Advice re. replacement pillar drill table

[Deadeye]

I've rather optimistically posted a wanted thread looking for a pillar drill table that would fit a Meddings Driltru Mk II (2 3/4" shaft).
In the rather likely eventuality that I don't find one, my plan B was to use a piece of 40mm melamine-faced plywood that I have.
Then there are options:
1. I can drill a 70mm hole through, taper the end, make a split cut at the back and put a locking lever through. Advantage is that it's the closest to the original mechanism (single lever). Disadvantages include that the pinching will be in the plane of the plys and also might distort the flatness of the table and/or squareness to the shaft.
2. I can get a 70mm ID bushing and araldite it in, then look for some sort of locking collar to sit below the table to act as a stop. Advantage is that the ply won't be taking the load and can be maintained flat and square. Disadvantages include that I can't find a 2.75" imperial bushing and a 70mm one will have .15mm of slop; I can't find a suitable locking collar that I can use with a lever handle and it might foul with the table even if I could.
3. The genius of UKW suggests...

I'd very much appreciate advice on which option is best. I don't want to spend a ton of money so specialist fabrication not going to be on the list!

 

[Sachakins]

Could you make something like this?

 

[Deadeye]

Could you make something like this?

View attachment 175811

Hi

Possibly - but I don't want to drive a grub screw into the column. So I was looking at single-split collars. The issue then is getting them to work with a convenient lever handle rather than allen key.

 

[Sachakins]

You could add a plate of steel, curved to match column and flat on the back, then the screw would bear on the plate and the plate spread the force on the column, thus avoiding the chance of marring the column with the bolt or grub screw.!

 

[Cabinetman]

If it were me I would make a collar with a split etc from Hardwood and fair it out with two arms probably mortised into the collar, onto which you could mount the ply, this also gives you the opportunity to cut back the arms to make sure the table is level. Obviously I don’t do metal!
I’m thinking something quite organic (get me lol) in the way it’s carved/curved where the mortise holes are, and it could look quite smart.
But what you haven’t told us is what happened to the old one?

 

[Deadeye]

If it were me I would make a collar with a split etc from Hardwood and fair it out with two arms probably mortised into the collar, onto which you could mount the ply, this also gives you the opportunity to cut back the arms to make sure the table is level. Obviously I don’t do metal!
I’m thinking something quite organic (get me lol) in the way it’s carved/curved where the mortise holes are, and it could look quite smart.
But what you haven’t told us is what happened to the old one?

Ha! I think there's a reasonable risk of me getting it not square/level if I try that.
I don't know what happened to the old one! I was the lucky recipient of a very kind donation of a box of bits and I've been gradually excavating them out of the caked on rust and grime. I even managed to get the motor back to life, although I do now need to strip it down and try to replace the bearings. Anyway, various things were missing - the table being the most major, but also the little post that holds the lid up, the locking nuts for the depth stop, the spring cover and so on.
To be honest I've no idea whether the ply thing will work - it may have too much flex to stay level under pressure, but we'll see!
I've got all the other bits broadly clean, but now need to get the diesel off before painting...and expecting a ton of criticism for using a brush, but I don't have a sprayer.

 

[Deadeye]

Hi

Possibly - but I don't want to drive a grub screw into the column. So I was looking at single-split collars. The issue then is getting them to work with a convenient lever handle rather than allen key.

Hmm.. hadn't thought of that; thank you.
I fear you might be over-estimating my metal bashing abilities though

 

[ChaiLatte]

Instead of splitting the piece with the 70mm hole in it, consider a split cotter to clamp the table.

https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum/general/34445-split-cotters

It might work made out of some hardish plastic.

You install a one-piece cotter blank into the piece that goes onto the column before you form the 2 3/4" hole. Then, in forming the big hole, it naturally takes the divot out of the cotter. Once that is done, remove the cotter blank and cut it into two.

I'd be making the bit on the column out of a square stacked lamination of three layers of your plywood and putting two triangular gussets from it to the underside of the table.

You do not need a 2 3/4" bushing. Make something that is loosy-goosy (75mm/3"), wax the column and fill the annulus with araldite/epoxy/JB Weld. Once set, the wax will allow it to release and you can sand gently if the fit is too tight.

 

[Fergie 307]

Check Draper. I know they sell spares for their pillar drills. Might need machining to size to suit your shaft. Last time I looked the table was listed at about £100 for one for their biggest drill, about 350mm diameter if I remember correctly, it was some time ago, so maybe a lot more now.
You don't say what is wrong with the original part. Really can't see a satisfactory solution using wood or plastic.

 

[Fergie 307]

Ha! I think there's a reasonable risk of me getting it not square/level if I try that.
I don't know what happened to the old one! I was the lucky recipient of a very kind donation of a box of bits and I've been gradually excavating them out of the caked on rust and grime. I even managed to get the motor back to life, although I do now need to strip it down and try to replace the bearings. Anyway, various things were missing - the table being the most major, but also the little post that holds the lid up, the locking nuts for the depth stop, the spring cover and so on.
To be honest I've no idea whether the ply thing will work - it may have too much flex to stay level under pressure, but we'll see!
I've got all the other bits broadly clean, but now need to get the diesel off before painting...and expecting a ton of criticism for using a brush, but I don't have a sprayer.

Try using a 4 inch foam roller

 

[Fergie 307]

Sorry, I see now that the table is missing altogether. I would either look around local auction houses, you would be surprised how little old rusty machines fetch. You may well be able to find something with a table that could be adapted.for very little. You could also try local scrap metal merchants, they often have old machines of various types collected as scrap. Alternatively a piece of 1/2 inch plate with a suitable sized piece of tube welded to it to accept the column. One welded together then get the tube machined to size using the surface of the plate as a reference, on a mill for example. Easy enough to have the tube incorporate a clamp to secure it .

 

[gmgmgm]

I don't have a magical solution, but if you find a suitable collar which is a bit too large, a method to make the column wider is to take some plastic piping (from any builder's merchants) which is slightly too small, cut it lengthways, then wrap it around the column. This may give you more options, and a sacrificial layer to put a grub screw into?

I agree the easiest solution would be to find something off the shelf, it's hard to re-create a clamping mechanism which stays level.

 

[flh801978]

Here’s some pictures of what i have available

 

[Trextr7monkey]

Some good ideas for clamping mechanism but how about using a lathe faceplate for the table- find an odd sized one on eBay that nobody wants.

 

[ChaiLatte]

Here’s some pictures of what I have available

If someone were being really fussy, they would need to measure the spindle-to-column centre distance of the machine they had and pick a replacement with the same dimension.

Otherwise they risk adding a new arc of shame to the table (when you add to an existing one, you can blame the previous owner).

 

[flh801978]

This one is 235mm centre to spindle

 

[Sachakins]

A shim steel coller to take up the slop would be ideal, then original type clamping mechanism would work a treat

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22493467...ar=523807927852&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[ChaiLatte]

A shim steel coller to take up the slop would be ideal

Using the dimensions provided gives 0.003" as the required shim.

That is very fragile stuff and it would be difficult to keep it in place when you slide the table up and down.

I would buy 0.002" and glue it to the inside of the collar with epoxy.

It should be noted that the 6" length in the eBay listing will not go around the full perimeter of a 2.75" diameter so locating a seller offering a longer length will save a lot of hassle.