Another addition to the workshop

[bigduke6]

Can't say I was looking for one at the time it was a case of looking for something else, this however was a golden opportunity and would of kicked myself if I'd not bothered to inquire etc, main problem with buying machinery is the transport and moving so emailed the seller to see if it was possible it would fit in a small van and if I could get help loading that end.....

The seller was a gent, and said it was mine , I arranged a time date etc and it was cash on collection, give the seller credit were its due, it was stripped down in its major bits, all parts labelled and on his driveway ready to load, what more could you ask.

On arrival it was quickly loaded and the conversation started..... the fact we had something in common a few lathes etc a milling machine I guessed he was into steam engines, I was thinking more model ones etc, but it was the real deal he was interested in and on the driveway under cover was a steam tractor and Van, amazing to see..... the conversation could of gone on till the small hours..... David if you ever read this a big thanks for the drill press and hope all goes well with the next Steam gathering.

The drill press or pillar drill in question is a Pollard, its a 3 phase which in general puts people off but intend to swap out the motors, its not an easy swap as its in the casing itself, other option is a phase convertor , its a shame its not 240- 380v motor as I could of wired it to 240 and used capacitors and run it on 240v.... single phase.

anyway a few pics,

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Pollards made the deep drill boring machines used in barrel making. Would like to see this when you've restored it Big Duke.

Re the 3Phase conversion. I've done it twice. My first pillar drill was similar but after a bit of thought, made an adaptor plate so that the new single phase motor would/could mount internally in the space, bolted to the adjustable adaptor which bolted into the main motor housing. The most versatile machines ever. LOOKS like you could use that as a milling machine too.

[bigduke6]

Peter,

To be honest it only requires a bit of work to the table and its only a quick scrape etc, also the lamp holder and arm needs some TLC but the rest is all good maybe a full restoration later on in a few years time when all the house is finished, the little one is at school and ........ and ......

I,ve a single phase motor that will sit in the housing but its gear driven the shafts are tapered so before I do go about swapping the motors will try and run it on Single phase with capacitors plus may try a frequency inverter, can't say electrics is my forte, but is interesting, I was reading about running a 3 phase 380-400v motor on 240 v and as long as you reduce the frequency by half it will run at a percentage of the normal load , just a pity it wasn't duel voltage and wire it 240V and add the capacitors (run and start) would of made life easier...

As for milling it would do it but have the milling machine ( a Tom Senior) see link below

Tom Senior Machine Tools

[jmoore]

Beauty of a drill press.


Guessing the handwheel on top is for moving the head vertically? How do you change speeds?


Wish I'd gotten more when they seemed to littler the countryside. One of the gang drill would have been super, esp. with a tapping station.


My old timer:

Used it just last weekend.

[bigduke6]

Guessing the handwheel on top is for moving the head vertically? How do you change speeds?

JM, good guess .... its a good design as you can alter both table (cranked handle) and the head (Wheel), speed change is by gear wheels in the top of the head, and normal drilling done by use of the handle on the side (out of view in pic) to extend the spindle, only downside is the spindle is only (AFAIK) catered for the jacobs chuck, and not MT drills, but I can use MT drills in the Milling machine vertical head so not too worried.

It was only by accident I found it, I was at the time looking for screw cutting change wheels for my lathe.....but for £45 who could resist, didn't have the space ready for it at the time thats why the pic looks like its been abandoned as I had to hastily get in the workshop as I was back at work the next day and didn't want to leave it in the back of the van for a week..... When I think about it maybe thats the cause or start of my bad back ?

[Peter Laidler]

It was the same here JM with manual machines. They were sold on for their scrap/cast value. The local technical college here had a workshop full of good, well maintained Colchesters and even some ex lend lease South Bends that sat out in all weathers after they changed over to CNC. Now they tell me (I still use some of their testing facilities) that as these are getting 'old' there's no simple maintenance that the workshop technician can usefully do.............. All costly maintenance contracts now!

[Paul S.]

True story - roll the clock back to 1977.

NSW railways had two very old wood-fired steam cranes (1 X 3 ton & 1 X 5 ton sling capacity) at its steel works at Chullora. These were both on rails and the type you'd find dockside in Liverpool anytime from before 1900 on to about the late '50s early '60s Management decided to replace them with a wheeled 10 capacity diesel crane. Far more efficient, far more versatile and far more practical was the word.

The Diesel was purchased for an outrageous amount, put in service and the 'steamers' retired. The diesel crane lasted a fortnight before it broke down under the workload and Purchasing and Supply was told it beyond repair and would have to be replaced.

The 'steamers' were put back to work.

It's funny (and under appreciated) how the old machines seemed to last forever and perform magic for someone skilled and who truly knew how to use it.

[bigduke6]

It seems to be a Company thing , I remember when I was in the ship yard, the training school was one of the biggest across the UK at the time, at the start of my Apprenticeship there was 70 or 75 Fitter & Turners, plus all the other trades that a shipyard requires ( even a Driller was a trade) the machines were old but well looked after and they were just building a CNC part when I was leaving the training school, whole thing was organised by the training staff who knew a thing or two about machines etc, only 4 or 5 years later all the machines were sold off and most for scrap price... the training school knocked down the land cleared and flowers grown etc,

Then a few years later, someone thought we need Apprentices..... so they build another training school, not half as good as the old one (so I,m told) Must of cost a fortune......

[Paul S.]

Duke, there has been a trend away from 'industry-based' training for some time now. It is common almost everywhere. For example, Decades ago, Nurses training in Australia was hospital-based with prospective students - country girls more often than not, competing for a place, spending ~ 4 years working and living at a hospital before being qualified. The end result was very dedicated, very professional and knowledgeable, experienced nurses. Then the 'American system' - university-based programme was introduced. Now, ~ 25-30 years on, Oz is having a serious problem with medical misadventures at its hospitals, and one wonders why.

[Vincent]

.....but for £45 who could resist,.......

I know the feeling. The lower crude oil prices are taking a toll around here. Lots of small companies are closing their doors. Today a Cosen saw followed me home.

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