Table Lift for Pillar Drill

[rtbcomp]

Following on from this thread http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/progress-2g-drill.31600/

the thing this drill could do with is a means of lifting the table, and this is what I came up with.

I had a scissor jack from a Rover 100 so decided to use this as the means of lifting the table



Unfortunately it wouldn't fit under the table mounting, and close to the pillar was found to be the best place to lift. At the same time the jack wouldn't fit far enough back for the lifting pad to fit underneath the mounting boss.

So I cut the rear part of the jack bottom plate off to get nearer the pillar and inverted the plate to lower the jack slightly. The protruding bits were filed flat and the hole squared off and tidied up prior to welding.



The lifting pad on the jack was removed at the same time. The piece under the lifting pad is pivoted off-centre, this was repositioned so it pivoted about the centre.



It still has a tendency to tilt and cause the table to swing to one side. A piece of angle iron with a hole drilled in it for the red locating pin to pass through fixed that one.

 

[rtbcomp]

Next issue was that when lifting the table the jack tended to move on the base of the drill, so a means of fixing it down was devised. This involved welding a tail to the base of the jack and securing that by means of a cross-piece and T-Slots in the drill base.







I used channel nuts to hold the cross-piece in place and spacers to line everything up.

 

[rtbcomp]

Finally we need a means of operating the jack. The Rover 100 bore fruit in the form of a camshaft, camshaft pulley and gudgeon pin.

The pulley end of the camshaft was cut off, slotted and drilled for an M6 screw.



And slotted over the operating tab on the jack.



This was made as close a fit as possible to avoid closing the slot in the camshaft. which appeared to be made of cast iron (judging by the filings and swarf). The M6 screw and nut was tightened to clamp the camshaft end firmly in place.

Finally an M8 bolt with its head cut off was welded to the pulley, the gudgeon pin slid over it to form a handle and a Nyloc nut fitted to stop the handle coming off, but at the same time allowing it to rotate.



And the job's a good 'un. It works very well, the table can be positioned easily and precisely.

 

[colnerov]

And you have a handy sprocket for a belt drive to electrify it.

Good job and excellent use of stuff laying about.

Colin

 

[rtbcomp]

And you have a handy sprocket for a belt drive to electrify it.

Good job and excellent use of stuff laying about.

Colin

Thanks. I did have a 40:1 reduction gearbox that might have worked, but I sold it before I came up with this project. Motorising it is not that straightforward though, the pulley sits at an angle to the horizontal and moves upwards and inwards as the jack is raised, so maybe a universal joint and sliding coupling arrangememt would be best, or a flexible drive driven by the drill

 

[500e]

Bit of Bowden cable 1 pullet & a lead weight, simples

 

[8ob]

Bit of Bowden cable 1 pullet & a lead weight, simples

Exactly how its done on a big old drill in the barn, works a treat.

Bob

 

[500e]

See what you mean the pullet wont work

 

[rtbcomp]

Bit of Bowden cable 1 pullet & a lead weight, simples

Pullet? Pulley? Bowden cable?

 

[brightspark]

brake cable a pulley and a counterweight

 

[Windy Miller]

Set the pulley right at the top and run the cable and weight down the centre column.

 

[rtbcomp]

Set the pulley right at the top and run the cable and weight down the centre column.

The column on mine is solid.

 

[ronan]

View attachment 143994See what you mean the pullet wont work

Thats a really good idea 500e. I can lift the table on mine fairly easily, but can see how an older person might struggle with the weight. On a large arboga drill we had at work, there was a length of acme-thread rod running the length of the column, passing through a nut on the back of the table. To raise or lower the table you simply turned the cranked handle on the threaded rod.

 

[rtbcomp]

...but can see how an older person might struggle with the weight...

You can say that again! - especially with a cross-vice mounted. Apart from the weight lifting the table tends to cant it slightly which can cause it to jam on the pillar. My method and the pulley system work on the collar so the tilting is avoided.

Some drills have a rack and pinion, but I found that was a bit jerky on my old Clarke.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, Depending on the distance of its travel a gas ram would have been another option.

Colin

 

[Farside]

Bit of Bowden cable 1 pullet & a lead weight, simples

Excellent idea. My own pillar drill has no rack and pinion, and although the table isn't all that heavy, I know from experience, that sometimes it's just awkward.
I don't quite know how to fit the chicken though, but I'll figure something out.

 

[Windy Miller]

Set the pulley right at the top and run the cable and weight down the centre column.

The column on mine is solid.

Ah - don't do that then!

 

[rtbcomp]

Hi, Depending on the distance of its travel a gas ram would have been another option.

Colin

Mine goes from 4-1/2 ins to 11 ins, the former is the distance from the bottom of the boss to the base (it's a bench mounted drill).

Just replaced the M6 screw with M8, the former didn't grip tight enough. If this one slips then I'll have to weld it.