Walker-Turner DP intermediate pulley setup OEM?

[Packard V8]

This W-T DP is about 100 miles from me, so not convenient to view in person. Does this intermediate pulley setup look OEM? I've never seen one like it in fifty years of old DPs.

jack vines

 

[MJO]

I've never seen one like that but it will give you more speed options and the ability to run a flexible shaft or something off the bottom.

 

[Provincial]

I'm no WT expert, but that guard looks factory-made. I don't see a reason for it to be that long without the intermediate shaft/pulley setup.

This kind of setup could be imitated with a plate and pair of pillow blocks, or a basic belt-driven grinder arbor. It is well thought out.

 

[Packard V8]

Now that I look at the motor pulley again, it doesn't look like anything factory. The steps would require a large range of adjustment of the belt as it moved up/down.

Agree, this design might be hell-for-stout, but it's looking more home-shop-fabrication.

The seller only wants $100 and if it were close at hand, I'd probably pay that just to take it apart for inspection. A cleanup of that rattle-can-abortion, polish the column and it could easily sell for $250.

jack vines

 

[Provincial]

The pulley match between the intermediate position and the spindle looks proper. It could be that the original motor pulley was used there as part of a field modification. It is also possible that the mismatched motor pulley is due to a replacement motor that has a shaft too large for the original pulley to be reused. We'll never know.

Step pulleys are somewhat standardized, but there are still lots of variations. The design of the intermediate shaft would allow a different set of steps (not matching the spindle) by using the bottom end of the intermediate shaft and having the drive end of the motor pointing down. Outside the box thinking.

 

[Provincial]

I just don't see why the belt guard would be so long. The motor would be hanging out in space, unbalancing the machine, and the belt would be needlessly long.

 

[RTM]

Can you get a model number from them? OWWM has lots of pics

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=36926

 

[Graham08]

Agree, this design might be hell-for-stout, but it's looking more home-shop-fabrication.

I agree with this. It looks like there's an extension bracket to attach the belt guard, and the motor is spaced away from the original mount to accommodate the center pulley and whatever it's mounted to.

The attached photo is my Walker-Turner drill press, though it is a later model. All of the WT stuff that I've seen with the extra pulley uses the eye cast into the motor mount to attach the third pulley. There's a threaded rod that goes in it to tension the belt between the motor and center pulley, then the whole assembly slides relative to the spindle to tension the second belt.

 

[RTM]

yeah, what he said about the belt guard. I saw that, and was looking through OWWM for a similar pic, found this.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=6165

 

[WAS Jr]

I suspect its an optional slow speed pulley kit. May be factory.
Bill S

 

[RTM]

Hmmm, maybe WAS has something there