Fobco Star runout after months of inactivity and several moves

[user 43593]

Since moving to my new shed after six months of inactivity, I thought I would check the runout on my Fobco Star bench pillar drill as it is now located in its pemanent new home. I used a 1/4" Fisch HSS cobalt countersink shank as my very accurate measuring surface and placed it in the drill chuck. I used a Mitutoyo DTI and its .0001" resolution to take the measurements. I took ten separate readings and the displayed values on each occasion showed a needle deflection of 0.0025".

EDIT:spelling and grammar

 

[Deadeye]

OMG that's outrageous. To avert further disaster from the wild inaccuracy, best to just give the drill away (to me)

 

[user 43593]

OMG that's outrageous. To avert further disaster from the wild inaccuracy, best to just give the drill away (to me)

Yes guv'nor... a large one (2 monkeys) would be the starting bid.

 

[worn thumbs]

If you fell the drill is beyond satisfactory limits,you wouldn't need to pay me a fortune to take it away.A modest sum would suffice.Of course,finding a better piece of hardware might be a bit of a challenge.Should old emotional ties preclude actually parting with the machine,I would suggest a change of chuck or you might get lucky and find that by removing the chuck and cleaning both the socket and the Morse taper it improves a bit.

 

[Deadeye]

Actually, scrub that. A much cheaper solution would be for me to lend you my Aldi dial indicator and you will find that the run out is miraculously eliminated

 

[user 43593]

If you fell the drill is beyond satisfactory limits,you wouldn't need to pay me a fortune to take it away.A modest sum would suffice.

Hmmm... that is unlikely to happen.

removing the chuck and cleaning both the socket and the Morse taper it improves a bit.

It would be interesting to see what difference it would make. I am very old school though... if it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

[user 43593]

Actually, scrub that. A much cheaper solution would be for me to lend you my Aldi dial indicator and you will find that the run out is miraculously eliminated

Have you released the indicator hand?

 

[Fitzroy]

Have you done this previously and had less run out, or is this the first time you have measured it?

Did you try unchucking and rechucking the drill bit you are measuring off of?

I measured the runout on my Star sometime ago, but from memory that is similar.

Fitz

 

[Ttrees]

Did you try knocking out the arbors and trying again...
or even bluing the MT's and seeing if there is some burrs or something upsetting things.
Make sure you clean off the ink well, as you might find your chuck can fall out unexpectedly if not.

Good luck
Tom

 

[user 43593]

Have you done this previously and had less run out, or is this the first time you have measured it?

Did you try unchucking and rechucking the drill bit you are measuring off of?

I measured the runout on my Star sometime ago, but from memory that is similar.

My previous measured runout was made with a Mitutoyo DTI that was divided at intervals of 0.01mm so not as easy to identify runout in tens of thousandths of an inch. it appeared to be somewhere in the current ballpark though. I removed the countersink before every measurement so that I could have a reasonable test of the average reading and potentially spot any findings outside of the measured range average. It is possible that the manufacturer of the Fobco pillar drills did not specify any closer tolerances for runout.

 

[user 43593]

Did you try knocking out the arbors and trying again...
or even bluing the MT's and seeing if there is some burrs or something upsetting things.
Make sure you clean off the ink well, as you might find your chuck can fall out unexpectedly if not.

Good luck
Tom

Thanks for the good suggestions. No, not as yet. My rationale is this: I was curious to see if all of the moves and non use had caused any serious misalignment. My pillar drill use case is drilling through holes in wood to accept fasteners such as screws or bolts and countersinking holes in wood and metal. Wood is a material that can be dimensionally unstable for the many types which are easily available to the hobbyist.

My through holes are likely to be accurate enough and with precise placement, my total expected runout would be 0.005". This tolerance for through holes is unlikely to have a deleterious effect on any wooden object I create nor would I expect it to affect functionality. Where I need an increased level of accuracy when drilling holes, I will use my CNC machinery to bore a hole using a helical toolpath.

EDIT: spellings

 

[highwood122]

main thing to me is how square is the quill to the table and how slow will it go

 

[user 43593]

main thing to me is how square is the quill to the table and how slow will it go

Yes. Properly square unlike some previous offerings I have had. My Axminster pillar drill was out by two degrees! My Fobco Star drill has four speeds ~ 475, 1020, 1990 and 4260 rpm. That range will handle many drilling requirements. I can get up to 30,000 rpm with my CNC machine if I need more speed.

 

[Cabinetman]

Sounds to me like you are overdue making something, something complex and difficult should make problems like yours just disappear.
Ian

 

[guineafowl21]

Sounds to me like you are overdue making something, something complex and difficult should make problems like yours just disappear.
Ian

2.5 thou! That’s much more accurate than any tool you’d run in a Jacob’s chuck.

I wouldn’t fiddle in case you make it worse. Then you’ll be annoyed.

 

[ChaiLatte]

2.5 thou! That’s much more accurate than any tool you’d run in a Jacob’s chuck.

That is the first sensible reply in this thread.

Perhaps the OP would look up the quoted run out specifications of a brand new Albrecht chuck to give him some context for the numbers obtained by a Jacobs chuck that is not in the first flush of its youth.

 

[user 43593]

2.5 thou! That’s much more accurate than any tool you’d run in a Jacob’s chuck.

I wouldn’t fiddle in case you make it worse. Then you’ll be annoyed.

I wasn't obsessing over the runout. It was a random check that I had made because I was curious to see how it would perform after the many movements during shed changing and the subsequent inactivity that the drill press had endured wôile building the new shed. I have no intention of trying to improve upon the numbers measured.

 

[user 43593]

That is the first sensible reply in this thread.

Perhaps the OP would look up the quoted run out specifications of a brand new Albrecht chuck to give him some context for the numbers obtained by a Jacobs chuck that is not in the first flush of its youth.

I am more than satisfied with the performance of my aging Jacobs chuck mated to my Fobco Star drill press. I am reasonably sure that drill press operations are not generally considered to be precise. Tools for jig boring or CNC machining will raise expectations and give better precision. My posting was reporting on the situation after the drill press was left idle for 5 months yet moved between several locations. It is a testament to how well made and how well constructed the Fobco Star is.

 

[guineafowl21]

I wasn't obsessing over the runout. It was a random check that I had made because I was curious to see how it would perform after the many movements during shed changing and the subsequent inactivity that the drill press had endured wôile building the new shed. I have no intention of trying to improve upon the numbers measured.

Ah, didn’t see it was in the review section. Thought you were reporting a fault.

 

[user 43593]

Ah, didn’t see it was in the review section. Thought you were reporting a fault.

No worries