Steel City drill press gloat ... and disappointment

[Randy Klein]

As the title says, I just got a Steel City drill press.:D

However, I can't provide any pics of it assembled since apparently my press skipped the quality control area. :(

As show in the picture, the rear screw hole (1 of 5) that mounts the post to the base was never threaded.:mad:

So, I sent an email to Steel City with the picture asking them to fix this problem. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Don Abele]

Randy, is the casting wavy on the inside diameter above the non-threaded hole for a reason? If not, that's a pretty rough casting.

Congrats on gloat, shame about the problem though. Really brings the excitement level way down. When I got my Delta mortiser at the end of last year, it was smashed to bits inside the box. Man was I mad. :mad:

It'll be interesting to see what they do to remedy this.

Be well,

Doc

[C Scott McDonald]

I would almost bet they ask you to tap some threads. Be intersting to see how they handle it.

[Randy Klein]

Randy, is the casting wavy on the inside diameter above the non-threaded hole for a reason? If not, that's a pretty rough casting.

I didn't notice that until you mentioned it. But yes, it is wavy like that all around the perimeter. I'll wager rough casting vs purposely done. But I'm not sure if it would affect anything, since its covered by the column. I wonder if anyone else's SC DP is like that.

[Randy Klein]

I would almost bet they ask you to tap some threads. Be intersting to see how they handle it.

I hope you're wrong about that, since I don't have a tap. If they do though, that would be a very poor customer service solution IMO.

[Larry Heflin]

I'd get a tap for a few bucks and be done with it in a few minutes, just so I could be using the machine rather than shipping it back. But that's just me.

[Robert foster]

Randy:

I have 5 large SC tools and I am overall pleased with them. I am less than enthusiastic about their response to emails and telephone calls. One of the reasons I looked at SC was what I heard and read about their good customer service. I have had non returned phone calls to CS and no replies to email. I have had good results some of the time so it may depend on when and who is there at the time. I hope you have good service from them as it will give me more confidence in their CS.

Bob

[Chuck Lenz]

I'd get a tap for a few bucks and be done with it in a few minutes, just so I could be using the machine rather than shipping it back. But that's just me.
I'm with Larry on this one, but I'd be sure to let Steel City know first.

[Matt Lentzner]

I'm with Larry on this one, but I'd be sure to let Steel City know first.

And they should comp you for your time and expenses.

[Chuck Lenz]

And they should comp you for your time and expenses.
Exactly Matt. Nice last name by the way. :)

[Chuck Wintle]

I'd get a tap for a few bucks and be done with it in a few minutes, just so I could be using the machine rather than shipping it back. But that's just me.

I'll second that opinion. For a couple of bucks you can have your machine up and running quickly. :D

[Mitchell Andrus]

You should (could) take this opportunity to buy a limited but high quality tap set. I've got a US and metric set and it has saved me plenty of aggravation. Worn threads? No problemo - just drill and tap to the next size. It took you longer to post this than it would have to tap the hole. Let it go.... get back to work.

[Randy Klein]

You should (could) take this opportunity to buy a limited but high quality tap set. I've got a US and metric set and it has saved me plenty of aggravation. Worn threads? No problemo - just drill and tap to the next size. It took you longer to post this than it would have to tap the hole. Let it go.... get back to work.

While I do appreciate the posts telling me how to fix it myself, the problem with that is that I have no idea what to buy or how to use them. And while it would be nice to fix it just like that, I don't really have the money or the time to buy and learn how.

[Sean Troy]

I would agree that tapping it and be done with it would be the easiest and quickest thing to do but I think it's more important to see what kind of customer service they give. There are plenty of tool manufacturers out there to give business to.

[Sean Kinn]

I understand your frustration, I've had this sort of thing happen a few times lately with small items from the BORG. Fortunately for me it was only a $50 light fixture or similar and I could go right back and swap it out. I also understand what others are saying about fixing it yourself, BUT SC needs to know about this! Personally, I wouldn't want to even have to hassle with returning a chunk of iron that big. I would either ask them to immediately ship you a new base, or offer you a refund of some amount to compensate you for your time and frustration. Maybe you could point them to this post and let them know a few thousand of your friends are watching ;-) It'll give them a chance to step up to the plate like the president of Grizzly does quite often.

[Don Bullock]

If you bought it from a local retailer check with them. They may be able to help, especially if they think that they may lose your business.

[Heather Thompson]

While I do appreciate the posts telling me how to fix it myself, the problem with that is that I have no idea what to buy or how to use them. And while it would be nice to fix it just like that, I don't really have the money or the time to buy and learn how.

