Parts for Startrite Drill

[Powermyster]

Ok guys, been looking for an older industrial type pillar drill for a while now. I have been watching ebay and pricing couriers from the UK as they don't come up very often in Ireland and when they do they can be very expensive.

I was about to bite the bullet and pay a courier to get one shipped from the UK, when as one turns up on my doorstep.

My father was chatting to a friend(who is a neighbour of mine) in the pub and telling him what I was looking for etc. and he turns around and says, "I've got one in the shed that I took out of a tech college a couple of years ago, but its 3PH.

I agreed to take it for a very small fee without seeing it.

So this big bench drill bolted to a big cast iron stand arrives this morning, all painted up green. On closer inspection of the plates etc I see Startrite Mercury II. The drill looks a little battered and is missing the handles for locking the work piece table and drill head. The belt looks a little tired but other than that it seems ok, there isn't any notable play in the spindle.

So does anyone know where I can get the missing handles and a chuck key for this. Also anyone know off hand what size capacitors I need to run it off single phase?

I'll try get photos up later.

 

[rtbcomp]

You can make your locking handles, assuming they're pinch bolts. A good guess would be they'll have Whitworth (BSW) threads, so get a suitable hex bolt with a socket head and braze an allen key into it.

As for the motor try to get a single phase, a lot less messing about.

 

[wheresmejumper]

or an inverter.about 100 quid.

 

[Powermyster]

You can make your locking handles, assuming they're pinch bolts. A good guess would be they'll have Whitworth (BSW) threads, so get a suitable hex bolt with a socket head and braze an allen key onto it.

Note quite sure what you mean.

I had a look at the one on the table and its 8mm hole on one side and 6-6.5mm on the other side. don't think there was any threads inside, but it was only a quick look before I had to run out.

I can take some images in about an hour or so and have a better look.

 

[Powermyster]

or an inverter. About 100 quid.

Where can I get one in Ireland. It's not too much hassle to wire it up off a capacitor. Just want the right size to get the balance right

 

[wheresmejumper]

ebay has lots of inverters,and they let you control the speed of the motor digitally,i.e. no changeing belts.
type inverter vfd into ebay

 

[wheresmejumper]

you will lose half the power with capacitor.or more,cant remember how much exactly

 

[Powermyster]

loose about 30% with capacitor. I'll have a look at inverters now

 

[brewdexta]

I use Inverter Supermarket - here's a link guessing you have a 0.5HP motor

 

[Powermyster]

Can't tell the motor size. Cos it's all painted over. I'm pribably going to assume its the standard motor. It looks to be the same colour as main body underneath

 

[Fintray]

Try this thread for info:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16798

 

[Powermyster]

Ok. I just ran over and gots me a motor start and run capacitor, wired the motor up on single phase with just the run cap and she seems to run pretty well except for the fastest speed, where I will need the start capacitor.

I was too impatient to wait for an inverter.

Can't try it out on anything though, I've no chuck key, can't find a single one in the shed, there should be loads of them.

 

[Powermyster]

Try this thread for info:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16798

Cheers, I checked out machine spares and looks like they can supply the handles to me. I was able to see from their diagram that I was also missing another little part for the drill head latch.

 

[Powermyster]

Pic

 

[Powermyster]

And another shot