoretically, the counterweight should be 1/2 the weight of the table.

In actual use, that would probably make it more difficult to LOWER the table - I'd go with maybe 1/3 the table weight. That would give a good "assist" without fighting you too much when lowering the table... Steve

Or, if you want to get really inventive/lazy, you might look at adapting one of these

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95967

WOW now that is a really neat idea, just put a spring on the handle and a foot peddle. I will have to give that one some thought....

Thanks.

[Bill Huber]

Bill, I have the same issue as you and have been wracking my brain to come up with a solution. I like your idea about the pulleys and weight, but how do keep the table at your specified height? Do you still use the column clamp, just using the pulleys and weight to help raise/lower the table?

Terry, I'm also interested in your idea, but I can't get my mind to form a picture of what you are doing. Can you PM me or attach a sketch to help my blind brain? I've been trying to figure out how to make a rack/pinion system like newer drill presses, just havent figured it out yet. Maybe scab one on from another dead drill press?

Travis

I just plan on using the lock on the table just as I do now but the weight would help when I move it up or down.

[Bill Huber]

There is a kit out there to do what you are suggesting called the Easy Riser. You should check it out as it may give you some good ideas.

http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/easyriser.htm

Aslo as it sells for $70 it might be worth just buying it rather then making your own.

Now why didn't I think if that. I could do that with mine really easy, there is an opening in the back of the casting that would work out great. I could get some scrap steel rod from the scrap yard that would be just smaller then the inside of the tube.

[Steve Leverich]

Bill, you don't even need a spring - those cylinders are AIR actuated over hydraulic. You just hook an air hose up to it, and squeeze the handle to raise - gravity of your table would lower the table when you release the valve (just like a small hydraulic bottle jack) - the only thing to watch for would be NOT to trigger the air switch if you have the table clamped, or somethin's gotta give :eek:

That cylinder would give you a 2 foot range of adjustment, which for a floor model should be just about perfect - it wouldn't work for a bench model though... Steve

[Gary Sostrin]

What you are looking for is what I am looking for. I have an old craftsman drill press and at the time sears had a thing called a pressmate which was an adapter to a non crank table that would allow it to function like it had a crank. I should have bought it. Have been able to find one except on ebay once, and it was on a sears drill press. The HF seems a good idea.

Gary

[Joe Walsh]

Why not try one of these. 75671 Get it at Harbor Freight for $29.95. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=5798 You can attach it to the column of the drill press near the motor using an exhaust pipe clamp, remove the hook and attach the cable to the table. With it being a worm gear drive the table should stay where it is when you loosen the locking lever. I plan on trying one on my 25 year old Crasftman but I don't know how soon I'll get around to it.

[Bill Huber]

What you are looking for is what I am looking for. I have an old craftsman drill press and at the time sears had a thing called a pressmate which was an adapter to a non crank table that would allow it to function like it had a crank. I should have bought it. Have been able to find one except on ebay once, and it was on a sears drill press. The HF seems a good idea.

Gary

The way the Craftsman are, at lest mine is the casting is open in the back. So to put a pulley with a weight in the center column I think would be really easy.
So I am thinking of going that way first and see how it works out.