erietuna Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Hi all. Decided to put a post drill press into my forge area. Of course I know nothing about them! Other than I will be the motor! Since my forge area will not have power I thought to start looking into them. Of course I have 2 drill presses in the basement of my house, but that is 300 feet away. Anyhow do any of you have any suggestion's on what to look for? One brand more so than another? Can I put on a modern chuck or can I still get drill bits for the real old models? I am not in a hurry on this, really want a welder and blacksmith vice first. Oh and of course to get my forge area remodled. So if anyone has some insight and would not mind sharing, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! P.S. I have been on the web site vintagemachinery.org. It's a mystery how I get anything done with reading this forum and now that site too! Thank you again, erietuna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 The last time I drilled a 3/8 hole in 3/8 plate with one of those I would have gladly walked 300 ft to a power DP....Finding one in decent enough shape to function is probly more of an issue than brand.....The old bits aren't high speed steel so if you could get the newer ones to work, even better. The old high carbon steel bits are fine at hand crank speed...............Merry Crankmust... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 The first modification most folks do with one of those is to mount a modern chuck on them. Just don't ever add a motor to the system! (I knew a blademaker who was trying to save money by adding a motor to his hand crank drill press. Doing a fussy drilling project he reached up to advance the bit while watching the piece and fed his hand into the moving gears. After several EXPENSIVE surgeries his hand was still not right and his "savings" were in the *negative* tens of thousands of dollars!) Look for complete drills with unworn and un-repaired parts that still turn freely. Don't spend too much money on it as it's most likely to end up as a display piece and a 100' extension cord with a 1/2" Milwaukee drill hiding in the back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 http://zanesville.craigslist.org/atq/2735634755.html here's a vise if you are up for a drive. Not mine, haven't looked at it, but you mentioned... Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 LONG DRIVE! Should be able to find one local and pay for it with the gas savings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erietuna Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 macbruce, Merry Crankmust, good pun! No I think I want to drill smaller hole's with the post vise, use the basement dp for bigger stuff. So putting or finding one with a jacob chuck that goes for smaller size drill bit's is the goal. So do I look for a certain type of post drill to do this?Wait Phil.ThomasPowers, no motor as there is no power where my forging area is going to be. BUT I DO WANT YOU TO CAUTION ME AT ALL TIME'S! No I am not yelling at you, just thanking you for warning me. I rely on adult supervision in this, which means all of you. Phil was pointing out the vise to me by the way, heck of a drive from nm for one. Also same question to you as macbruce, So do I look for a certain type of post drill to do this?Thank you Phil, did you see this one http://cleveland.craigslist.org/atq/2757124426.html ?Same problem as a post drill, in that I really do not know much about them........but I am going too.Thank you all again.erietuna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 No I didn't see that one. Better price, and location for you. If I needed one I would have considered either of these vises and feel the price is fair as long as the screw and screwbox was good when I looked in person. If the one I posted was a little closer (say 30 minutes each way) I would have gone to get it! I am rather close to Columbus so I generally look at the Columbus listings. I also have a good post vise, but could happily get another if the price was right! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I used to live in Columbus OH and shipped half a score of postvises out to NM with me. Have not found any in Columbus NM so far. Have never been to Columbus GA. That one looks to be within current prices in OH (Several years ago the basement pricing for postvises at Quad-State was $40; last couple of times it now seems to be about $75 so I bought a 6" one for $50 and a 3" one for $20 while I was there in 2010....my friends often call me bad names...) Interesting inverted spring mounting. Looks to be decent condition have you called up and reserved it yet????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric sprado Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Make SURE whatever post drill you buy has the feed dog on top that automatically advances the drill. You can easily add bicycle power to these drills that is a pretty safe thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erietuna Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 ThomasPowers, Phil I will call him about the vice later today. So what do I look for? See if the screw and screwbox was good. Hmmm how do I tell? Eric feed dog on top that automatically advances the drill. That is what I like to hear. So I take it not all have that feature? Thank you all.......Again! erietuna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Yep! Unscrew the screw quite far, or entirely and check if the threads are intact and not worn down too much. Clean square threads is perfect, a certain amount of rounding off from wear is tolerable, missing or broken threads are not. If the whole screw looks like the exposed portion in the pictures you have a keeper with no worries. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Or come pick me up and I'll look at it with you Dale... LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 more than you ever wanted to know about post drills here...http://www.beautiful...com/thepost.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I didn't read all of Beautiful Iron, but I might mention that I have had several of these over the years. Most of them were mounted on planks. I had one on a carefully finished, thick plank, and I noticed that it had a vertical, central line scored on the plank with a marking knife. The drill was carefully centered and mounted on this line. The bottom coupling needs to definitely be mounted in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry H Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 ever hear of a cordless drill?.....a pilot hole first makes it easier.( time is money) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I second the cordless drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 going slow is the way to drill steel the electric drill motors all run too fast . I carry one of the old type drill bits n my truck when ever I find and old hardware store I stop and show it to them and ask if they have any of that type and have found a lot of new old stock that way . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBrassaw Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I tore up an old one speed, one direction 1/2 horse corded hand drill a while back, just because those things are too dangerous to use, and I figured the bearings out of it would come in more handy than the drill would. The chuck out of it had a 1/2 in shaft that fit right in my post drill, after grinding a flat spot for the set screw. If you have an old junk drill, that might be worth trying. If it's too small, you could always make or have made up a bushing to allow it to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I have a cole drill which is much like an old post drill but portable. I've drilled a number of 1/2" holes in 1/2" plate with it and it's doable but does make you appreciate *more* *power* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erietuna Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Hi all. Thank you for your input. Well I did get a post drill. A Silver Manufacturing Co. No. 12 post drill. Once I figure out how I want my forging area set up I will get it mounted, Yes I will be using boxes to replicate all the heavy stuff that I will be placing. See I am slowly going through all the post's that you folk's have made. Gotta eat dinner. Later, erietuna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 So Yes I will be using boxes to replicate all the heavy stuff that I will be placing. A friend of mine just bought a new TV for the bedroom, and was using masking tape to figure out where to locate the wall mount. His wife walked in and asked "what are you watching" since he was reclining on the bed. His reply was "Nothing, I am taping it" Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi all. Thank you for your input. Well I did get a post drill. A Silver Manufacturing Co. No. 12 post drill. Sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric sprado Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I see it has the advancing dog on top that I mentioned. Looks like a nice simple drill. Think about mounting a bike frame under it and using pedal power. I'm working on mine and will put up pictures if I ever get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'd like to see that, Eric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathis Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Isn't it great how ugly and crude they are. A properly sharpened bit will work wonderfull in that beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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