Startrite Bantam/Mercury transport

[samhay]

I've just won a Startrite Bantam bench drill on ebay. It seems to be a Mercury head with a shorter pillar and no rise/fall table. I now have to organise how to transport it in the back of my car.
Am I right to assume that the head loosens/comes off with the lever on the left, or does this require tools? Also, how heavy is this likely to be - is the head a one-person lift?

 

[flh801978]

Easy lift of the head
Easy to carry the whole lot really about 50kg

 

[samhay]

Thanks, so no tools required then to lift of the head? Not sure it'll fit unless this comes off.

 

[Trevanion]

Thanks, so no tools required then to lift of the head? Not sure it'll fit unless this comes off.

I once got a full-sized pillar drill into the back of a Vauxhall Corsa, I'm sure a half size would fit into pretty much any car, probably fit nicely on the passenger seat with a seat belt around it and a piece of plywood under the base to protect the seat.

I always take Metric and Imperial allen keys, a 6" and a 10" adjustable spanner and a set of screwdrivers with me when I go pick something up. Invaluable, sometimes you might end up fixing something for them! :lol:

 

[samhay]

Yeah, that's a good point regarding a fairly minimal set of tools.
Will have my 7 year old helper with me, so will be aiming for the boot rather than the back seat.

 

[samhay]

Managed to pick this up without incident the other day. Quite manageable to lift by oneself in two pieces.

Seems to mostly be in reasonable condition, with no play in the quill and some life left in the bearings. As expected will need a good clean and a bit of fettling. One oddity is that it seems to be a bit of mongrel with a 5 speed pulley on the motor and a 4 speed pulley on the spindle. As I'm likely to get out of my depth quite quickly, I will start a new thread once I get a chance to take a few photos.