Drill Press Table Adjusting Rack Replacement

[@bobbg9041]

I just lifted the head off by hand. Drill presses are shipped not assembled. The easy way to deal with one is lower the center of gravity, by lowering the table down as far as it will go, then you cant tip it over to pull the headstock off. The take the rack and table off like you did. Lower the table back down put the headstock back on and tip it back up. You dont need an overhead lift.

[@stoppedsnoring]

Thanks for sharing the idea! Makes sense to lower the center of gravity.

[@crxess]

Won't work well on a mid-height vintage Press mounted to a heavy Stand and a 5'6" 125lb 60yr old fighting it alone.

[@crxess]

Hope this helps me, but my issue is different. The rack is in decent shape but the previous owner did a lot of wood work and from the looks of it drilled a lot of Wet(GLUED) wood getting chips of wood, dirt and other gunk embedded in the Rack Teeth. He added 3 large washers behind the handle to take up slack when it started drooping and slipping. At least your video gives me n understanding of the most direct way to access the Rack and Table. From there I just have to correct or replace the pinion, which is likely obsolete.

[@urjnlegend]

how to fix the drill press table itself, it cracked. WEN HAS CHEAP CAST IRON TABLES. how do you propose i can reinforce it , or replace it with a steel one?

[@stoppedsnoring]

Ohh dear. I've done a little welding on cast iron before with limited success (part of a wood lathe and part of a patio table), but it is generally more problematic than not. Both times I used oxy acetylene with bronze rods and then put the work pieces in an oven and slowly let them cool down to prevent cracking. I'd be concerned that the surface would warp after welding though and would need to be reground flat (you know how cast iron pans get warped when the get too hot...) May be better to replace it...

[@bobbg9041]

Weld it with brasing rod. It holds seen it done on the cylinders of a locomotive engine.

[@lenonti]

Did you find the carriage worked seamlessly after the replacement? It is curious the bar's were so similar.

[@stoppedsnoring]

lenonti Yeah, it worked smooth... just like it was supposed to. I thought about that too, and figured that probably the different manufacturers must have been not making all the components themselves and sourcing some of the identical parts. (I think I lucked out on finding the match though!)

[@jePenseQuoi]

I have an issue with the rack on my press binding when the table is rotated. The bottom of the rack drags on the base column support and puts the rack at an angle. Oddly, it only binds when I rotate it counterclockwise as viewed from above. I have to bang the rack with a hammer to get it move. I lubricated the column and column support, but that made no difference. Other than this problem, everything looks to be in good shape. Any suggestions?

[@stoppedsnoring]

Hmm.. That's certainly odd! I wonder if you took a file to the bottom of the rack and ever so slightly rounded off the leading edge of it for the side going in the counter clockwise direction and maybe it won't get caught? Are there any major dings or gouges in the circular channel where the rack slides?

[@georgejudd1305]

U should have cranked it to bottom and it comes right out!

[@bobbg9041]

No they don't come out its not milled to the bottom its like the top is youve got to pull the table like he did.