Randy,

You are a woodworker, we figure things out, tapping a hole is no big deal. If you go to the local auto supply they should be able to to give you the thirty second training course needed, the tap will be a couple of bucks and you will have a new skill in your bag of tricks. If you look in my roll around tool box you will find many tap & dies, saved my butt all to often, plus lots of cash. I would send the bill for equipment to SC if cash is that tight, bill them for gas and time while you are at it.

Heather

[Dick Bringhurst]

The hole is there -- Tap it! Dick B.

[Wade Lippman]

How do you figure it is a gloat? Did you find it in the street?

[Randy Klein]

How do you figure it is a gloat? Did you find it in the street?

I found it in the back of my truck. But you bring up a good question? Are gloat announcements reserved for only those acquisitions of which a deal had be gotten? Or is it the simple act of acquiring something for which you had sought? I don't know the answer myself, as I have seen it done both ways.

[Chris Zenda]

From my own experiences with Chinese tools sometimes quality is hit or miss. Sometimes you get a great one other times it seems there isnt any quality control whatsoever. This being said you get what you pay for

[Nancy Laird]

Maybe you could point them to this post and let them know a few thousand of your friends are watching ;-) It'll give them a chance to step up to the plate like the president of Grizzly does quite often.

They have already been pointed to this thread...VP for US, VP for Canada, President, and Southwest Sales Manager. We'll see what happens...

Nancy

[Jim O'Dell]

I don't own any SC products, but from what I have read on various forums, it will be handled. Jim.

[Alan Trout]

For me I would just tap the hole and be done with it as well. As far as quality of Taiwanese/Chinese tools go I am have really been surprised at how good the overall quality has gotten. I remember a time when every thing was absolute crud. In some cases I have found some of the new machine copies to be better than the original.

I was a machine tool rep for several years and I know many things can happen. I have seen stuff like this and worse with some of the finest European and American designed and made equipment. Most of the time I would just make corrections in the field on pieces of equipment costing in some cases hundreds of times more than what a drill press cost. Sometimes it just makes more sense to expedite the repair yourself rather then waiting for the repair item if it is a simple task which I think this one is. But I would for sure let them know what is going on.

I am not saying we should not expect our stuff to be right from the get go we should, but we also have to understand there are times that stuff just happens. For gosh sakes I gave up on being perfect about twenty thousand mistakes ago. :D

Good Luck

Alan

[Mike Marcade]

I agree with everyone that the principal of this thing sucks, but in my opinion you just have to pick your battles. I would just tap the thing.

[Leigh Betsch]

First thing I would do is post here and slam Steel City. Good move so far, let us know and also let Steel City know that thier customers talk to each other. I have nothing against Steel City, if they would of had a variable speed dp I would have tried them after my first attemp with a PM2800, but I think the individual has little leverage with any company so by posting here you let the company know that your voice has some power. Then I would tap the hole and move on with my life, just like I would have done with my PM2800 if I could have gotten a simple replacement part.

[David Eisan]

What does the local dealer say about this? Did you call them?

Where I work, we have a full service department. I would ask you to bring in the base and we would tap it for you while you wait. This would cost you your time to drive in and a 10 minute wait. Much faster than waiting for an Email about what to do.

Thanks,

David.

[Daniel Shnitka]

I want to create a ball bearing detent or insert a ball bearing in into near end of a flat rod. Has any one done this type of work. As I want to make some an aftermarket ajustment on an upright floor drill press.

[Randy Klein]

First thing I would do is post here and slam Steel City. Good move so far

Wow, I didn't realize I had "slammed" them. That wasn't my intent. Unless of course you're being facetious.

[Randy Klein]

What does the local dealer say about this? Did you call them?

Where I work, we have a full service department. I would ask you to bring in the base and we would tap it for you while you wait. This would cost you your time to drive in and a 10 minute wait. Much faster than waiting for an Email about what to do.

Thanks,

David.

I ordered it through my local woodcraft, so I'm not sure if they have any tapping ability. I haven't called them yet, but I'll probably be in there tomorrow anyways (free donuts on Saturday...) and I'll talk to them about it.

[Chuck Lenz]

I ordered it through my local woodcraft, so I'm not sure if they have any tapping ability. I haven't called them yet, but I'll probably be in there tomorrow anyways (free donuts on Saturday...) and I'll talk to them about it.
Maybe Woodcraft will just switch a base out from another box. But take the base and a bolt with you incase they don't have a extra base and need to tap it to get you going. I'm not sure why you didn't bring it up sooner that you bought it locally, or why you didn't call Woodcraft right away. I would think the fastest way to get it takein care of it would of been to call your local Wolfcraft where you bought it from right away, see what they can do for you, then e:mail or call Steel City to let them know how your experience was with the drill press and Wolfcraft, good or bad.

