Little Machine Shop Drill Press

[EdK]

I would like to get the spindle pulley off but it's held on by a nut so I'm looking for advise on how to get that nut loose since the spindle turns when trying to loosen the nut. I tried using the belt on the pulley as a strap clamp but no go.

Ed

   

[Highpower]

(06-10-2021, 09:36 PM)EdK Wrote: I would like to get the spindle pulley off but it's held on by a nut so I'm looking for advise on how to get that nut loose since the spindle turns when trying to loosen the nut. I tried using the belt on the pulley as a strap clamp but no go.  

Ed

A cordless impact gun would be my first choice. Failing that you could go old school. An offset box end wrench or a socket on a breaker bar or ratchet will work. Hold the pulley as best you can and whack the handle end of the wrench/bar with a piece of lumber or dead blow mallet. A quick blow should break it loose seeing as how it's a new assembly.

"Striking wrenches" are actually made to be hammered on to remove tight fasteners.

[EdK]

(06-11-2021, 03:47 AM)Highpower Wrote: a socket on a breaker bar or ratchet will work. Hold the pulley as best you can and whack the handle end of the wrench/bar with a piece of lumber or dead blow mallet. A quick blow should break it loose

I tried that as one of my first attempts. Can't get a good enough grip on the pulley to be effective.
While laying in bed this morning I also thought of trying my cordless impact driver. I'll give it a try.

Ed

[Highpower]

You might want to try putting a little heat on it too in case they've put some thread locker on it. My luck of course would be that it's a lefty-tighty, righty-loosy nut as well.

You'll get it done one way or another. I have faith.

[EdK]

(06-11-2021, 11:52 AM)Highpower Wrote: My luck of course would be that it's a lefty-tighty, righty-loosy nut

I emailed Little Machine Shop Wednesday and asked if it was a left hand thread and they replied that as far as they knew it was a right hand thread. So a definite maybe that it's a right hand thread.

UPDATE: Tried right hand thread direction and it didn't budge so I tried left hand direction and it popped right off.
30mm socket, the biggest socket I have now and it'll probably get used twice.

Ed

   

[Vinny]

(06-10-2021, 08:35 PM)Highpower Wrote:

(06-10-2021, 08:09 PM)EdK Wrote: It's about 30" long and 70mm in diameter. I may see if I can find some 70mm tubing with a thicker wall on eBay. The base is made of cast iron so it's OK as is.

Ed

Yikes. I just looked at a piece of 2-3/4 DOM steel tubing with a 1/4" wall thickness 36 inches long. $88.00 plus shipping from Speedy Metals.
Is your current column steel or C.I.?

Unless it's "Fire Sale" stuff, never pay website prices at Speedy. Call them, you'll be shocked at the price difference. Sometimes if you have a local Speedy you can get an even better price, but I never found that with mine.

[EdK]

The adventure continues.
I got the drill press all together and reconnected the wiring and was going to fire it up for the first time. I went to swivel the stand and it wouldn't move. I checked all of the caster locks and they were not engaged. Then I noticed a caster was sitting kitty wampus. WTF! The weld had broken on the tab that the caster mounts to. Then I noticed a second one with the same problem. Double WTF!! The casters are rated for 150lbs each so a total of 600lbs. The HF tool stand is rated for 500lbs. The drill press weighs about 77lbs. Triple WTF!!!

I had originally bought the stand for my 3D printer but decided to repurpose it for the drill press. Now it'll be relegated back to the 3D printer & I'll search for a more worthy stand for the drill press.

I did what any person would do in a situation like this. I went and bought a six pack.  

Ed

         

   

[Highpower]

(06-11-2021, 07:28 PM)EdK Wrote: I did what any person would do in a situation like this. I went and bought a six pack.  

Ed

[EdK]

No luck finding a stand for the drill press so I'm going to make my own out of angle iron and 2x3's. I'm also going to get casters that can be raised and lowered so in use the stand will sit on leveling feet.

Ed

[EdK]

The drill press is now functional but there are a few issues I need to address. The bolt that locks the table height has a tiny shoulder to bear against the clamping collar. I really have to tighten it down in order for the table not to turn on the column. I'm going to make a washer that will slip over the existing bolt to get more bearing surface. Eventually I will make a new bolt.

The table will not swivel unless I put a screw driver in the slot to wedge it open. Not sure how I'm going to fix that since it won't fit in the minilathe to turn it down.  

The chuck that came with the drill press is a 16mm chuck. It doesn't close down very far so small drill bits won't work in it. That chuck is overkill for this size drill press so it'll eventually get replaced with a higher quality 1/2" chuck that closes all the way down.

Ed