Delta 17 Drill Press Restoration

[EngineerNate]

Hi all, first thread here. Hope I'm in the right section. Just picked up an old Delta drill press that popped on Facebook marketplace. Did some reading here and elsewhere and it matches this one feature wise exactly:

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=33942

Based on the serial number the two are relatively close. Mine was also manufactured in 1945:

It was dirty and there was surface rust on several areas, but it looked complete aside from the obvious top cover and jury-rigged switch, and the smile of shame was minimal. Here are the pics from the ad:

The chuck runout wasn't awesome (0.010" at the shank of a chucked drill bit, checked with two different drill bits) but the outside of the morse taper shank was at ~0.002" total run out so I figure it's either a crummy chuck, corrosion inside the chuck, or the morse taper needs to be touched up. Nothing seemed crazy with the bearings/quill and play between the top pulley and the quill splines seemed okay (A couple degrees). I plugged it in and it fired right up and ran without any drama in the lowest speed setting so I decided to go for it.

I had to tear it down to get it into my hatch. I need a truck (Evidence of this shared later...)

I grabbed an old Craftsman 1/3 HP bench grinder while I was at it. Lookled to be in good shape, ran, and didn't add much to the total. (Sidenote: I need to dust my dash something fierce... good grief!)

I got it home safe and knolled it. Somehow I came up short one nut from the motor plate to motor connection. I was planning on replacing these anyway but it's a little irritating. Should have done a walk around after packing it, I must have missed the coffee cup we were putting the hardware into.

The smile of shame isn't too bad, and the rust looks very surface level:

Now for the bad. During breakdown, I incorrectly assumed that all four bolts holding the head to the post were installed identically. Their shed was kind of dark, and I'd successfully broken the bolts on the right side of the post (looking at it from the rear) free and moved on to the left. I got my breaker bar on it and turned and heard something that didn't sound like a nut breaking loose. Grabbed the headlamp I should have been wearing already and found this.

I was hoping it was just in the 'flats' used to keep the bolt from spinning but it went through a bit further than that. I already have a replacement on order from eBay because I don't want to deal with finding someone who can braze/weld this up and then worry about it breaking somewhere down the road.

So. At this point I've soaked the chuck taper with PB blaster to try to get it loosened up a bit before I try to separate it. Doing research on next steps and looking into ordering new bearings. Any comments welcome. I've joined up over at OWWM.org, just waiting on confirmation.

Does anyone have any info on the stock motor? The nameplate was rusted over to the point it was unreadable. It's enormous compared to the ones I've seen on the typical imports I've used in the past.

Really excited for this. My first bench press and my first vintage tool.

Cheers,
Nathan

 

[EngineerNate]

Current plans are:

Full teardown and clean, new bearings, repaint. Long term I'm considering changing over to a VFD or other variable speed drive, or alternatively fabbing an intermediate pulley assembly.

The depth gauge readout is pretty hosed, it's going to take a refurbishment or replacement on that to make it readable.

Any suggestions for getting a nice finish on the table lift knob again? It's very dull. Were they chromed originally or polished?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Packard V8]

Congrats on picking up one of the best home shop DPs ever made. You'll love it.

There are several prior threads on restoration. Make sure you read them and look at the exploded view of the spindle prior to attempting disassembly. There are a couple of tricky non-visible operations required.

jack vines

 

[EngineerNate]

Yep, I'm doing a bunch of reading before I have at it. I found a full how to for spindle disassembly over at OWWM as well.

Any suggestions for popping the chuck out as gently as possible? I was thinking of fabbing two plates, one with a slot in it and the other flat with 3/8" bolts connecting them to force the drift key through without any impacts.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Whitworth]

Any suggestions for popping the chuck out as gently as possible? I was thinking of fabbing two plates, one with a slot in it and the other flat with 3/8" bolts connecting them to force the drift key through without any impacts.

The proper way is insert wedge into slot, gently seat with a light tap from a hammer. Then strike down, chuck will eject.

 

[EngineerNate]

The proper way is insert wedge into slot, gently seat with a light tap from a hammer. Then strike down, chuck will eject.

Is this safe to do on a chuck that's probably been rusted in for 20 some odd years or more?

I got a nice close-up of the chuck. It turns free but it's rusty as all heck. Worst rust on the whole machine by far.

Can anyone ID the chuck? The only identification I see is a small "39" stamped into it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart in MN]

Welcome to the site, but your pictures aren't visible. When linking to imgur files, you have to change the 'https' to 'http' in their addresses.