[Cary Falk]

I would have tapped the hole and moved on also. I fugure I'm not perfect and and neither is anyone else. There is bound to be a few problems with the number of tools produced. My DP was flawless. Many other people have reported nothing but good things with the DP and SC. I have other brands that have had minor flaws out of the box. I work in an industry where we use multi-multi-million dollar tools and they didn't work 100% out of the box either. It's a fact of life no matter what price point you are at.

[Leigh Betsch]

Wow, I didn't realize I had "slammed" them. That wasn't my intent. Unless of course you're being facetious.
I'm sorry, a poor choice of words by me. Just making the problem know like you did is enough to let the company know that an individual has the ability to influence others through thier conections with groups like this. I'm sure any reputable company and dealer, which probably includes Steel City, will bend over backwards to retify the problem.

[Sean Kinn]

Maybe you could point them to this post and let them know a few thousand of your friends are watching ;-) It'll give them a chance to step up to the plate like the president of Grizzly does quite often.

Yes, I quoted myself. I just want to be clear that I don't mean it as a slam against SC. I really meant it as a chance for them to shine. I do agree that tapping it yourself would have the problem fixed in a matter of minutes. But why should you have to fix a new part? Small things like this are a great chance for companies to step in and help a customer out. It's amazing how even the smallest good deed can earn them a customer for life.

I will buy Dewalt tools for good based on several unbelievable customer service interactions I've had with them. One of them was almost exactly like this one. I had a brand new plunge router base with stripped threads (directly from the factory) on the baseplate mount. I thought for sure I was in for some long drawn out exchange, trip to a service center and an argument. Nope. New plunge base sent out with no questions asked. In fact, they never even really verified that it was a recent purchase or that I was still under warranty.


What's my point?...stuff will happen, but as long as companies take care of their customers, the customers will keep coming back....and that is how you grow a customer base. Time to get back down to the garage to assemble that new SC mortising machine that just arrived. Looks great so far!

[Greg Cuetara]

I guess I am pretty dumbfounded here. If a piece is not how it should be shouldn't the original manufacturer know there is a problem. Maybe the quality control department needs to look at things. If this is an isolated incident not a big deal but if it has happend to hundreds or thousands of pieces they need to fix their manufacturer processes. It is up to the manufacturer to determine how to proceed with how many problems they are having.

I realize that as woodworkers and tinkers we'all have good ideas on how to fix things and supersize them and make them better but if I buy something new shouldn't I expect that I don't have to tinker with it to make it work. What happens if you go in and tap the thread and something happens to the casting...you go back to the manufacturer and then they won't do anything because you tried to fix the original problem...whereas if you just went to them they might have fixed it to begin with.

So many whatif's. I would take it back to woodcraft and either get a new piece or have them fix it for you. I am sure they will be able to help you.

[Michael Justice]

I think that it's funny how quickly woodworkers are to slam HF as junk but can see past a quality issue on a name brand. I only wish that I could tell my customers that for my screw-up they should be expected to go out and buy a tool so they can fix it themselves. Or maybe toss it all back in the car and drive 45 minutes to have someone else fix it.

When I hear how easy the job is I wonder if you expect SC to stand behind it and replace the piece when I muck it up further by misthreading or cracking a casting?

Manufacturing in China is sometimes a challenge to quality. I'm not surprised when any manufacturer has an occasional problem, especially a minor one like this. They'll probably make it right, I think that's the measure of good quality and their deserved good reputation. But my forgiveness doesn't extend to fixing it myself.

[Wade Lippman]

I found it in the back of my truck. But you bring up a good question? Are gloat announcements reserved for only those acquisitions of which a deal had be gotten? Or is it the simple act of acquiring something for which you had sought? I don't know the answer myself, as I have seen it done both ways.

A gloat has to be an extraordinary acquisition that anyone would envy.
You found it NIB at a garage sale for 1/3rd of retail; Amazon had it half off for 12 seconds and you nailed one; you were the only person to bid on it at an auction, so you got it for $5; that sort of thing.

At an auction a few months ago I bought 200bf of flawless butternut for $100 and a router for $30 that I sold on ebay for $90. Those are gloats. Not big gloats, but gloats.

It is nice that you got a tool you wanted (and a shame it was defective) but not a gloat.

[Rich Schneider]

I agree with Michael for the most part. However, I'm not certain I would say SC has reached the "name brand" level yet...I think they need to prove themselves and that takes time, proven customer service, quality products, consistency and innovation. One of the issues I think is being overlooked is that being a woodworker also means that you sometimes have to be at least a junior machinist/mechanic to keep your equipment running right, making adjustments and repairs etc. Should one expect the drill press to have been made correctly? Absolutely. Should one complain to the dealer and to SC customer service about it? Absolutley. Would I be mad that I have to tap the hole? Heck yes.....But, I would request that SC send me the replacement part (most of the time companies don't want the defective one back since the shipping on that part is probably more than the part is worth). In the meantime I'd tap the hole, get the thing together and see what other problems it might have.

