Manual pillar drill doesn't go up and down

[JohnPW]

Hello all,

I've just bought a small hand cranked pillar drill:

When I turn the handle, the chuck spins as you would expect, but it doesn't go up and down, so how do you use it to drill a hole?

Or is there a setting I've missed?

It's only marked as "British Made".

 

[marcros]

mine has another part on the top which advances the quill. It is a different make, but yours doesnt seem to be missing a part, looking at the casting.

If ou use your second hand to turn the top wheel, does it advance?

 

[JohnPW]

Thanks, it's working now!

When I turned the handle before, the top wheel turned at the same time. Then I loosened the wheel by holding the handle with one hand and turning the wheel with the other. Now the the main shaft and chuck goes up and down when I turn the handle but the wheel doesn't turn.

 

[marcros]

they are handy machines. I have used mine a fair bit over the years.

 

[bugbear]

Previous thread that had some discussion of this kind of drill:

post609972.html?hilit=%20flywheel%20drill#p609972

BugBear

 

[JohnPW]

Previous thread that had some discussion of this kind of drill:

post609972.html?hilit=%20flywheel%20drill#p609972

BugBear

Thanks for the link, I can see 3 drills in that thread which are exactly like mine.

 

[AndyT]

It might help you to have a look at this thread too, where I thought my one was only manual feed but was shown the subtlety of the feed mechanism by Higon

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/nice-new-bench-drill-t80666.html

 

[swb58]

I saved one that's something similar, looks like it works on the same principal. If you put it to work it all becomes a bit clearer.
Turn the handle and the chuck will go down automatically until pressure pushes the shaft upwards . . . . . at which time it runs on the bearing race which makes the doody on whatchamacallit not turn. Once it's made room for itself, the shaft (chuck) drops and it automatically winds itself down again.
When the wheel on top turns in sync, the height of the chuck doesn't alter. When the wheel is stationary the chuck goes down (or up). Think that's right but might be the other way round.

 

[clauskeller]

Hi John,

I am quite fond of these pillar drills, own some in different sizes and use them regularly. On the one you have the flywheel jams easily at both ends of the thread. Just loosen it and it will work as intended.

Claus

 

[JohnPW]

Thanks for all the replies, I've finally been able to try and actually drill something with it, and it seems to work!

I saved one that's something similar, looks like it works on the same principal. If you put it to work it all becomes a bit clearer.
Turn the handle and the chuck will go down automatically until pressure pushes the shaft upwards . . . . . at which time it runs on the bearing race which makes the doody on whatchamacallit not turn. Once it's made room for itself, the shaft (chuck) drops and it automatically winds itself down again.
When the wheel on top turns in sync, the height of the chuck doesn't alter. When the wheel is stationary the chuck goes down (or up). Think that's right but might be the other way round.

Yes that's how my one works, I think. Also as explained by BugBear:

It's a good job we're not discussing a flywheel controlled auto-feed drill; those things are hard to understand when they're right in front of you.)

I'll see what I can do - but be warned, the picture won't help. You will misinterpret what you see. :-"

BugBear

Here we go:

Looks like a drill with a flywheel on the quill, right?

But where's the feed?

Here we go...

The quill is threaded, and passes through the (also threaded) flywheel. Consider two extreme cases.

#1 If the flywheel stays still, and the quill rotates, the quill descends.
#2 If the flywheel rotates at the same speed as the quill rotates, the quill does not descend.

Here come the interesting bit; the quill also "supports" the flywheel a bit. If there's back pressure from the quill, the quill/flywheel contact (and friction) is increased, so the flywheel rotates more, leading to more of case #2

If the back pressure decreases, the flywheel rotates less, leading to more of case #1

In other words, the rate of descent varies inversely with back pressure. Neat.

The adjustment screw, visible below the flywheel, adjusts the friction between the quill and wheel.

In short, this thing is VASTLY more complex than it looks.

Edit; google gives:

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/M._C._Gooding_and_Co

as the maker.

BugBear

Mine looks like the same drill.

I found this 1951 S. Tyzack advert which shows a very similar if not the same machine and described it as having automatic feed and variable pressure.

Cost 62/6 compared with 15/9 for set of 5 "high class Sheffield firmer chisels"。I got it for £2 plus a 10 mile bike ride!

Another advert, from 1936, different to mine but worked on the same principle, I think.