Repair/rebuild Duracraft 1600 Dp (was: Drill Press Shopping With $200)

[FOMOGO]

And finally, a bit of the bad: the threads in two of the three holes for the feed handles are pretty much eaten alive by rust. Being new to most of this, what are my options here? Can I tap them and just thread some barstock?QUOTE]

That's one option. Do you have the handles and are the male threads good? You could drill them out and use a heli-coil or better yet a time-sert to repair the female threads. Mike

 

[Anopsis]

I have two of the three, and I think the threads are probably ok. I'll clean them up tomorrow and see.

Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk

 

[David VanNorman]

Yes the chuck is removable . That is morris taper most likely # 2. Put a new switch on it and you have drill press.

 

[brino]

Anopsis,

First, excellent pictures. I can see a lot of detail.

That amount of corrosion on the wire connection troubles me. Yup that could cause the "dead" symptom.
If I see it correctly that's one of those "strip the wire and push it in" deals that always mean a CRAPPY connection. That type of connection is also used in the otherwise high-quality power bars I pull out of the trash at work. Those connections are horrible. I abandon those connections and find screws for the sockets and rewire them with real copper wire under those screws. Problem solved!

1 thou run-out is great.
removable chuck also great.

for the threaded holes for the feed handles, those don't look too bad......a good round wire brush should clean those holes right up. There is little pressure trying to pull the handles out in normal operation.

-brino

 

[silence dogood]

I agree with Brino on those wire connections and DV on the new switch. I would check all connections including the plug. Corrosion can cause a voltage drop. AC motors run hotter if there is a slight voltage drop. Not good. In your case, the drop was so much that the motor could not run at all. However, it sounds like so far you are doing well.

 

[marcusp323]

Now, what are you going to buy with all that Christmas cash????????

 

[kingmt01]

Those handles don't need to be tight. I'd clean the rust out, coat the threads of the handle with finger nail polish, coat the inside of the hole with JB Weld, & then screw it in. If you ever need it out the nail polish will let go of the handle leaving you threads inside.

For the chuck I can't tell where you are measuring. Don't use the outside of the chuck. Put a ground pin in it to measure. I'd mark where it is then take it out & clean both surfaces. Make sure there isn't even dust in it. It needs to be a dry fit. So don't oil it. Put it back & check again. Keep rotating it until you find the last amount of run out. That or decide it is just a drill & is used for roughing holes.

 

[Anopsis]

First, excellent pictures. I can see a lot of detail.

Thanks, I try to make them useful!

Now, what are you going to buy with all that Christmas cash????????

Probably spend it on refurb and refinish. I need belts, switches, handles, cranks... maybe I'll even do a complete disassembly/sandblast and repaint just to finish it all off!

For the chuck I can't tell where you are measuring. Don't use the outside of the chuck. Put a ground pin in it to measure.

It was a quick measurement from the arbor above the chuck, but I will get a ground pin and check it. Or maybe just get a new arbor and chuck anyway.

 

[kingmt01]

You can't test from the arbor like that with any accuracy. There will probably be those that disagree but I have found that when testing on a angle that the indicator drifts & springs back. That isn't where the final word is anyhow.

Good luck with your project. I wouldn't worry about replacing anything unless it is your switch right now.

 

[modela]

No doubt about it, I would fix up the old one, even though it is a Chinese import just like the new ones. I have a drill press very similar to yours except that it is a floor model, and it has been a good machine. Not great, but good. A new motor would be far cheaper than a new drill press, and making the new handles to replace the missing ones would be pretty simple. Removing the rust from the column and table would require a little elbow grease, but the machine itself would probably be just fine. If the runout is excessive, new bearings are not terribly expensive, and it would be a great project. Of course there is also the self satisfaction of being able to say that you rebuilt it yourself.

Many of us hobby machinists are just as interested in bringing old machines back to life as we are in doing machine projects. For many of us, rebuilding old machines is also a way of making our hobby much more affordable. Rebuilding your old machine may very likely give you a better machine than you could purchase for the same money. $200 will very likely get you a new motor and a new, more accurate chuck if one happens to be necessary. Just a few dollars more will make your new handles and purchase some new replacement knobs. Crank handles or cranks (if missing) might be a little harder to come by, but if you keep your eyes open you might find something usable elsewhere.

I agree about bringing old machines back to life to a degree. After bringing back insulation blowers, a Scotchman ironworker, several drill presses, a Bridgeport mill, incredible amounts of pumps, a ground-up- restoration of a Model A Ford, a radial arm drill press, I am more appreciative of getting something with new technological benefits. If the parts are available, like the Scotchman ironworker, the tool is not worn out, and the techology is appropriate to your use, that is one thing. If you love to do it, that is another thing. If you like to research things that helps.



The above example is a Scotchman I rebuilt. The factors in my favor was that I had good parts backup available down to paint and decals. On the negative side, the unit was purchased from a small trailer manufacturer that had thoroughly abused it. Just cleaning it up turned out to be a nightmare. Safety devices had been taken off or bypassed, parts had been welded on. The saving factor was it was built hellishly tough and the hydraulics had really stood up over time.

Would I do it again? Probably not. I don't restore tools much anymore. The prime reason is I would rather be working with new metal and wood. I value my time more now. I have paid the price but I do appreciate my old tools.