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Thread: Drill Press Disaster(it broke)

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Behrens View Post
    If it was mine, and I couldn't find new trunnions, I would get some bar stock welded on to the trunion mounts, and build a wood table for it. But I don't do any metal work on mine. That wouldn't cost much. You would lose the tilting table, but if you need an angled hole you could angle the workpiece instead, by making a wedge to support it
    For those who do both metal and wood working, consider getting a separate drill press for each. Metalwork is dirty and messy with oil and cutting fluids which I want to keep away from my wood.

    JKJ

  2. #17
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    Given how often these assorted pot metal trunnions fail, it seems to me that there may be an opportunity for someone with either a CNC or a 3d printer to make some that are more durable.
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  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Sanford View Post
    Given how often these assorted pot metal trunnions fail, it seems to me that there may be an opportunity for someone with either a CNC or a 3d printer to make some that are more durable.
    3D printed trunion??? Can't imagine that one would be strong enough or rigid enough.

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    3D printed trunion??? Can't imagine that one would be strong enough or rigid enough.

    It depends on the material used. Bugatti is printing brake calipers using Ti for example. 3D printing isn't just plastics.
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  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Van Huskey View Post
    It depends on the material used. Bugatti is printing brake calipers using Ti for example. 3D printing isn't just plastics.
    It's absolutely true, but metal printed parts require $1M+ printers, so they are (at least to my knowledge) only used for pretty high value parts. I know of some people in the startup world trying to bring that down by a factor of 10 or so, but you're still not talking inexpensive. In our engineering lab at work, we still outsource metal printing, even though our machine shop has many plastic / resin based 3D printers, and an otherwise full-service metal machine shop. You can literally go online with your CAD files, get quote and order one-off or short run parts in a variety of sintered alloys roughly as easily as you might order a custom printed T-shirt.

  6. #21
    Because these same trunnions were used on Delta band saws, check with Louis Ittura. He may have a list of compatables. Google is your friend. Google "Jet trunnions on a Delta Band saw," and the answer is there. Yes they do fit. Ebay has a pair of Delta for $30 delivered right now.
    Last edited by Bruce Wrenn; 05-30-2018 at 8:48 PM.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg R Bradley View Post
    Cheap chinese junk potmetal trunions. That is what you get for a new $1000 drill press that has features like a table that is adjustable for angles. If you think that the Delta didn't hold up, don't try the Wen as is much lower end. Each unit has their good points and bad. You just found the bad.

    In a business, I think I paid about $2000 for the last basic, but made in US, Delta drill press in the 1990s. That would equate to around $3500 now. For one quarter of that, you have to accept compromises.

    Solutions are old iron, spend a bunch on a new quality press, or fix the defects in your unit. I'm not criticizing the purchase, I bought a new Delta myself a few years ago for $700. I just accepted that only bought me a certain level of quality. I think there might be a market in new, high quality, trunions at a couple hundred dollars for the pair.
    New US-made drill presses with an appropriate spindle travel and spindle speed for woodworking are not common. I know of two. The Ellis 9400 is an 18" unit with a top speed of 1200 rpm, spindle travel of 5 3/8", and costs about $4k. The 20" Clausing can be run up to 2000 rpm spindle speed with an 1800 rpm motor, has six inches of spindle travel, and costs about $5k. I have a 50 year old version of the current Clausing 20" and it makes a VERY nice drill press for woodworking as long as you get one with the higher speed motor. Mine survived getting beaten on in a metal shop for 50 years so it is a pretty stout unit.

    If I had to buy a new drill press today (I wouldn't, I would get another used one), I would get something like the Grizzly G0779. It's a Rong Fu RF40 gearhead mill head on a drill press column with about 23" of swing, 5 inches and change of spindle travel, and has a speed range of just under 100 rpm to just under 2000 rpm. It goes for a little under $2k and is of pretty heavy construction. I would not want anything to do with the lightweight presses like the Delta or the typical consumer level units.

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