Meddings T4 Tapper/Drill

[Smouser]

I have recently somehow acquired two Meddings (which I initially thought was M4 drills) but which turned out to be Meddings T4 tapping machines. One much more complete than the other.

It seems like both have been modified to be used as drills rather than tapping machines.

I initially thought the gearbox pulleys were aftermarket/modified pulleys as they are different to the Meddings M4 drills. The M4's pulleys are 5 step pulleys whereas the T4's pulleys are 4 step and look to be more 'heavy duty'.

Can anybody shed some light on how the tapping machines were supposed to work? I take it the feed handle/star wheel or whatever you want to call it was automated somehow?

Here are some more photos

All sorts of electronics in that electrical box below

What is the above part for? It looks incomplete?

There is also these

They look to me like some kind of switches? Maybe got something to do with the feed?

 

[Smouser]

On to the motors. Both machines came with Newman 0.75kw motors.

One with the braking unit still installed and one with the braking unit missing.

I plan to run both motors with a VFD as I do not have access to 3 phase power.
I have never owned or even seen a motor with a braking unit, are there any utility for the brake if the motors are being run by a VFD and the machines are used as drills only?

 

[brightspark]

take the break unit of them . not needed

 

[julianthegypsy]

As far as I remember, and I did have one of these, there was no special mechanism for tapping, but it could run at very slow speeds, suitable for driving a tap. Tapping heads were generally self reversing anyway so all that was needed was suitably slow gearing. Someone will doubtless be along to explain that I'm completely wrong though!

 

[Smouser]

Interesting. Did these still require a tapping attachment then?

I thought the whole idea of a 'tapping' machine was that it did the tapping automatically without a tapping attachment.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Interesting. Did these still require a tapping attachment then?

I thought the whole idea of a 'tapping' machine was that it did the tapping automatically without a tapping attachment.

You'd think, wouldn't you? I once had a small tapping machine, I'd did what it said on the box. Press the lever to push the tap into the hole and it tapped it. Let go and it reversed out of the hole. This one though requires a tapping head, which fits into the Morse taper socket on the quill. I'm not sure why the motor has a brake though as I can't see how it would help anything.

 

[brightspark]

You'd think, wouldn't you? I once had a small tapping machine, I'd did what it said on the box. Press the lever to push the tap into the hole and it tapped it. Let go and it reversed out of the hole. This one though requires a tapping head, which fits into the Morse taper socket on the quill. I'm not sure why the motor has a brake though as I can't see how it would help anything.

if the machine its self reversed after tapping it would need to be braked 1st you cant just bang it in reverse while its still running it would overload the windings and the amperage would go through the roof

 

[julianthegypsy]

if the machine its self reversed after tapping it would need to be braked 1st you cant just bang it in reverse while its still running it would overload the windings and the amperage would go through the roof

That makes sense. I don't remember mine having an instant, or any other reverse facility. Tapping heads are normally geared and use cone clutches to reverse.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I have no idea how the above machine works.
But I have had the tapping attachments that go into a drill before and I would also be presuming a dedicated tapping machine would not have an attachment to go with it.
Although the ability to use it as a regular drill as well would be a selling feature.

My current tapping drill has some end float that you can feel if you move the chuck by hand. That operates a switch which controls the direction.
Ie. When you turn the drill on it starts spinning anti-clockwise but as you push the tap into the hole the chuck moves back a little and it changes to clockwise and drives the tap in. You keep pressure on it until it gets to depth then start to pull it back out, motor brakes to a stop and changes direction and the tap winds back out.
That's a modern unit though.
An older ex industrial thing I had was more of a production machine and had a free-floating chuck. Once the tap was engaged it would let it pull itself in, then once a pre-set depth was reached it would stop, reverse, and take itself back out.
The motor always kept running on that one though so the reverse must have been some sort of gear.
I could never get that one working 100%. As it came back out of the hole it would start to lift the quill up before the tap was clear of the hole. In hindsight I think I should have cut the squares off the taps I was using as I think they needed to sit deeper into the chuck.
There was also some sort of clutch set-up on it that was wired in as well. It seemed to engage far too easily and stop the motor so I didn't use it but, again, something I read after the machine had gone, I think it could be used for blind hole tapping somehow.

 

[Smouser]

Thank you all for the replies.

I think this machine must have done the tapping without the 'normal' tapping attachment.

I say that because:
1. That electronic box full of gizmos is way overkill for just a simple drill.
2. The three switches that comes out of the electronic box that must have been activated somewhere somehow.
3. A photo I just found on ebay of the same machine.

meddings pillar drill, Press Drill, Tapping Machine | eBay

<p>meddings pillar drill, Press Drill, Tapping Machine. </p><br /><p>The pillar drill will does automatic tapping </p><p>Has around 350kg</p><p>Well made heavy duty machine in full working condition </p><p>Been stored in a garage around one year</p><p>Missing pulley cover </p><p>3 phase power...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Agroshield]

How much do you want to spend to satisfy your curiosity?

For £39 you can get a manual and wiring diagram from lathes.co.uk

Meddings are still in business and for the price of a phone call, the worst you will get is a 'no, we cannot help'.

 

[Smouser]

How much do you want to spend to satisfy your curiosity?

For £39 you can get a manual and wiring diagram from lathes.co.uk

Meddings are still in business and for the price of a phone call, the worst you will get is a 'no, we cannot help'.

Agroshield, somebody on here has probably got one of these machines or had one.

I am hoping they would turn up one day without me having to spend money

Maybe somebody makes a youtube video of one in action!

 

[Stupoty]

Tapping heads work like this

Anyone know about best way to set the safety foot? They ofren seem to be absent from them when you see them second hand.

Stu

 

[Agroshield]

I am hoping they would turn up one day without me having to spend money

Info. on them does seem difficult to find. Rondean Machinery also list a manual for them and are generally cheaper then Tony.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Agroshield, somebody on here has probably got one of these machines or had one.

I am hoping they would turn up one day without me having to spend money

Maybe somebody makes a youtube video of one in action!

I had one, but it didn't have all the wiring and switchgear that yours had, it was a straightforward backgeared drill. I wish I still had it too!

 

[Smouser]

I got the manual for the newer model than mine.

I believe I have an MK5 and the manual is for MK6 and MK7.

It has been a crazy day and I have not yet read through it only quickly scanned. I think it will answer all my questions.

Meddings manual T4 MK6 and Mk7: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tJVvzRCBTjVecWkAfBT0kF8Ah6hqmhls/view?usp=sharing