Today's Shop Time

[Larry Caldwell]

I just paid $120 for a 50 year old Rockwell 17" drill press. The only thing wrong with it is the switch, and it's missing the nut that sets the depth stop. There are instructions for wiring the motor for 220v on the motor plate, and for reversing the motor, so that will happen soon. The bearings and chuck are good, with no detectable play in the spindle.

I'm thinking of wiring the motor to a wall switch that will let me reverse the motor and start/stop the tool. What do you guys think of that?

I also have a lathe vise with a bolt pattern that won't match up to the lathe work table, so have to figure out what to do about that. A piece of channel should make a quick and dirty adapter, but I'm open for more elegant suggestions. No, I'm not going to mill either the vise or lathe to make them match up.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I just paid $120 for a 50 year old Rockwell 17" drill press. The only thing wrong with it is the switch, and it's missing the nut that sets the depth stop. There are instructions for wiring the motor for 220v on the motor plate, and for reversing the motor, so that will happen soon. The bearings and chuck are good, with no detectable play in the spindle.

I'm thinking of wiring the motor to a wall switch that will let me reverse the motor and start/stop the tool. What do you guys think of that?

I also have a lathe vise with a bolt pattern that won't match up to the lathe work table, so have to figure out what to do about that. A piece of channel should make a quick and dirty adapter, but I'm open for more elegant suggestions. No, I'm not going to mill either the vise or lathe to make them match up.

You know what's best for you, but I didn't have any of my tools hardwired, but I do have a lot of receptacles. I built all of my benches and work benches such that they fit the wall, but can be moved if necessary.

 

[RNeumann]

No photos= It never happened!

 

[Larry Caldwell]

You know what's best for you, but I didn't have any of my tools hardwired, but I do have a lot of receptacles. I built all of my benches and work benches such that they fit the wall, but can be moved if necessary.

Good point. I could easily mount all the switching on the drillpress itself. A small electrical box with a couple of switches is all I would need. I'll have to look at the wiring for reversing rotation. It might need a QPDT switch. The idea of being able to back out a stuck bit appeals to me, though.

I just built a new shop, and am getting it set up like I like it. Like you, I made the benches movable. I have some leftover 6" screws that hold the trusses down, so used those to secure the benches to the wall. The work benches are in 8' sections, so I can rearrange them if I want. Taking a tip from my kitchen layout, I built a C-shaped 8x8 work area

I still have a steel bench to build that will be so heavy I think gravity will secure it. The top will be a 300 lb. L-shape hunk of 3/8 plate that I picked up at a scrap yard, the frame will be scrap angle iron and tubing, and the buzz box welder and high frequency injector will sit under the bench. I think the argon tank and regulator for the MIG torch will fit under there too.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

No photos= It never happened!

My upload speed is 26 kbit. Yeah, I'm a little rural. I'll put something online when I go to bed tonight, and maybe the upload will be finished by morning.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Good point. I could easily mount all the switching on the drillpress itself. A small electrical box with a couple of switches is all I would need. I'll have to look at the wiring for reversing rotation. It might need a QPDT switch. The idea of being able to back out a stuck bit appeals to me, though.

I just built a new shop, and am getting it set up like I like it. Like you, I made the benches movable. I have some leftover 6" screws that hold the trusses down, so used those to secure the benches to the wall. The work benches are in 8' sections, so I can rearrange them if I want. Taking a tip from my kitchen layout, I built a C-shaped 8x8 work area

I still have a steel bench to build that will be so heavy I think gravity will secure it. The top will be a 300 lb. L-shape hunk of 3/8 plate that I picked up at a scrap yard, the frame will be scrap angle iron and tubing, and the buzz box welder and high frequency injector will sit under the bench. I think the argon tank and regulator for the MIG torch will fit under there too.

I can use my workbench as an outfeed table for my table saw; it's light and can move it anywhere...and my table saw is on wheels.

 

[CMV]

I don't have a drill press, but have a 9x30 milling machine so use it in place of a drill press often. I would absolutely hate a wall switch to start/stop it. Mine has a 3-way switch. Center is off, left is forward, right is reverse. But it's right there and easy to reach. Taking a step to from a wall switch would be very irritating to me.

Not entirely sure what a lathe vise is or if it is for a wood lathe or an metal/engine lathe. My lathe is metal lathe. If you're talking about a cross slide vice or milling vise you attach to a lathe to use it as horizontal milling machine you should be able to drill & tap into the cross slide and mount that way. Kind of like how you'd mount a follow rest. Wouldn't be ultra rigid, but could do some light milling and would be fairly simple to get setup or taken down.

 

[RNeumann]

My upload speed is 26 kbit. Yeah, I'm a little rural. I'll put something online when I go to bed tonight, and maybe the upload will be finished by morning.

No worries fun project

 

[teejk]

Why would you ever want to reverse a drill press? As for the rest, the missing parts are probably available. Rockwell then Rockwell/Delta then just Delta (maybe missing that Rockwell/Milwaukee got married/divorced at some point also). Same machine for the most part (how can you improve on a basic machine like a drill press)?

 

[bunyip]

Taking a step to from a wall switch would be very irritating to me.

I thought it might be a safety issue too.

 

[Big Barn]

I thought it might be a safety issue too.

Add me to the list of that being a BAD idea.

Picture this. You’re holding down a piece of flat bar and the drill press belts slip or the drill stalls when the bit breaks through.

You let go of the workpiece in order to reach for the switch. The drill then continues to turn spinning the workpiece like a propeller.

Mount the switch on the machine. I added paddle switches on mine. They’re cheap on Amazon.

 

[Xfaxman]

My drill press was modified long before I got it. They mounted a momentary push button floor mount starter switch (like the ones used in cars back in the 1940's) in the left slot of the floor plate. Very safe, the motor only runs while I am pressing down the switch with my left foot.

 

[Big Barn]

My drill press was modified long before I got it. They mounted a momentary push button floor mount starter switch (like the ones used in cars back in the 1940's) in the left slot of the floor plate. Very safe, the motor only runs while I am pressing down the switch with my left foot.

View attachment 599042

I added a momentary on foot switch to the bandsaw I use for aluminum. I’m actually contemplating going back to using a machine mounted paddle switch.

I think now that both feet planted squarely on the floor in a comfortable position would be safer when guiding the cut.

 

[Mace Canute]

My drill press was modified long before I got it. They mounted a momentary push button floor mount starter switch (like the ones used in cars back in the 1940's) in the left slot of the floor plate. Very safe, the motor only runs while I am pressing down the switch with my left foot.

View attachment 599042

A couple of years back a friend brought home a foot switch from his workplace after a safety audit deemed it was unsafe. The guard over the foot plate had been broken off sometime in the past and it looked like somebody had just cleaned it up with an angle grinder. It ended up looking something like this. I used a 3' extension cord cut in halves to made "in" and "out" cables and I also made a nylon connector to thread into the unit where the original cable went and managed to drill two holes in it that I could JUST get the extension cords through with the use of lube. I don't think I could remove them from it now if I tried!

Anyways, my friend uses it on his drill press and really likes it. Being able to use both hands to control whatever he's drilling into when it won't fit in his drill press vise and turn the press on and off with his foot does indeed make it much safer than just using a toggle switch.

 

[Big Barn]

I added handles to my foot switches for easier relocation. Bending over gets old when....you’re old.









And I thought I was being clever mounting this bandsaw footswitch but in reality it doesn’t enable a stable working stance IMO. I will prob relocate or remove it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking of just mounting a paddle switch on the front of the belt cover, but the foot switch looks like a better idea. Plus, it would make it easier to switch the belt to a different sheave.