# Meddings Pillar Drill - spindle



## rossani (2 Feb 2021)

Hi,

I acquired a Meddings Driltru Mk2 (1975) a while ago, sold as non-working. Turns out it was just the fuse in the plug, which I replaced and hasn't blown since. After speaking with the nice people at Meddings it turns out the drill was originally sold to the GPO (remember them!).

The depth collar is missing from the bottom of the quill, and the spindle is carrying what looks like some sort of extension (perhaps for getting into deep into a recess?). The extension has an MT1 taper which is currently carrying an MT1 Arbor and drill chuck. I'd like to use the spindle without the extension, but I can't work out how it's fitted to the spindle. At first I assumed it might be on the spindle taper, so tried persuading it off, but to no avail. Then I began to wonder if the marvels at the GPO might have modified the end of the spindle to take the extension.











What I don't know, and it would help to understand how the extension might be fitted, is the depth of spindle that protrudes below the bottom circlip. So if there's anyone who has the same type of drill and could tell me please I'd be very grateful.

Thanks


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## Doug B (2 Feb 2021)

I think that’s the same drill as mine I did a thread years ago here








Meddings pillar drill (picture heavy)


Pick up this poor old tired drill earlier this year It was pretty grimed up & looked to have had a hard life which included at some point someone painting it cream, but it had very little run out so I thought it would be worth cleaning up. It was single phase though for some reason didn't...




www.ukworkshop.co.uk




If you look at the 5th photo that shows the spindle which doesn’t look like yours so they could well have changed it, on mine the spindle is tapered for the Chuck one end & runs up to the pulley on top.


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## marcros (2 Feb 2021)

Doug B said:


> I think that’s the same drill as mine I did a thread years ago here
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Mine is the same. I can't remember the taper but it is only short and I think is probably a Jacobs taper. I cannot see how you would fit a mt1 adaptor, but if a machine shop was available it would probably have been easy enough to adapt the adaptor.


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## mindthatwhatouch (2 Feb 2021)

Can you get a piccie with the quill extended?


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## Lons (2 Feb 2021)

Hi
I may be well wide of the mark but I think someone has fitted a different chuck with a different size morse taper and they've inserted a MT sleeve adapter to make it fit, if that's the case then you should be able to get the adapter out though obviously a very tight fit.

I have a Meddings Drilltru although might be a different year to yours and I've just nipped out to take a pic though it's difficult to see the MT is just visible above the collar.

Just had a quick look on the internet
Morse Taper Adapter Sleeves - Bing images
Taper Adapter SENRISE Morse Taper Extension Sleeve Precision Version Drill Tools Reducing Drill Chuck Sleeve Lathes Machine Part (MT 1-2): Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools


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## flh801978 (3 Feb 2021)

Fobco star drill machines were supplied like that for a while as the spindle wasn’t big enough to take a morse taper so it was built just like yours rossani 
They were available with a male JT6 ( i think) which took a jacobs chuck directly...that had a knurled wheel above the chuck which pushed the chuck off when you needed to remove it
Or with the MT extension type spindle
After a while a redesign of the spindle and larger bearings a new spindle was introduced that had an internal MT

Ian


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## rossani (3 Feb 2021)

Doug B said:


> I think that’s the same drill as mine I did a thread years ago here
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the replies.

Marcros - what a cracking restoration, The photos are very helpful, particularly No. 8, which shows the Chuck taper below the bottom bearing. So my question is - what is the length from the bottom of the bearing to the end of the taper?

If it's longer than the distance than I have, from the bottom of the bearing to the top of the slot in the extension, then my spindle taper must have been shortened or modified in some way.


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## rossani (3 Feb 2021)

flh801978 said:


> Fobco star drill machines were supplied like that for a while as the spindle wasn’t big enough to take a morse taper so it was built just like yours rossani
> They were available with a male JT6 ( i think) which took a jacobs chuck directly...that had a knurled wheel above the chuck which pushed the chuck off when you needed to remove it
> Or with the MT extension type spindle
> After a while a redesign of the spindle and larger bearings a new spindle was introduced that had an internal MT
> ...


Very interesting Ian and indeed the Fobco fitted with the extension does indeed look like mine. On mine there's an approximate 1mm gap between the top of the extension and the bottom of the spindle, which makes me wonder if the extension is simply fitted directly onto the regular JT6 taper. If it is, it's damn tight and didn't want to release when I tried little bit of persuasion.


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## flh801978 (3 Feb 2021)

Rossani it wasn’t an extension piece it was all the spindle ...can you show a pic of your 1mm gap?


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## rossani (3 Feb 2021)

flh801978 said:


> Rossani it wasn’t an extension piece it was all the spindle ...can you show a pic of your 1mm gap?


Best I can get... Just a thought, but if you wanted to drive out the spindle through the bearings, wouldn't the extension need to be removeable? The extension looks to be pretty much the same diameter a the inner bearing race...


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## Doug B (3 Feb 2021)

Glad the photos were of use @rossani that certainly looks like it’s been fitted over the Chuck taper, without removing my Chuck I can’t tell you how long the taper is.


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## rossani (3 Feb 2021)

Doug B said:


> Glad the photos were of use @rossani that certainly looks like it’s been fitted over the Chuck taper, without removing my Chuck I can’t tell you how long the taper is.


No worries Doug. This also shows a groove machined on the one side with the circlip sitting just above it...


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## Lons (3 Feb 2021)

You might have to drift it out, have you looked on youtube there are loads of videos and if you're lucky you might find a solution


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## rossani (3 Feb 2021)

I'm coming to the same conclusion - the challenge is removing it without any damage. The bearings run quietly and I want to keep them that way


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## marcros (3 Feb 2021)

rossani said:


> Thanks for all the replies.
> 
> Marcros - what a cracking restoration, The photos are very helpful, particularly No. 8, which shows the Chuck taper below the bottom bearing. So my question is - what is the length from the bottom of the bearing to the end of the taper?
> 
> If it's longer than the distance than I have, from the bottom of the bearing to the top of the slot in the extension, then my spindle taper must have been shortened or modified in some way.



Doug, not me!


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## aebersold (3 Feb 2021)

This is just a thought and I might be off key here, but if the extension is fixed on a taper, like you put your drift through the slot to knock the Chuck out, you could turn your drift the other way up, put a piece of metal in the slot to touch the spindle above and knock it off ?


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## rossani (4 Feb 2021)

Hmm, not something I'd considered. I can't tell if the end of the spindle forms a 'roof' at the top of the slot, or whether the taper is sitting in a blind recess. Wouldn't hurt to give it a go though. Thanks for the suggestion


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## Fergie 307 (4 Feb 2021)

I take it there is no draw bar, either visible or possibly inside the top of the original spindle.


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## rossani (4 Feb 2021)

Fergie 307 said:


> I take it there is no draw bar, either visible or possibly inside the top of the original spindle.


Everything looks as you'd expect, apart from the extension.

Given that there's a circlip in place (as normal), my conclusion is that it's either on the original J6 taper, or the end of the spindle has been modified for a screw fit. 

My next thought is to make up some wedges, though the 1mm gap doesn't give much to play with


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