Geared head drill press restoration

[Greg Q]

Whatchoo talking 'bout Willis? You have a dandy workshop, but you insist on parking your automobile smack in the middle of it. Whereas mine are protected from the elements by many layers of bird/possum crap.

Greg

[turbo TA]

Nice restoration,these are one of my favorite topics to read

I mixed up some West epoxy with cast iron dust* and filled the holes.

. I found this for repairing metal, havent tried it yet but it looks interesting
lab-metal ,
theres probably a bunch of products like it ( JB Weld is great for metal repair) but I thought I'd mention it.

[Greg Q]

. I found this for repairing metal, havent tried it yet but it looks interesting
lab-metal ,
theres probably a bunch of products like it ( JB Weld is great for metal repair) but I thought I'd mention it.

Thanks turbo TA, that looks interesting. Unfortunately they don't have an Australian distributor listed and you can't mail that stuff. I have some JB Weld that I'm saving for some special use. I thought of using it first but then went the epoxy route because I needed over a cup of goop to fill the craters.

The cast iron dust was pretty clean...I used a magnet to separate out the non-metallic stuff but it wasn't worth the effort. I mixed it pretty rich; about as thick as peanut butter.

I have a couple of milling tables to do later this year. They are going to get drilled and reamed then I'll install cast iron plugs and re-machine/grind the surfaces. A couple of the damaged areas are adjacent to tee slots so a structural repair is required.

Greg

[turbo TA]

Unfortunately they don't have an Australian distributor listed and you can't mail that stuff.
Greg

oops I didnt even realize that. either way,,nice job!

[Bryan]

Greg that's a handy looking mobile gantry you have your drill strung up on. Did you build that? What's the rating? It looks like it's got hydraulic lift on the posts as well.

[Greg Q]

Yes, I modified it from one shown on home shop machinist. I think I wiped the link, but I'll look for it. Basically, it is made from 100 X 100 4mm wall tube with a telescoping element. The hydraulic cylinders are 500 mm throw which allows the gantry to get under my roller door then extend up to 2.7 Metres.

For use over a trailer or ute I can put a spacer on the hydraulic ram and get it up to 3 metres high. 22mm Hitch pins hold the column in place. I have a chain hoist and a cheapo electric 600kg hoist attached to the top I-beam (180mm). I welded on a few loops to hold shackles, slings and what-not. In a fit of enthusiasm I also provided steps to climb up to the top for those sudden gymnastic urges. A fire extinguisher bracket was added to one column...never enough wall space, so might as well use what you got

The horizontal member was left open to store pipe rollers and the jack handles. I also wanted to be able to insert outriggers to increase the footprint should that ever happen.

I bought some very heavy duty castors from Richmond Castor in the mistaken impression they were still Australian made. As it turns out they are same Asian stuff everyone sells, only with the fancy price tag*

*I have since purchased eight better units from Great Lakes Caster shipped for less than 3 of the Richmonds.

The SWL is limited by the castors to about 1.2 tonne. If I blocked the entire unit the top beam and hydraulics would lift 4 tonnes easily. (8 tonne rams)

Having it has been a great. When I bought my mill I hired a van (the reserved ute was gone). When we got home I built a platform out of scrap pallets, rolled the mill out of the truck on the pipes onto the platform, drove away. Then I was able to wheel the gantry over, lift the mill, remove the pallets and lower the machine down onto the pallet jack. Happy days.

Greg

[Dave J]

Here is the link, I have it saved.Yours looks a lot stronger Greg
Gantry crane VS Engine hoist - The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop BBS

Dave

[Greg Q]

Thanks Dave...I had just started searching for it online.

I didn't trust my stick welding enough to use the original load paths. My more primitive design does not rely on any single weld to retain its integrity. The only mod I might make is to add two more casters to increase the SWL if I get any machines heavier than my current collection.

Oh...I bolted the I-beam to a top plate welded to the uprights. I wanted to be able to transport it on a truck if I ever bought a machine where there were no hoisting facilities.

Before I installed the wheels I tested the gantry by hoisting my sedan and leaving it there all day.

[Jekyll and Hyde]

*I have since purchased eight better units from Great Lakes Caster shipped for less than 3 of the Richmonds.

Thanks for that tip - I've been half heartedly looking out for some decent castors to use on a dolly for my Bridgeport so that it can be tucked away/cleaned around/generally moved, and I see plenty of good options on the Great Lakes website, at a very reasonable price! Brilliant!

[Bryan]

Thanks for the links and info. Looks like a nice solution.

[Greg Q]

Thanks for that tip - I've been half heartedly looking out for some decent castors to use on a dolly for my Bridgeport so that it can be tucked away/cleaned around/generally moved, and I see plenty of good options on the Great Lakes website, at a very reasonable price! Brilliant!

Get the GD-60S. Or the next size up. They have a rubber pad that your jack down to anchor the mill, then you screw the feet up to get mobile. They are brilliant. You will have some problems ordering directly, but if you send a message someone will get back to you with a quote. Let me know if you have trouble: I have an email address.

(I am making mobile frames right now for my mill and this drill press project.)

[Stustoys]

Thanks for that tip - I've been half heartedly looking out for some decent castors to use on a dolly for my Bridgeport so that it can be tucked away/cleaned around/generally moved, and I see plenty of good options on the Great Lakes website, at a very reasonable price! Brilliant!

The guy that moved my mill had skates with 4 small castors on each end. Good if your concrete isnt flat.
Anyone got a bridgeport on castors?
Stuart

[Greg Q]

This is where I got the idea for the Great Lakes casters:

[Stustoys]

This is where I got the idea for the Great Lakes casters:

Nice, I was worried the GD-60S were a little light. I see he has filled most of the joins in his floor.
Stuart

[Stustoys]

Just to go even further OT, that mill in the picture has the same stop on the ram as someone here was asking about a few weeks ago. who was that again?
Stuart