Affordable drill press - can chuck column play be removed?

[Miles]

Some good ideas on that thread Miles, thanks. I kind of like more the idea of drilling some holes around the casing in the neck, tap them and put screws on them that will press against the moving neck. This, I imagine, besides being much easier for me to do than cutting the casing, seems to have the ability to adjust inclination of the drill, since several sides can be adjusted. For 60€ I can buy on and run some tests...

I think slitting the casing would be a better solution. This will take up all of the play. One cut and a suitably sized clamp would probably work

Old industrial drill presses were sometimes made with a split head. My vertical mill has a similar arrangement.

Here's a DIY drill with a split head:

[Njay]

I'm just not seeing me do a reasonable cut with a hand saw , although I see there's a lot of tolerance on this cut.
I don't understand what do you mean by the side-side play; on what other play are you thinking, up-down? I'm more of thinking in let it slide up-down without play and not locking the chuck's neck and move the part.

[Miles]

If you slit the casing, you can have one bolt to change the fit. Easy to adjust. Screws bearing on the quill would be difficult to adjust. Why are you worried about the cut? It doesn't even matter if it's not straight...

You never know, the casting might close up after being cut....

[Njay]

I've seen weirder things
I guess I'll give a go then

[Miles]

This pic shows the slit in the head casting of my mill/drill. It was just done with a hacksaw

Anyway, show us a picture first - it might not be suitable.

[Njay]

This is the cheapest one, I can get it for 60€



Next in price (~100€) is the one I show on the 1st post. The lack one above seems more appropriate, no buttons in the front.

[Miles]

Looks doable, to me. What do the others think?

Here's the pic from the link that I posted earlier. The hole at the end of the sawcut is important.

[Miles]

Another slitted head casing on an industrial drill:

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Clausing-15-Dril ... ~60_57.JPG

[TylerDurden]

This pic shows the slit in the head casting of my mill/drill. It was just done with a hacksaw

Did you add a worm-drive to the pinion?

[Miles]

This pic shows the slit in the head casting of my mill/drill. It was just done with a hacksaw

Did you add a worm-drive to the pinion?

It has a worm drive downfeed but that's standard on the kit. It's a Dore-Westbury MkII:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/dore%20westbury/
http://www.lathes.co.uk/dore%20westbury/page2.html

[dickselectrictoys]

no...maybe 25 years ago. these r bought in lots of 10,000. figure your cost, then subtract 50-75%. the heavier something is that is painted & metal, w/different shapes/where it came from/who sells it to public & so on. i use to work for a company years ago, (cannot mention) & they tested thousands of metal parts for millions of different machines / machinery. now days anything is allowed in to the sell to sale franchises. bottom line....u make it ur self & it can be done. i do this all the time. a hack saw/grinder/file/paint/drill. u can do it."