Shorty?

[cranehead]

Weight(balance) is different, but the non-centered screw/tapered spot facing should pull the slop out regardless. However you will need to push the vertical stuff towards the rear while tightening the screw. Since the weight is no longer an 'over the center' condition secure tightening is required.

What is missing is a hard stop in the direction opposite of 'normal'. The cg is pulling in that opposite direction. Normally the cg is over the vertical center and the weight is pressing the hinge against the hard stop. The screw merely prevents the vertical stuff from tilting backwards back over the center.

My 'normal' table tilts towards the operator in vertical drill press setup. Nev mind, I misunderstood!!! See above.

You are exactly right that there is no hard stop. Without this I am finding it impossible to get secure tightening without slop. I am pondering solutions to this. Open to ideas.

I was unclear about the table tilting toward you- I was thinking of the whole shooting match tilting toward you.

tc

[cranehead]

You could remove the locking pin completely and add a bolt and nut there, and also on the opposite side, after drilling a couple of through holes which would prevent the assembly from tipping over.

I am seeing that solution too. Would I be weakening that casting or over stressing it by doing this. It seems like the most straightforward solution.

tc

[JPG]

I guess I am fortunate since I routinely raise/lower the headstock with it in vertical drill press setup. However it requires proper positioning of body parts to do so. No outrigger parts allowed. Straight line floor to headstock, elbow in tight, upturned palm under headstock, cheek against headstock raise/lower with legs, loosen/tighten lock with other hand.

Not for the faint hearted!;)

[tomsalwasser]

Thanks tc! I have a SS in permanent drill press mode and I really want to shorten it. Your pictures and description help. JPG recommended using an alternative to cutting the bench tubes too, that's a good idea. Now I just need to make some time and do it. I don't really see an alternative to breaking the unit down then putting it back together, as much as I'd like to somehow avoid that.

I don't know if any of you have Jacob Anderson's instructional SS repair videos but he has a SS drill press permanently mounted to the wall. I see a lot of interesting things by looking in the background of peoples photos and videos.

[dusty]

The lift to vertical is not quite as difficult with the Shorty and that is good because I move from drill press to jointer quite frequently.

[JPG]

Get some plumber's strap iron, remove the center leg screw, wrap the strap iron around the spt clamp 'handle', bring both ends down to the leg screw hole, insert the screw(use longer screw if needed) through a hole at both ends of the strap iron using the closest holes possible. Run a screw through mating holes as close to the 'handle' as possible and tighten with a nut on the opposite side of the strap. If further 'tightening' is needed, pry the straps apart and insert two nuts. thread a screw or all thread into both nuts with it passing through both straps. Then tightening can be done by expanding the nut separation thus pulling the straps apart and effectively shortening the length.

The spt clamps should be adjusted to just barely protrude into both spt mount bores.

Improvements welcomed!:)

[fredsheldon]

If you were to reverse the table and headstock you would be able to stand much closer to your work would you knot? If I were to do that I would mount a joiner to provide some weight to help balance the whole affair. Or, if you install a floating table in the current configuration you would have a much larger working table and added weight as well.