 

[EngineerNate]

Thanks for the heads up, they load on Tapatalk so I had no idea!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[454ragtop]

To remove the chuck, just tap the wedge thru the slot, likely will come out fairly easily. Pretty sure what you have is an induction repulsion motor, good motors with lots of torque, but they have a few idiosyncrasies, probably should read up on them over at OWWM. Shame about the head casting clamp. Hopefully the replacement works out. I'm very leary of just replacing one half of either the headstock or the table mount, like a connecting rod they are bored as an assembly to fit perfectly around the column. If you disassemble the table mount pay attention, there is a set screw to keep one of the bolts from turning. With the production table you have, some guys drill and tap the other side of the mount casting and flip the bolt and locking lever around to give better access to the table lock lever.

On edit, just saw your post in the old drill press thread, yes, that is the slow speed pulley set.

 

[EngineerNate]

Are the pictures working now? I removed the https.

Ah that is good to know regarding the bore. Since they are pretty loose fit (relatively large gap between the parts when clamped) I would have thought the tolerance wasn't a huge deal even if they are bored as one at some point?

I'm getting my electrolysis setup ready to go to work. 55 gallon trash can, 13A 12v PSU, rebar+steel mesh. I'm going to start off with some big 150W wirewound resistors in the loop to limit the current to 3.5A max and see where to goes. Don't want to let the smoke out of the PSU. I've had it for years now doing duty as a 12v supply for RC aircraft chargers.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

Also, exciting news about the pulley set. I would eventually like to fit a variable speed motor and it seems easier to speed them up and maintain performance than vise versa.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart in MN]

Are the pictures working now? I removed the https.

Thanks, they're visible now.

 

[ClappedOutBport]

Now for the bad. During breakdown, I incorrectly assumed that all four bolts holding the head to the post were installed identically. Their shed was kind of dark, and I'd successfully broken the bolts on the right side of the post (looking at it from the rear) free and moved on to the left. I got my breaker bar on it and turned and heard something that didn't sound like a nut breaking loose. Grabbed the headlamp I should have been wearing already and found this.

I was hoping it was just in the 'flats' used to keep the bolt from spinning but it went through a bit further than that. I already have a replacement on order from eBay because I don't want to deal with finding someone who can braze/weld this up and then worry about it breaking somewhere down the road.

Cheers,
Nathan

Nice press Nathan. As far as the busted casting, I don't think that would matter one bit. Looks to me like the only real purpose it to keep one from needing a second wrench when adjusting, and it out to still do that purpose. Really no need to replace it though I guess it's a bit late now.

Edit: I see now the crack continues down inside. That's a braze job for sure. Just don't throw it out, someone will want it.

 

[Whitworth]

Is this safe to do on a chuck that's probably been rusted in for 20 some odd years or more?

I got a nice close-up of the chuck. It turns free but it's rusty as all heck. Worst rust on the whole machine by far.

Can anyone ID the chuck? The only identification I see is a small "39" stamped into it.

The chuck isn't worth saving. If you're having trouble ejecting the chuck, soak the spindle assembly in mineral spirits for a couple days.

 

[EngineerNate]

Yeah it was a real goof on my part.

I'll fit check the new part and definitely won't toss the old one. Regarding the fitment-I'm guessing that the side that's hard threaded into the back of the main casting is supposed to be tight and there should only be a gap for tightening on the side I damaged. Is this correct?

If I brazed it or had it brazed, would it be better to leave it as it and flow the brazing rod down into the crack or better to break the chunk off completely and reattach it? I'd worry with the former that the crack front would still be a weak point.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

The chuck isn't worth saving. If you're having trouble ejecting the chuck, soak the spindle assembly in mineral spirits for a couple days.

Kinda figured as much.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Davefr]

Is this safe to do on a chuck that's probably been rusted in for 20 some odd years or more?

I got a nice close-up of the chuck. It turns free but it's rusty as all heck. Worst rust on the whole machine by far.

Can anyone ID the chuck? The only identification I see is a small "39" stamped into it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

The only other thing I'd do it hit that spindle/socket with a propane torch in hopes of getting a little expansion. And maybe give the chuck body a few taps. (Tapers are super tight on the vertical direction but their "achilles heel" is the horizontal direction.)

Better start spraying the lower quill's bearing retailer with penetrant. It can either be easy or an absolute ***** to remove.

Nice find and it'll be a fun project. Start thinking about a 3 phase motor and VFD.

 

[EngineerNate]

The only other thing I'd do it hit that spindle/socket with a propane torch in hopes of getting a little expansion. And maybe give the chuck body a few taps. (Tapers are super tight on the vertical direction but their "achilles heel" is the horizontal direction.)



Better start spraying the lower quill's bearing retailer with penetrant. It can either be easy or an absolute ***** to remove.



Nice find and it'll be a fun project. Start thinking about a 3 phase motor and VFD.

It's on the list! Going to look into pros/cons of a VFD vs DC drive conversion. I've seen both recommended.

The drift key will be here tomorrow.