[Lee Hingle]

Randy,
I would bet my entire shop full of tools that Steel City will rectify the problem swiftly and to your satisfaction. You have to keep in mind that you posted here at 4:30 on a Friday. It may take until Monday to get an answer.

You have 3 options:
Wait until you hear back from Steel City. They will likely overnight you a new part.
Return the DP to Woodcraft, and ask for an exchange.
Tap the hole yourself.

While it is unfortunate, every part from every vendor for every machine cannot be inspected before delivery. There are similar problems with US made products as well. Be patient, and you will have a satisfactory answer to your problem.

As for the torch burning lynch mob, threatening to drag the companies name through the mud is not the dignified way to handle the problem. SC has one of the highest ratings for customer satisfaction in the woodworking tool community. I think it's silly to gather 'round the thread to see what they will do. They will fix the problems with an apology no questions asked.

Lee

[Mike Heidrick]

Pacakage up the DP - everything but the base and take it back to Woodcraft. Attempt to just get a replacement base - or whole DP. They can send it back to SC themselves. They received the defective item and can deal with the return/replacement.

If that does not work go buy a $5 tap and see if you can do it yourself - if you can get beyond the fact that you have a $400+ dp with a QC absent base.

Call SC next week no matter what you do. They need to know about the base having bad castings. I am betting you get at least a free laser and maybe other items out of your inconvenience, Especially if you tap that base yourself.

[Jason Scott]

I think that it's funny how quickly woodworkers are to slam HF as junk but can see past a quality issue on a name brand. I only wish that I could tell my customers that for my screw-up they should be expected to go out and buy a tool so they can fix it themselves. Or maybe toss it all back in the car and drive 45 minutes to have someone else fix it.

When I hear how easy the job is I wonder if you expect SC to stand behind it and replace the piece when I muck it up further by misthreading or cracking a casting?

Manufacturing in China is sometimes a challenge to quality. I'm not surprised when any manufacturer has an occasional problem, especially a minor one like this. They'll probably make it right, I think that's the measure of good quality and their deserved good reputation. But my forgiveness doesn't extend to fixing it myself.

+1 on this

[Justin Bukoski]

Randy, no matter what you do with the drill press you really should buy a small tap set. It is very valuable in any shop and one of the easiest tasks, especially where cast iron is concerned. To me a tap and die set is like a pair of pliers (and costs about the same).

[fRED mCnEILL]

"SC has one of the highest ratings for customer satisfaction in the woodworking tool community"

I thimk its a LITTLE early in the game to make that statement. however, I am a bit suprised to see this problem in view of the "adulation" shown by some on this forum.

Fred Mc.

[Justin Grow]

I'd tap it as well myself. I've got far more metalworking experience than wood (i'm just putting my shop together)
The hardest thing is making sure you start the tap straight. When tapping cast iron, tap it dry.

[Jon Bonham]

If you can work wood, you can tap a hole. It's basically like using a screwdriver. You need a tap and a tap handle. You could probably take it to any local machine shop and have them tap it for you. If you brought it to me, I'd have you on your way in 5 minutes for free.

Seriously, tapping a hole is a man thing that every man should be able to do.

[Steve Retherford]

Last week I brought home my Delta 17-959L. It had one hole drilled but not tapped on the quill hub (3 holes total for three handles). I didn't have the right size tap, but Ace hardware did. Less than an hour till it was fixed.

[Andy Tessler]

(New guy post ;) )

Add me to the list of the curious. Some lurking here on SMC has me leaning towards the Steel City press over the Ridgid / Delta direction I had been going. I'd be inclined to tap the hole too, but am interested in QC/QA on larger machines like the DP since it's in the size range where I need to borrow a truck to get it home. I'll run out of available friends if there are many return trips...

[Dick Rowe]

These posts .. the ones that start out one way, but go in a bunch of different directions, can provide more comedy than the late-night talk shows (if you're a woodworker, that is). The only thing missing is someone suggesting purchasing a $1000 German CNC auto-tapping tool, and oh yeah .. before you get that you better invest in a $3000 cyclone system to capture all the tapping dust.;)

Sometimes it's just the principle of the thing.

If not having this defective drill press part RIGHT NOW was affecting my income, or Steel City's solution was to have you box it up and send it back to them, I would probably just tap it myself (customer service and my cost/effort being the mitigating factors).

