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Need help on Delta 12" bench drill press

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I have been making some holes for salt and pepper grinders.
3 days ago, when the bit stopped moving, I discovered that the nut on the top of the pulley was loose. It has a left threaded nut. I tightened and re tightened 10-20 times.Would work for 1/8" and loosen. I then put a low strength lock tite stuff (only stuff I had) in and waited 2 days- didn't help at all.
My manual doesn't even list parts. I tried the internet, but can't seem to find the right help.
Should I try to get a nut from hardware store? Better lock tite??? Buy a new drill press????
computer illiterate and mechanically challenged Gretch
 

john lucas

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If you can get another nut and there is enough room stack 2 nuts on top of on another. It sounds like the threads on the spindle or the nut may be going bad. A new nut might help if the nut is the problems. If the spindle is the problem then 2 nuts might work.
We've often joked that it takes 2 nuts to turn some of the things I turn. :)
 
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Got room over the bungled threads? Go cheap with flat washer to elevate above them and star washer to keep the nut from vibrating loose. Not as much fun as trying to locate a possibly metric left-hand thread jam nut, though.
 

Bill Boehme

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I think that the nut coming loose is just a symptom and not the root cause. Does the DP run smoothly while the nut is in place or is there a lot of rattling noise? I am thinking that something like a lot of free play between the quill (the non rotating part that moves up and down) and the arbor (the part with the pulley on the top end and chuck on the bottom -- there may or may not be a Morse taper connection involved). Generally there is a ball bearing assembly at both ends of the affair, but on lower cost machines, it could be sleeve bearings. In either case, if the bearings are shot, the rotating arbor will rattle and could lead to the nut vibrating loose.

Other than that, I endorse the idea of a futile search for a pair of LH metric jam nuts. Don't forget that the star washer also needs to be LH if it to do any good. This search should keep you off the streets for a few years. :D
 
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Bi ..uh ... directional. Knew I could find the word.
 

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Joined
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drill press suggestions

John , Michael, Bill- No real rattle noise,
Haven't totally removed the nut, but there is about 1/8th" of thread when tightened down which is probably less than the thickness of the nut. Will take to my helpful True value hardware folks. See about washers too, If it isn't a quick fix, I'll probably buy a new one. I don't use it all that often , so putting alot of $ in a real good one will probably not be an option.......Thanks for all the suggestions, Gretch
 
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Loose Nut

[FONT=&quot]Gretch,
Can't see yours from here, but looking at my Jet drill press if the nut holding the pulley to the spindle refused to stay tight I would unplug the power, remove the belt, remove the nut and the pulley. Then inspect the pulley woodruff key and slot for wear, and spindle, nut, and pulley for cracks/splits. And check the spindle and nut threads at the same time. The problem should reveal it’s self because there isn’t much left but a broken spindle, and from your description that is not the case.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gil[/FONT]
 

Bill Boehme

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I have bought maybe one leftie metric nut in my life and maybe two or three of the "normal" LH nuts so I don't have a storehouse of information about what is out there. I suspect that you might be able to find the type that has a nylon insert. They are taller than the average nut so you would need to verify how much total thread is available. Another sure-fire solution is what we did back when I was an airplane owner ... and that is to safety-wire the nuts. That requires drilling a hole in the arbor/spindle at the right level where it would pass through the slots of a castle nut. Then you need safety wire and safety wire pliers and an anchor point to fasten the other end of the safety wire. It would be a real desperation move to go this route, but thought that I would just let you know that there are more options. I don't claim it to be an attractive option.

48629.jpg

Of course, the picture is for RH fasteners and LH would be the opposite direction.
 
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bk walnut "find"

Bill-doesn't seem like an option I would do!!!!!
Gil will check when I get to the basement.