Regarding the new clamp piece for the head, my thought right now is to check the fit and if it's too tight I can shim the fixed side out. If it's too loose I can lap the mating surface by hand until it's right on. If there's an angular issue it'd be a little bit more work but as long as the bore is the right size I think the tolerances will be loose enough for me to work with.

I was thinking of adding a collar under the head to prevent it falling any distance if somehow the head loosened off. Good/bad idea?



Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Davefr]

It's on the list! Going to look into pros/cons of a VFD vs DC drive conversion. I've seen both recommended.

The drift key will be here tomorrow.

Regarding the new clamp piece for the head, my thought right now is to check the fit and if it's too tight I can shim the fixed side out. If it's too loose I can lap the mating surface by hand until it's right on. If there's an angular issue it'd be a little bit more work but as long as the bore is the right size I think the tolerances will be loose enough for me to work with.

I was thinking of adding a collar under the head to prevent it falling any distance if somehow the head loosened off. Good/bad idea?



Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I think you'll be fine with that replacement head clamp from ebay. Fitment is more critical for the table raising mechanism then the stationary head.

Yes, I'd absolutely use a clamping collar under the head. I'd get the 2 piece version.

 

[bimmer1980]

Post some good pics of when you tear the spindle apart.... I have a similar drill press that needs the bearings replaced....

The arc of shame looks quite good! the one I have has a much larger arc....not good....

 

[EngineerNate]

I think you'll be fine with that replacement head clamp from ebay. Fitment is more critical for the table raising mechanism then the stationary head.



Yes, I'd absolutely use a clamping collar under the head. I'd get the 2 piece version.

Cool. There's actually one of the collars used the support the rack and pinion on ebay right now.i was thinking of grabbing that to maintain the factory look.

Any thoughts on replacing the standard type hardware with fresh stuff? It'd give me some peace of mind to have fresh grade 8 or better bolts everywhere. I'd keep the original stuff of course. Wasn't sure if that kind of thing was considered sacrilege around these parts. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[ClappedOutBport]

Yeah it was a real goof on my part.

If I brazed it or had it brazed, would it be better to leave it as it and flow the brazing rod down into the crack or better to break the chunk off completely and reattach it? I'd worry with the former that the crack front would still be a weak point.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Probably leave it but grind the entire crack out. Brass braze doesn't penetrate like a weld, and it doesn't flow like solder. So If you want full braze penetration you really have to grind it most all of the way out. It's also really strong. Fear not a well brazed joint.

Cool. There's actually one of the collars used the support the rack and pinion on ebay right now.i was thinking of grabbing that to maintain the factory look.

Any thoughts on replacing the standard type hardware with fresh stuff? It'd give me some peace of mind to have fresh grade 8 or better bolts everywhere. I'd keep the original stuff of course. Wasn't sure if that kind of thing was considered sacrilege around these parts. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

It's your money, but grade 8 is about 8 grades overkill. It's a drill press, not a bridge.

 

[EngineerNate]

Probably leave it but grind the entire crack out. Brass braze doesn't penetrate like a weld, and it doesn't flow like solder. So If you want full braze penetration you really have to grind it most all of the way out. It's also really strong. Fear not a well brazed joint.







It's your money, but grade 8 is about 8 grades overkill. It's a drill press, not a bridge.

I mean. It'd also be for the cosmetics. Someone had a go at at least one of them with a dull apprentice. If I change one it's gonna need to be all of them or the mismatch will drive me crazy.

I was more wondering if I should grab one of the sets of clean original hardware on the bay to rebuild with or if modern stuff was acceptable to most from a cosmetics standpoint.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Davefr]

Any thoughts on replacing the standard type hardware with fresh stuff? It'd give me some peace of mind to have fresh grade 8 or better bolts everywhere. I'd keep the original stuff of course. Wasn't sure if that kind of thing was considered sacrilege around these parts. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

My thoughts are to leave the fasteners stock. A lot of the hardware is non standard and why do you want to waste time replacing and then cutting what's left to the correct length. Just clean all the old hardware with a wire brush wheel.

If you want to replace anything, it would be the badge. The artwork is online at vintagemachinery.org and Bayphoto will print/infuse directly onto aluminum for about $15 and it'll look identical to stock.

This badge is original:

This one is a reproduction:

 

[EngineerNate]

That looks great! I was actually 50/50 on keeping the badge unrestored. He doesn't happen to make repops for the depth gauge does he?

My motor was mounted with bolts that looked like small carriage bolts (square under the head) were those original?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Davefr]

That looks great! I was actually 50/50 on keeping the badge unrestored. He doesn't happen to make repops for the depth gauge does he?

My motor was mounted with bolts that looked like small carriage bolts (square under the head) were those original?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I believe the carriage bolts were original. However once the square under the head get's worn they are a PIA to remove. In this case, I'd replace them with hex head bolts so each side is accessible with a wrench.

I don't have a solution for the depth label.