If it was just a minor inconvenience, I would expect that as a brand new tool it should be perfect out of the box, and a good company would make it right. I'm fairly sure one of the reasons Steel City has a dealer network is to provide local support (as well as sales).

As was suggested by others in this post, your first call or trip should be to your dealer. It is really their responsibility to make it right. If your local dealer doesn't treat you right, then contact SC to complain about their dealer.

One of the reasons I like to purchase my big-ticket items through a local dealer whenever possible (and sometimes pay a little more for it) is that it affords me the opportunity to stand on the managers' desk and wail at them in person when something isn't right.

My $0.02

[Alan Turner]

I'd let SC know, and then just tap it. If you go this way, you will have learned a great and useful skill. I build a lot of jigs, and routinely tap wood, esp. for a 1/4x20 (no. 7 drill) machine screw. Buy a jig knob, or turn your own. BB ply takes a tap very well, as does hard maple. You will find a million uses for this new skill. Pat Warner's great router table fence is rife with tapped wood. Just be sure that you know the screw/thread size. It could be metric given the country of manufacture.

[Randy Klein]

Any suggestions on a brand of tap (or are they all the same) and where to get one? I have the usual Borgs, HF, Woodcraft, and Ace local.

It seems like you need a tap, some sort of tap wrench, and oil. Is that right? Someone mentioned to tap it dry, I assume that means skip the oil.

As for those suggesting returning to Woodcraft, it's a small store, and they don't stock big machines. So they would need to re-order anyways (about a week wait). So time-wise, I assumed SC could handle it faster. But I'll call them today and see if I'm wrong in that assumption.

[J. Greg Jones]

You can skip the oil when hand-tapping cast iron as there is enough graphite in the cast iron to lubricate the tap. A tap wrench is also a must to avoid cross-threading and/or breaking the tap, especially for a first-time job. I'd also want a small chamfer on the leading edge of the hole before tapping, so get a center drill as well. You should be able to rent all the above at a good tool rental store.

[Heather Thompson]

Randy,

I would just go to the local Ace, bring a bolt with you so that the correct thread can be determined. The tap wrench is basically a T style, I personally do not see the need to apply any chamfer but that is just me. I would always suggest to buy your own tools as opposed to renting, unless they are a big dollar item or you do not have the room to store them (not the case in this situation). When you buy a tool and do the job yourself, the tool usually just paid for itself, the next time you use it, it is cash in the bank. The key to success with this approach is organization, you need to be able to lay your hands on the tool next time you need it, if you can't find it then you are wasting your money.

Heather

[Brian Hale]

Some random thoughts...

Yes, make sure Steel City knows about your problem.

I'm quite sure the holes were tapped on a CNC machine, as opposed to some underpaid hourly worker doing them by hand, which leads me to believe some or all of the following occurred which you should consider. Most likely the tap broke during the CNC machining process which can happen because a) the tap was worn out, b) the drill was worn out and the hole size is too small.

With those thoughts in mind you should check to make sure the hole isn't undersized. If you have a set of calipers, measure the hole diameter and take this with you when you buy the tap, or, purchase the correct size drill at the same time. Take the bolt with you to the store, it's most likely metric.

You should also check the other tapped holes with the correct bolt to ensure they are tapped all the way through and the minor diameter will allow the bolt to thread in easily. Since cast iron is quite brittle it's possible you'll crack the casting if a lot of force is required to run the bolt in. With the correct size tap you can re-tap if needed, But, only if necessary.

The biggest problem with hand tapping is getting the tap started straight, they tend to want to wander off as the first couple threads are cut. You can prevent this by drilling a hole the same size as the teeth of the tap (or a tad larger) in a piece of scrap hardwood. Slide the tap through the hole and tap a couple threads into the steel. Back the tap out, remove the wood guide and continue tapping the hole through.

They are two basic types of taps, bottom taps and "gun" taps. Bottom taps are used for tapping to the bottom of a blind hole and it's designed to pull the chips up and out of the hole. These taps are flat on the bottom. Gun taps (they have several other names) are designed for threading through holes and push the chips out the bottom of the hole. These taps are pointed. Either tap will work just fine but you may find the gun taps easier to get started.

Cast iron is machined dry so you shouldn't use any oil.

If tapping scares you, there is always the nut and bolt method. ;)

Brian :)

[michael osadchuk]

......when tapping thru a thicker piece of metal, don't force the tap all the way thru in one pass to avoid the risk of the tap breaking because of the resistance of the accummulated metal shavings; back out the tap part way thru to clear the shavings; when so much resistance builds up that you need to apply greatly increased force to keep turning the tap, that's when you want to back out the tap and clear the shavings.....

