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Thread: Delta Drill Press problem with bolt for table tilt

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    TX / LA border.. Toledo Bend
    Posts
    746
    Well, I guess I'm not done quite yet.

    Very strongly believe in what I said.

    There is about 4 possibles in link below, right now, all around $250.

    And that's just today.. where you live.. new stuff all the time.

    And also, you got all those used machinery dealers concentrated in a few next to each other warehouses in Hopkins.

    Just SW of Excelsior Blvd. ( ? Cty. 3?) and as I recall ? 11th Av.

    I almost bought a Delta saw 12/14 there years ago.


    Back to the Craigslist, most or all possibles at top of page.

    You are fortunate to live in/ near a highly populated are.

    Many possibilities.

    I live in the deep TX woods now, lucky If I have 5 new entries/ week in Craigslist tool category within a 100 miles.

    Then it's almost always like a beat up Black & Decker Circ Saw for $20.


    So live in TX 12 yrs now, escaped the Snow, but now in the heat and humidity.

    No panaceia overall, just different extremes.

    Brought up S MPLS, then Minnetonka/ Mound, even a cheap lot on the Lake for a few years.


    Craigslist - Ya, one has a 3 phase, I saw that... relatively rare for this size machine.

    A little 3/4 hp aftermarket motor is not much $ if the machine condition deserves it.


    Again, whatever........... GO Jineez !!!! if you wish. Marc

    https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/s...press&sort=rel
    Last edited by Marc Jeske; 08-03-2017 at 8:31 PM.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,879
    I would buy a older three phase drill press and a VFD. This givers you variable speed, power brakes, and quick reverse. A three phase dp will sell for less money then a single phase unit. The vfd will cost about $100. Personally I like the Walker Turner/Delta 20" dp with six inch stroke.
    Bill

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    TX / LA border.. Toledo Bend
    Posts
    746
    Bill - Very probable all true, but I was trying for a simpler midpoint for the OP.

    Wanted to (apparently) introduce him to the joys of Old Iron, w/o overwhelming him

    Marc

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,879
    I would say Delta has shown there is no advantage to buying a new dp. They do not have parts! Might as well save your money and buy used for less money. The parts support will be no worse and it may even be better on ebay.
    Bill

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Grantham, New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,128
    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Jeske View Post
    Something like this---

    These are one of the nicest DPs out there. With a 3 phase motor, slow speed pulley option and a VFD, you can just dial in the speed you need. I have rebuilt 6 or 8 of these and have three in use now. Parts are no problem and the fit and finish is superior to anything being sold today! All of mine are 3 phase with VFD.
    My two headed setup
    IMG_0226.JPG

    This is my favorite
    IMG_2388.JPG

    CPeter

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    I also have a 900L and it has a large Allen head cap screw in the table tilt. It took some real searching to find an Allen wrench that large. Then I needed a pipe extension on the Allen wrench to break the bolt loose the first time, but my threads are OK. I love my drill press for all of the capabilities that it has. If the threads were damaged in mine, I would take the bolt and the casting to a machine shop and have them install a Heli-coil in it. They will drill the casting hole slightly larger, then thread it with a special tap, and then install a spiral spring-like piece that becomes new threads of the right inside diameter for the original bolt. These threads are stronger than the original threads. You may want to also have them get you another bolt, because that original is likely also damaged. I would not want to give up the features that the 900L has, and it would be worth it to me to pay the machine shop to have it fixed, quite likely for less than $100.

    Your 900L likely also came with the laser cross hair unit as well. Mine laser unit never worked like it was supposed to, until I took it apart and rotated each laser line generator to project truly vertical lines. It seems that they were never calibrated at the factory. The drill press, at least mine, came with a white 3/8 diameter rod with a point on one end. To calibrate it you have to remove the cover of the laser unit and then loosen the clamps that hold the lasers. Study the clamps to see how they work because it is not intuitive. Once you get them loose enough to be able to rotate, then carefully rotate each laser until it's line is perfectly vertical on the white rod. Once they are set, carefully tighten the laser clamps and then check the alignment again. The point of this white rod should make a small dent when pressed into a piece of wood exactly where the lines cross, at any height. If the laser alignment is still good, replace the cover. Now the laser lines should cross at the drill bit contact point, wherever it happens to be. They aren't very sharp lines, so exact positioning is not really possible, but theyt will help you get the right location when drilling many holes close together on a project.

    The only other problem that I've had with my 900L has been the power switch. The contacts of the original switch stuck together so the drill press would not turn off. The first few times, I disassembled the switch and broke the contacts free of each other, then put the switch back together. After this happened several times I replaced the switch and mounting plate with a shop made plate for a higher current rated (wider but similar style) switch. This new switch has worked perfectly since it's installation two years ago.

    Charley
    Last edited by Charles Lent; 08-08-2017 at 10:37 AM.

  7. Doug,

    Just thought I'd ask now that you've had the drill press for a few months if you are happy with the Delta 18-900l? My limited research thus far has this drill as the best one out if you ignore the company's customer service and possible parts availability. My next choice would be the PM2800b. 5 year warranty, parts available and good customer service.


    Thanks!!
    David

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    275
    I have this drill press. It has great features, but poor execution and worse customer service. I'm done with Delta for good, other than maybe used equipment that's old enough to repair without factory parts. I've had two issues. The chuck had one of the key holes too far from the teeth and it started stripping the key, so then the key didn't want to work in any of the holes. I was at the Grizzly showroom and asked to look at their replacement chucks and the salesman recommended a keyless chuck. Simple fix and I love the keyless feature, changing bits is almost a pleasure. So, that was an easy fix, but it did add about $80 to the cost of the machine. Second problem is a vibration that I can't pin down. It's not in the motor as everything is smooth with the belts off. It doesn't appear to be in the quill as there's very little run out. That leaves the belts and the center pulley. I've changed the belts, not with Delta originals because they can't even keep them in stock! It's hard to believe that a company doesn't stock belts for their flagship drill press, but its true. Anyway, that didn't help. I did call customer service not long after I bought it and they said, "probably the belts" and offered no other help at all. I've learned to live with the vibration and it's only really bad at higher RPMs, which I seldom use.

    There was a $100 rebate when I bought it. It took a year and some threatening e-mails to get that out of them.

    I should have sent the thing back. At the time there wasn't anything else on the market at a reasonable price with the quill stroke this one has. A year later the Powermatic came out. If I were to buy a drill press today I would seriously look at the Nova.

    There's a review on Amazon with a picture of the column base casting broke in two. Think about that every time you pull the handle!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    Doug,

    If you are still trying to fix your drill press, there is a way to re-thread the casting using a product called Heli Coil. You drill the hole to a specific drill diameter, cleaning out all of the damaged threads. Then, using a special Heli Coil tap, you re-thread the hole. This special tap is larger than the original threads, but the same number of threads per inch as the original threads. You then install a special spring-like stainless steel piece that threads into the hole and has threads inside that match the original bolt threads. The Heli Coil product has a tang on the end that you then break off after the Heli Coil has been installed, and this creates a barb on the end that locks the coil in place. Red Loctite is also sometimes used to lock these threads in place.

    If you haven't used Heli Coils before, there is a bit of a learning curve to using them. For a Heli Coil installation this large, the cost of the special Heli Coil tap, the installation tool, and the Heli Coil itself can be expensive, so I suggest having a machine shop do this job for you. Having just one installed by them will likely cost less than buying the kit and doing it yourself, since they will likely already have the tap and installation tool on hand. After the Heli Coil has been installed, the new threads will be much stronger than the original threads. You will quite likely never have to face this problem again.

    Charley

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