 

[EngineerNate]

Got my electrolysis tank done. I'll clean up the wiring at some point but I wanted to demo the setup fast before I got too much time into it.

I bought three 1/2" rebar stakes and a sheet of welded up 0.16" reinforcing wire mesh meant for lighter duty concrete work. I cut the mesh to the height of the trash can and wrapped it around the sides of the can. I used one of the rebar stakes woven down through the overlapping edges to hold both it and the rebar in place. It then holds the other tow rebar rods in place. Hopefully it provides some additional sacrificial surface as well.

Power supply is a 13A Cosel Industrial supply I've had for ages. I put a fuse in line to protect it. I wired everything up with 10 gauge THHN I've had laying around since running some conduit when we moved here back in June. Solid 12 gauge Romex on the rebar to make it easier to get a tight wrap. I used uncoated annealed steel wire to hang the item being treated and as the cathode conductor.

To test the setup I rolled the cutoff piece of mesh into a bundle and hung it in the center. It was very dirty/rusty. It's pulling somewhere between 5A and 10A at the moment. I started with a 5A fuse and went up to 10A after two of the 5A fuses blew.

Planning to leave it for a couple of hours and check it before I go to sleep. Hopefully first actual parts tomorrow.

Cheers,
Nathan

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

I'm actually thinking of putting a big resistor in line with the system to limit the current a bit more, I'm wondering if it's eating up the anodes too fast as is.

Here's the leftover rebar mesh I used to test the system:

This was what the bath looked like:

I let it run overnight with the polarity reversed in the hope that it'd clean up my anodes a bit before I use the bath for real. I don't mind of this bit of mesh turns to goo.

Cheers,
Nathan

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

It definitely turned it into a mess but my anodes are clean!

My drift key arrived. Much worry about nothing. Any comments on the condition of the taper?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

My thoughts are to leave the fasteners stock. A lot of the hardware is non standard and why do you want to waste time replacing and then cutting what's left to the correct length. Just clean all the old hardware with a wire brush wheel.

If you want to replace anything, it would be the badge. The artwork is online at vintagemachinery.org and Bayphoto will print/infuse directly onto aluminum for about $15 and it'll look identical to stock.

This badge is original:

This one is a reproduction:

Do I need to do anything special as far as ordering this to get the right size?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[EngineerNate]

Electrolysis is magic. So incredibly impressed with the results here, especially considering how benign everything is chemically.

Time to get to work on the real parts. I think I'll start with the base.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Davefr]

Do I need to do anything special as far as ordering this to get the right size?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Here's what I did:

1. Go here to download the image:
http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/Decals-Delta.ashx

2. Now go to bayphoto.com and download their software called Bay ROES

3. Click Metal Prints and import your image from #1. Click crop tool to fit to size and use the 4" X 4" template. Make sure you click sheer glossy/square corners. Then order the namplate. (Bay ROES isn't the most user friendly software but you only need to do a few things with it).

4. When you get the nameplate it'll be on a 4" X 4" aluminum plate. You'll need to cut it to the correct oval shape. Use good tin snips for the rough cut and them get the final oval shape with a Dremel.

5. Drill the mounting holes with your old badge as a template. Now gradually roll the nameplate over a large scrap of pipe to get the curve close to the shape of the DP head.

Hope this helps.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I restoed the same dp 10+ yrs ago. Mine has a different chuck mount (JT33 I believe).

Your taper looks bad. Will for sure want to address that.. looks like a MT2.. can be problematic with a dp because it can slip esp when you pull the drill out of work. Maybe get a MT2 reamer to touch it up.

I would leave bolts original.. there are redundant bolts all over that thing.. I can't think of a scenario where a failure would be a huge deal.

That casting crack is a bummer. Silver works well if and only when you get everything really clean.. bit of an uphill battle on cast iron.. and then your preheat needs to be perfect, etc etc. Tig brazing would work best/easiest imo and is very strong.. plenty enough for that crack/area.

Your table is in great shape.

As you have found out there is a pretty active resale market on ebay for these.. parts don't go cheap, but deals can be found.

Love mine.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Here it is...

 

[EngineerNate]

Well, buying a house was a much bigger drag on my free time than I could have ever expected, and then we had a baby. So this poor guy sat for a long time. I finally started carving out time to work on it as the wife got tired of how much space it was taking up in the basement.

I started with the base/column. The column is in a PVC pipe filled with dilute molasses. The base got electrolysis after a bath in oil eater. It then got a phosphoric acid etch before painting with SW DTM Alkyd Enamel.

 

[EngineerNate]

After etching:

First coat:

 

[EngineerNate]

I bought a HF vibratory polisher and it's doing good work on the hardware. Before/After.





I'll likely replace some of the hardware (like this bolt) due to rounded heads etc. I'm still trying to find stuff that's not bright gold finish in a Grade 5 or above bolt in 7/16-14.