I'm sure there may be a difference in quality of taps for use in a professional shop for longevity, but I have found any of the taps that I've bought in a hardware store, etc., to be fine.

good luck

[Brian Hale]

I forgot to suggest you get the tap from Sears. They're a good quality and reasonable price.

Brian :)

[Mitchell Andrus]

Seriously, tapping a hole is a man thing that every man should be able to do.

... and don't forget to use a little lubrication.... Y'know, 3 in 1 or something....

[Sean Troy]

Any suggestions on a brand of tap (or are they all the same) and where to get one? I have the usual Borgs, HF, Woodcraft, and Ace local.

It seems like you need a tap, some sort of tap wrench, and oil. Is that right? Someone mentioned to tap it dry, I assume that means skip the oil.

As for those suggesting returning to Woodcraft, it's a small store, and they don't stock big machines. So they would need to re-order anyways (about a week wait). So time-wise, I assumed SC could handle it faster. But I'll call them today and see if I'm wrong in that assumption.

Don't you need a Drill press to drill out the hole to tap it? :)

[David Weaver]

I hope you're wrong about that, since I don't have a tap. If they do though, that would be a very poor customer service solution IMO.

It wouldn't be so bad if they paid for the tap and die set and led you through it over the phone. Then you'd have one more problem solving skill in your arsenal and more tools. I always pick things around the house or on the car and find out how much they'd cost to do it the easy way, then figure out how to fix the issue and use part of the difference in costs to buy the tools needed for the job.

I would tap that, too, it shouldn't be too much. I would make everyone aware on here (like you did) that it occurred, and make sure that SC was prepared to send me another casting if I screwed it up somehow.

[Matt Meiser]

Sears has, or at least had, a really nice little tap and die set for not too much money. I've had mine several years with good success and no broken taps. IIRC everything on the SC drill press is metric but you could use a standard size bolt if you don't mine. When you tap the hole, make sure you turn it in a little and then back it out that much to clear the chips. A broken tap is hard to get out. Whenever you get resistance do this.

IMHO, anything SC offers to do is going to be more hassle than just fixing it. They might send a replacement, but then you don't get to use your new drill press for at least a few days. I stinks, but stuff happens and it doesn't matter if you buy a $20 machine or a $20,000 machine. Hopefully a lot less often with the $20,000 machine but it still stinks when you are the one.

[J. Greg Jones]

Randy,
I personally do not see the need to apply any chamfer but that is just me.

If the lead thread is full diameter where it starts, the metal will be extremely thin and fragile. If the start of the lead thread rises out of a chamfer (female thread) or out of a taper (male thread), the thread will be much stronger. It also makes it easier to start the bolt.

[Randy Klein]

I got a phone call from Craig Walls, Midwest Sales Manager for Steel City (and on a weekend too). He had seen these posts and apologized for the unthreaded hole. He offered a few fixes:
Tap it myself so I can use it
Wait until Monday so he can ship me a new base
Try to tap it myself and if I screw it up (or simply want a new one anyways), he'd ship me a new base on Monday.Regardless, he was going to compensate me for the annoyance.

After talking to him about the tapping procedure. I decided it was do-able. So I headed out to Sears (as many suggested) to get the tap. Unfortunately, they only had singles up to 8mm. I needed a 10mm, but the only one was in a set. So I went to Lowes and Home Depot, but they did not have metric taps. So I went back to Sears and bought the set (I should have guessed that was going to happen). So the idea of going out and buying a few dollar tap turned into a $35 set :(. Hopefully they are as useful as everyone suggests.

Once I got home though, the tapping process took all of 2 minutes and was as easy as everyone says. I took a picture of the tapped hole. The threads aren't as clean cut, but they held just fine when I put the press together.:)

Unfortunately, after assembling the press. I noticed 2 things.
Woodcraft had forgotten to give me the free laser, which a trip to the donut store (my kids' name for Woodcraft) fixed.
The plastic housing of the belt cover was cracked a little bit and the housing does not sit level. I'm not sure if the crack (you can't really see it in the picture) is the cause or the by-product of the uneven sitting. I haven't told Craig about this yet, but I'm sure he'll take care of it. Luckily it won't affect any functionality, but it seems to rattle.So, overall, this was a good lesson in that even good manufacturing processes can let mistakes slip by, but good customer service can fix those that do and keep us all happy.:cool:

[Jon Bonham]

Good for you. Nice job. And, it's all relative. My tap and die set was almost $500, so $35 isn't too bad.

[Randy Klein]

Good for you. Nice job. And, it's all relative. My tap and die set was almost $500, so $35 isn't too bad.

Well I did find a dime in the Lowes parking lot, so it was more like $34.90...

[Jon Bonham]

Well I did find a dime in the Lowes parking lot, so it was more like $34.90...

