Urthman Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Is there a Post Drill Doctor in the house? My father in law was cleaning out one of his sheds, and gave me an old Champion 101 post drill (score!) It's in pretty good shape, other than the part I'm picturing below. This is the connection where the downward thrust is provided, pushing the drill through the material. The threads on the brass are really chewed up, (but I'm hoping to make it work without machining a new part for that) It looks to me like parts are missing, and someone clipped a washer in half to make a 'keeper'. Questions: 1) "Washer halves" look wrong. Should I make a U-shaped part to fit this slot? 2) Shouldn't there be some sort of bearing here? Something between the two steel shafts? Does anyone have a similar drill, and could possible post pictures of what parts SHOULD be at this connection? Thanks all! -Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Give us a full pic of the drill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urthman Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 Sorry, I didn't take a good 'complete' shot before disassembly, but here are some detail pics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urthman Posted May 19, 2017 Author Share Posted May 19, 2017 I'm adding a couple pics of the degreasing progress, just because I find bare iron to be quite pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME1149 Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 Jeremy, It's been a while since I tore mine apart, but as best as I can recall, the washer halves go into the groove and stick out beyond the shaft diameter. The shoulder they create pushes against the shoulder in the brass nut in order to connect the upper shaft to the lower threaded shaft. The upper shaft spins around as it raises/lowers and the lower shaft moves in a straight line. A little grease or never-seize on the two faces would be adequate, they aren't spinning fast enough to be concerned with galling, and the nut shouldn't be over-tightened. My guess is it was over tightened at some point which damaged the threads. I agree that the washer halves don't look right. They may have been a previous attempt to repair or rebuild the post drill. If I remember to, I'll see if I can take mine apart and get some photos. Looks like the clean-up process is coming along nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 This is a bit of a stretch but on my larger drill, I'd swear that the brass fitting is actually a modified plumbing fitting. Haven't actually tested this yet as mine is still in pieces. On a lark, you might check to see if there are machined brass plumbing fittings that come really close and can either be modified or re-worked to replace it if needed. If you can find the right thread, something like this with a hole drilled in the top side might be a possible cheap replacement (assuming the threads in yours can't be re-worked)... I can't tell if the little "mushroom" beyond the keeper is that way because it's worn [thinning] out but it looks like it. There are flat thrust bearings which might fit in the clear space to prevent further wear. With a lathe, it'd be an easy prospect to deepen the pocket a little for a thrust bearing including the proper top and bottom washers which thrust bearings should have. On mine, the mate between those parts is done with a single roughly 1/2" dia steel bearing-ball as a replaceable thrust "bearing"--hard, simple, cheap. It fits into a simple drilled pocket in the lower unit--sticks up about 1/8" IIRC. That little knob on the "mushroom" would need to be knocked off if you went this route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urthman Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Thanks for the replies guys. Great ideas. I measured the original threads, and they are pretty wacky. 7/8-16 LeftHand. I couldn't find anything 'off the shelf' that had the same threads. Definitely not a plumbing part. I took a chance on some Ebay parts that looked like they'd work: nut, spindle, keepers, and some sort of non-metalic disk that rode between the two shafts. The parts looked correct, but unfortunately are made for a beefier drill (1" diameter, not 7/8") Oh well. I'll put the parts back on Ebay. . . I *did* find a part that looks promising with some modification. It's some sort of lathe insert I bought from Grizzly. The threads are a match. Picture of the part is below. My current plan is drill a hole in some brass plate and braze it to the end of the insert to re-create this part. (I don't own a lathe) Here's a picture of that lathe part- oh, and a picture of the parts that will go on Ebay, in case anyone here is interested in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME1149 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Depending on how badly damaged your cap is, you might be able to buy the $33 tap off ebay and just run it in your part. I don't think there's a lot of force applied to those threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urthman Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share Posted June 5, 2017 Yeah, the threads are completely stripped. I can slip the nut practically all the way on without turning it. I got the drill all painted up and reassembled. Not the original color I'm sure, but it will look good on the wall. The original wood plank had a cool "1914" date stamp on the back, so I saved it- just sanded it down and threw some linseed oil on it. I'll probably put a modern chuck on it. Last bit of work is a metal pin to go where this 'skewer' is stuck now, and then fabricate the nut to join the two shafts. I'm talking myself into acquiring a lathe, which would certainly help on projects like this. Been browsing Northern Virginia Craigslist lately. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urthman Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Well, I bought a lathe. I've been wanting one for years, and this project finally spurred me on to get one. I've been having a blast learning how to work the thing. I ended up using the part above to make the 'nut'. I machined it down to round, brazed a plate to the top, and drilled a hole in it. It seems to do the job. Now that I own a lathe, I may try making this part again from a solid piece of brass hex stock. I also fabricated a new cam follower wheel (and added a bushing) since the original was totally out of round and wouldn't spin any more. A few more parts to tweak, and I'll be ready to put this drill into action... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH Homes Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 I have the same drill with the same problem. Brass nut worn, keeper washer broken. Would you be willing to manufacture a new brass nut for me? I would be happy to pay you for your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Seeing as your question is addressed to a member who hasn't logged in since July, 23 2017 you may not get an answer. I suggest you try and send him a PM which he may get or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.