Noisy Meddings Drill

[Johnny Crossan]

Hi Guys,

Just looking bit of advice, I have a Meddings Pillar Drill, when its operating it is very noisy, sounds like a bag of spanners.

Any advice on what to check?

 

[voipio]

Take the bag of spanners out ;-)

 

[voipio]

Serously though, without hearing the sound, it's difficult to tell but check for play in the system i.e. the main quill shaft, and the pulleys, and lack of lubrication. I'll hazard a bet that it hasn't had an oil change or been greased in the last 3 months. Also, a dry belt can make some noise. Could it have stripped a gear?

 

[Martin-Sy]

As @voipio says could be lubrication (or lack of). Yours has the gearbox: Is one range noisier than the other?
Also check the motor pulley isn't loose (mine was!). A tatty belt makes matters worse too.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Mine did that when I first had it - it was because the two bronze bushes that change the gears were worn out and the gears were kind of bumping along trying to engage both gears at the same time. I re-made the bushes out of a bit of phosphor bronze and it has been fine since (that was 30 odd years ago)!

 

[Barking Mat]

Shot bearings ?

 

[nickk]

Pulley loose on the shaft?

 

[roofman]

I have the same drill and mine was noisy too...my gearbox now runs thick 80/90 diff oil and its 95% better

 

[Agroshield]

No bronze in mine. Where abouts?

I think he is talking about the gear selector mechanism rather than the shafts upon which the gears themselves rotate. Start with your hand on the gear change lever and proceed along its path inwards.

 

[GrahamGKD]

No bronze in mine. Where abouts? Mine is all bearings.

The bearings are all ball race bearings. Mine is a Progress No 2GS (similar to the Meddings, I thought). The gear which lifts up or drops down to select high or low gear is raised or lowered by two little bronze bits fitted into a large clevis and running in a groove in the gear. The bronze selectors and the clevis arrangement is operated by the gearchange lever. Sorry but my engineering nomenclature has forsaken me and, also, it is about 30 years since I had it to bits. The jangling noise caused by both high and low gears trying to engage at the same time was the reason the place I was working at at the time scrapped it, so I took it on.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Ah see I'm my Model 4 Mk2 the bronze pieces are white plastic, I should imagine acetal/delrin.

I think mine was made before plastic was invented ;-)

Luckily I had a bit of phosphor bronze the right size to re-make the offending parts.

 

[roofman]

That is likely just hiding the underlying problem, instead of fixing it?

Not when you paid £50 for it and it does everything its asked.

 

[roofman]

Does the price really make any difference? I don’t think so. It is still likely that the worn bits are still worn and the problem is being hidden from ear-shot.

Makes a massive difference, why fix something that is not broke when it breaks in 2087 i will scrap it or sell it to someone who puts less value on time.