Hey, you got the job done and saved .10. You're on a roll. I bet next time some tapping job comes up, you'll bust that set out and attack it full force. :D

[Chuck Lenz]

Randy, if you don't need another base see if SC will send you a table instead. It's allways nice to have another table that has a vise or something allready mounted to it. Just a thought.

[Nancy Laird]

My spies tell me that he has another little goodie coming, too. :p:p:cool:

Nancy

[Rick Gifford]

On the question about if it is a gloat. If it is something your proud to get, it's a gloat. Don't see it has to be a good deal for gloating.

Shame this one was sullied with poor quality control. Tell SC to send you a tap and you'll fix it yourself.

[Dave Verstraete]

It's good to see that they stand behind their products. They're on my list when I look for my next tool.

[Heather Thompson]

Randy,

Glad to see you tackled the job of tapping the hole, the experience of doing it yourself is well worth the 34.90, and you have new tools to boot. Looks like you did a fine job, next time something like this comes up you will jump on it with both feet. It is also nice to hear that SC is doing the right thing as far as customer service is concerned, hope you enjoy your new DP.

Heather

[CPeter James]

Any updates?

CPeter

[Brian Jarnell]

I am inclined to wait for Steel City to respond,then comment.

[Randy Klein]

I posted a previous update earlier, so if you have missed that, you may want to go back and read...

I received the new plastic housing (the thing that sits over the pulleys) today to replace the one that was cracked. I wasn't expecting it so soon. Craig must have overnighted it yesterday!

This I did not expect so soon since it was more of a bother and I had no loss of functionality.

For those who have been concerned about how SC was going to handle this customer service issue, I'd say pretty darn well.

[Eddie Darby]

I think you will find that the tap and die set will turn out to be real handy. It's like buying a Dremel, you think what am I going to use this thing on, and then the list just keeps growing.

If you knew how to tap in the first place you wouldn't probably even have mentioned this failing or it would have been a small side note.

As it turns out I learned that SC want to do the right thing, which to me is the real gloat. Thanks.

I think that SC is trying to produce fine tools, and that is not the case with other manufacturers. The split head design will prove to be real handy as time and wear take their toll on your drill press. A real nice design feature not found to my knowledge in any other 17" drill presses out there. I've run across it on the odd 20" drill press, but that too is rare.

The only thing that I see as an area for improvement would be a table more like the Delta tables, which are geared towards woodworking. So maybe you can make a table for it and let us know how it turns out.

[Don Bullock]

...

For those who have been concerned about how SC was going to handle this customer service issue, I'd say pretty darn well.

That's fantastic Randy. I found them to be very responsive as well.


I think you will find that the tap and die set will turn out to be real handy. ....

You've got that right.

[Tim Marks]

I'm quite sure the holes were tapped on a CNC machine, as opposed to some underpaid hourly worker doing them by hand
There is a good possibility that is not true. Some people have reported that they are astonished by how little automation there is in large factories in China and Taiwan. When labor is cheap, why would you use a $50k machine to do the job that 5 people with $12 taps could do almost as fast?

The Sieg factory (maker of cnc and manual milling machines, such as the Grizzly G0619) reportedly doesn't use cnc machines for almost all of their manufcaturing... everything is cut on manual mills or drill presses... which explains why their is a significant variation in quality of their products.

[Kyle Kraft]

I agree that SC should be notified about the defect, but you could have tapped the hole and been up and running in the amount of time spent discussing the matter on a forum!:rolleyes:

[Al Willits]

Prob with just tapping it, what happens when he sticks the tap in and the hole is the wrong size and he breaks it???
I'm betting most expected the hole to be the proper size.

Sounds like he did just fine, he kept his warrt and got a response from SC, now if he breaks it he covered.

Little lube is not needed for cast but it helps, least that's been my experience.

Sounds like SC did just fine, I still see a band saw by them in my future.

Always thought the difference between a $500 tap and die set and a $100 set was the difference of the number of times you planned on using them and the number of times they actually worked..:)

Al

[Pete Janke]

Picked up my Steel City drill press on the MLK Holiday from Woodcraft and put it together last night. Needed my son to help lift the head onto the column. All parts were present and in good shape, nice straight holes, easy to change belts, and smooth and vibration free. Mike, the Woodcraft owner in Dublin, CA, was a pleasure to purchase from. Both knowledgable and helpful. Laser was free but hasn't arrived yet. I'm anxious to receive it and test it out.

[Peter Quadarella]

I picked up one on the same day Pete, at my local Woodcraft over here in NC.