Had a storm 2 days ago and a large walnut branch broke on my land and was hinged across my neighbors gravel road, where his construction equipment travel from his parking area. They brought out the big bucket and pushed the limb off112-15 foot from base-unfortunately the storm split was a long oblique ruining the last 8 feet of the branch that was about 20" in diameter-I spent the afternoon cutting it up and hauling to my yard. Only 3 pieces of any size Neighbor also cut a large bk walnut a year ago and pulled it up but the stump leaving 8 foot. I had seen it in their dump pile but wasn;t in a place I could get to, so his men moved it for me. Proud of my self I didn't get the chain stuck as it wasn't flat on ground and was over a thousand #. My small tractor couldn't budge it. Couldn't get 3 pieces into my tractor bucket so will go back today and cut up on site before hauling
Thanks again, Gretch
 
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Gretch-

If a friend has a drill press- pull the nut go use his drill press, drill and tap a hole and use a set screw to lock the nut to the threads on the shaft.

Gary
 
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[FONT=&quot]Gretch,
Can't see yours from here, but looking at my Jet drill press if the nut holding the pulley to the spindle refused to stay tight I would unplug the power, remove the belt, remove the nut and the pulley. Then inspect the pulley woodruff key and slot for wear, and spindle, nut, and pulley for cracks/splits. And check the spindle and nut threads at the same time. The problem should reveal it’s self because there isn’t much left but a broken spindle, and from your description that is not the case.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gil[/FONT]
Gil-Removed the nut (had to drill thru some wood to loosen) and belt. Not sure how to pull off the pulley. (nor do I know what a woodruff key and slot will look like without removal-my ignorance). The only diagram with the manual is how to erect the platform, etc. Nothing at the business end.
John-I didn't measure the nut, but there are only enuf threads on top of the tightened nut for 1/2-1/3 the thickness of the nut
Everything looked ok from the top. I see no cracks with the pulley in place. Belt good, threads look ok on male and female. Gretch
 
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Gretch-

If a friend has a drill press- pull the nut go use his drill press, drill and tap a hole and use a set screw to lock the nut to the threads on the shaft.

Gary

The first pulley position "frame" is above the spindle thread. Had to use a needle nose to screw it tight. Not sure how you'd get thru the side of the pulley to use a set screw, Gretch
 

Bill Boehme

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Gretch-

If a friend has a drill press- pull the nut go use his drill press, drill and tap a hole and use a set screw to lock the nut to the threads on the shaft.

Gary

Gary, that's worse than safety wiring the nut given that the set screw will damage the threads and prevent the nut from being removed.

If we're gonna' go for permanent, then I vote for arc welding.

Gretch, if you used needle nose pliers, then it was not tight. Don't you have any socket wrenches? Even a crescent wrench used on-end would be far better than trying to tighten something with needle nose pliers.

I wish we had some trees like that around here. A big tree here is forty feet tall and two feet in diameter. A big limb is eight inches in diameter.
 
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bk walnut

I wish we had some trees like that around here. A big tree here is forty feet tall and two feet in diameter. A big limb is eight inches in diameter.[/QUOTE]

Bill-it was a broad needle nose-yes-I have 10,000 socket wrenches between the pole barn and basement.. Will try-but little clearance between nut and wall of spindle.
Spent from 11:30 to 6:15 today cutting up the big walnut stump (?22-24" diameter), lugging blanks home in the tractor bucket and my garden tractor cart. Must have 20-25 blanks-not all are sound as there are cracks-Had to seal.
Weary but need to make a grinder. Have to do the 14 blanks before I'll "let" myself go after the crotch figure and side grain walnut. Tomorrow to cut up my limb of walnut-smaller. Was a beautiful day to work outside-80 degrees and ptly sunny. I enjoy myself doing this. Gretch
 
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Hi In the meantime why not drill you grinders on the lathe its a lot easyer and I would suggest more accurate just a thought and it is the only way I do it as well as fellow turners.

Cheers
Ian
 
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Hi In the meantime why not drill you grinders on the lathe its a lot easyer and I would suggest more accurate just a thought and it is the only way I do it as well as fellow turners.

Cheers
Ian

That's what I ended up doing. Couldn't do 3 of them that way as they were in between diameters allowable for #2, #3 jaws. (but I could have put back between centers and narrowed some.) There are more ways to "skin a cat"!!!!!
Gretch
 
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