Improving The Run Out On The Quill Of The Drill Press

[pdentrem]

Years ago I bought a King drill press, as my Dad's was too small for some of the things I was up to. His is just a hand drill mounted in a accessory press. Both B&D.
I was not satisfied with the large run out of my drill press and looked it over to see what I could do. Basically there is not much that can be done in my case internally. In further looking I saw that the anti-rotation screw on the left side had an effect. If tightened it helped but it was grabby and stiff. So I decided to add 2 more rubbing surfaces on the right and front face. As the pictures clearly show, they are simply 2 brass set screws. Drill and tap and install the screws, and with a bit of playing around with the 3 screws I was able to reduce the run out to near zero. The chuck has issues but that was for another time.
Pierre

 

[T Bredehoft]

Ingenuity takes the day. Some times we have to fly by the seat of our pants.

 

[randyc]

Doesn't have to look elegant to function well

 

[redgalvin]

Sometimes, the simple solutions escape us. Good work!

 

[jimbob]

I have run out on a couple of drill press's and will try this. Never thought of this but will give it a shot.

 

[cathead]

Small bits will wander into an existing hole more so than a large one. Get it close and be happy with the results. If the work is allowed to "float", a bit will follow its way to the center of a pilot hole. Good job on the repair!

 

[tertiaryjim]

I've a habit of checking to see how tight the spindles are whenever looking at machinery in stores.
It's all been eastern manufacture and loose to really sloppy.

 

[FOMOGO]

Nice solution. Might not be a bad idea to put a few pumps worth of grease in before your adjustment to cut down on wear. Mike

 

[EmilioG]

Interesting idea. Does the run out improvement remain or do you have to constantly adjust the 3 brass screws?
Will the screws cause any wear marks or make things worse in time or do you think the screws will just need to be replaced from time to time? Do the screws show any wear? Good luck with this cool idea.

 

[pdentrem]

The brass is softer than the steel, so they will wear first. They have been in place for a number of years now, but I only posted recently. As for adjustment, no further adjustment has been done and no increase in runout has been noticed. If you have them rubbing too tight then the quill becomes stiff. Another style of set screw may work as well. The type with a detention ball or pin could work just as well, depending on the spring pressure you get.
Pierre