I'm having a little issue with it though. When on the highest speed, the belt tends to slip lower on the motor pulley. I'm not sure if I just need to tighten the belt up tighter; I don't want to crank it down too hard and cause excessive wear. I also noticed that the motor pulley is angled away from the other two pulleys - is that normal? Also, one more question - when I turn on and off the machine, it makes a little extra noise, like a jump - is that normal? I sent in these questions via their website but haven't gotten a response yet. I will give them a call tomorrow if I don't hear back by then.

Can anyone with the machine let me know if I'm worrying about nothing?

[Rick Levine]

Just thought I'd add my $.02 to the tread. I purchased a SC 8" jointer and 15" planer and when they were unpacked I notice that the base of the jointer was missing the built-in wheels. It turned out that it was an early production run that was at the store and the newer ones came with them. I contacted SC and learned that the unit itself had not changed just the base. Anyway, they sent another base to replace it which also included a new 2hp motor and magnetic switch. The only problem was UPS damaged it in shipping. I again contacted SC and this time they actually built a wooden crate and sent another one! Now that's what I call service.

The kicker is they let me keep the other bases, motor and switch and I gave one to a friend (he helped me assemble the jointer) and built a light weight wooden mobile base for the other one and use it to mount my Foredom rotary tool.

[Randy Klein]

Also, one more question - when I turn on and off the machine, it makes a little extra noise, like a jump - is that normal?

I noticed that too. I just assumed it was the belts getting going and stopping.

[Mark Rios]

I just saw this thread and read it to the end. Sounds like Steel City proved themselves to be a true customer oriented company.

WELL DONE STEEL CITY.

Well done to Randy as well for not being afraid to expand his knowledge base and getting that hole tapped and his DP up and running. While reading the thread I found myself looking where Randy lived. If he was even remotely close enough I would have offered to help him tap the hole. As it turns out, he has helped himself more than I could by learning a new skill. Kudos to Randy.



And speaking of kudos, didn't read any kudos for Nancy. I've got a feeling the she had a "small" ;) part in getting this issue to the attention of the right people with her connections. WELL DONE NANCY.


So Randy, what's your first project with your new DP? :D:D:D

[Pete Janke]

I picked up one on the same day Pete, at my local Woodcraft over here in NC.

I'm having a little issue with it though. When on the highest speed, the belt tends to slip lower on the motor pulley. I'm not sure if I just need to tighten the belt up tighter; I don't want to crank it down too hard and cause excessive wear. I also noticed that the motor pulley is angled away from the other two pulleys - is that normal? Also, one more question - when I turn on and off the machine, it makes a little extra noise, like a jump - is that normal? I sent in these questions via their website but haven't gotten a response yet. I will give them a call tomorrow if I don't hear back by then.

Can anyone with the machine let me know if I'm worrying about nothing?

Peter,

Just went out and fired it up. The motor pulley is slightly angled away from the other pulleys. My belt did not slip off the lower pulley when on the highest speed. It did make a liittle noise as it slowed to a stop each time, but I couldn't tell exactly where it came from, although I don't think it was the motor. We have a 5 year warranty. Hopefully we don't have to use it. Pete

[Peter Quadarella]

Thanks very much Pete, that makes me feel better. I was really worried about the motor being angled away, but since yours is also I will assume it is part of the design. Probably I just didn't tighten enough and I am good to go.

[Randy Klein]

And speaking of kudos, didn't read any kudos for Nancy. I've got a feeling the she had a "small" ;) part in getting this issue to the attention of the right people with her connections. WELL DONE NANCY.


So Randy, what's your first project with your new DP? :D:D:D

Mark, you're right about that. Without Nancy's help, I'm not sure my situation would have been resolved as quickly as it had.

My first project will be a lumber rack that I've been desperately needing. I stole the idea off a guy on Woodnet, using 2x4's and 1/2" galvanized pipe.

[Bruce Benjamin]

Just thought I'd add my $.02 to the tread. I purchased a SC 8" jointer and 15" planer and when they were unpacked I notice that the base of the jointer was missing the built-in wheels. It turned out that it was an early production run that was at the store and the newer ones came with them. I contacted SC and learned that the unit itself had not changed just the base. Anyway, they sent another base to replace it which also included a new 2hp motor and magnetic switch. The only problem was UPS damaged it in shipping. I again contacted SC and this time they actually built a wooden crate and sent another one! Now that's what I call service.

The kicker is they let me keep the other bases, motor and switch and I gave one to a friend (he helped me assemble the jointer) and built a light weight wooden mobile base for the other one and use it to mount my Foredom rotary tool.

This is what I would call fantastic customer service. Really above and beyond what I would expect. I'm not surprised that they sent you the new stuff but it seems that they would've at least asked you to box the old base, motor, and switch up and send it back on their dime. That's really nice of them.

Bruce