Member postings for Paul Stark

Power tapping? no, haven't been brave enough to try that yet..

Good evening all,

Some time ago now, I decided to replace my pillar drill with something better.

The drill I wished to replace was of Taiwanese manufacture ( I think) and although it was ok, I was never really happy with it, it was noisy, and rough in operation. I was never really happy with the slop in the quill etc.

Having spent some time looking around here on the forum and around other sites on the net, I decided to look for a used Fobco or similar.

A Qualters and Smith QDM 750 (same as the Kerry drillmaster) came up for auction on eBay and I was lucky enough to win the auction for the starting price. I was delighted but apprehensive because it had been dismantled into large pieces and arrived strapped to a pallet for delivery. It was covered in light surface rust and looked to have been stored in damp conditions for some time.

With help from my son, an engineer with the Royal navy, we managed to completely overhaul it and return it to working condition, complete with new bearings, motor and electrics, etc.

I was surprised at the weight of the castings compared with my old drill, very solid and nicely machined. There is no discernible movement in the quill, even fully extended, and it is a pleasure to use, being very quiet and smooth in operation.

I now have a really nice drill, which will certainly last my lifetime.

I would like to thank all members who posted here regarding older British made drills, it was this that influenced my choice of machine. I'm glad that I took your advice.

Anyone considering a change of machine, may wish to do as I have done, I don't think you will regret it.

Best regards,

Paul.

Old Mart, thanks for the link, I have just ordered a new drive belt from them. The old one, although unused was as hard as rock.

Thanks Bazyle, I had considered flushing the old grease out with either white spirit or petrol. The front one will be fairly easy to do, but not too sure about the rear bearing, it looks to be a bit different to the earlier models. It has only one tensioning ring(?) locked with grub screws rather than the earlier models which used two rings which locked together. I think It would need the tumbler reverse gears removing as well the end cover/door frame to access the bearing cover plate to flush it out before refilling with fresh grease. My only real concern is being able to get the bearing preload correct again. The spindle really is hard to turn, so I guess I will have a go at flushing the old grease out as you suggest

Thank you all for the welcome.

Deepest Somerset is Minehead.

Paul.

Hello,

Thank you for allowing me to become a member of this forum.

I am not a trained engineer, but have owned and used several lathes (all of dubious antiquity) for many years, having first used a lathe at school in the '60s and later in the army (Royal engineers)

My interests over the years have included vintage motor cycles, model aero engines, model steam engine and boiler making. My current interest is the restoration and repair of vintage fishing reels.

I have recently purchased a Boxford bud lathe, which I am trying to get up and running, and have asked for help with a headstock lubrication issue in another thread.

Thanks again and best regards,

Paul.

Good morning, my name is Paul Stark, I have just joined the forum.

Having recently purchased a late model (1979) Boxford bud lathe, serial number bud-111-39963, I have a question please regarding lubrication of the headstock spindle bearings. I simply cannot find any way of greasing them, there are no grease cups or nipples on the headstock...

The lathe started life in a workshop that was set up to provide occupational therapy for adults with mental health issues, but due to health and safety concerns, it was unused. The workshop closed and the lathe was purchased by a gentleman who stored it for many years, where it remained unused.

After a long search for a lathe to replace my old Myford super 7, I came across this Boxford bud for sale. It was completely covered in a thin layer of protective grease (this made moving it interesting) underneath layers of protective sheets. On closer inspection it did indeed appear to be unused. It was complete with most of the original equipment, in original boxes. Needless to say, I couldn't believe my luck and paid the asking price, which was a fair bit higher than these lathe seem to go for currently.

Having cleaned and oiled the lathe and fitted a VFD from Drives Direct. I am reluctant to try the lathe under power, because the headstock spindle seems stiff to turn by hand. I have removed the aluminium cover plate from the front (chuck) end of the headstock, and the roller bearing is packed with grease, this is not hardened, but must have been in there for over 40 years. I wish to clean this out and replace it with fresh grease before using the lathe. I am reluctant to attempt to strip the headstock to do this, there must be an easier way? in the absence of grease cups/nipples, how do I best go about this?

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Sorry if I have rambled on a bit, but I do wish to proceed with caution, as it's a lovely lathe.

Paul.