Member postings for Tim Ostley

Thanks for the replies.

Roy- thanks for the pictures. Yes I had come across machine spares - it's good that spares are available but they are a bit pricey. Compared to the equivalent new price of the drill they are probably reasonable but when you only paid £20 at a boot sale for the whole thing, a new spindle that comes out at about £150 inc VAT makes me think twice (luckily the spindle on mine seems good).

Clive - you may well be right about the differences, I am beginning to think that there wasn't a great deal between the Mark1 and Mark 2. Pat's picture of his old Bantam suggests that there were two completely different Bantams.

As far as speed is concerned, I am minded to put a three phase motor and inverter on it which will allow some lower speeds and save a few belt changes.

I did get caught out recently, before embarking on this research - I wanted a new chuck and thought the chuck removing collar was the remains of a collared chuck so ordered up a Jacobs 34-33C (the spindle taper is JT33). Wrong! The removing collar is threaded 1" diameter and the chuck requires a 1 1/4" thread. So I have a brand new 34-33C chuck if anyone needs one...

Tim

Thanks for the replies.

John - spent a couple of hours looking at pictures before posting. I have found a manual for the mk1 and a series of pictures of a mark2 rebuild but can't see any real difference between the two.

Pat - thanks for the picture. That must have been an early bantam as the picture I found on the internet looked like a Mercury but the front badge said bantam. Your bantam is mechanically quite different from the Mercury, the picture of the bantam I found and indeed my own drill.

As my drill came 'naked' with no markings I was hoping that there would be some non cosmetic design feature which would identify it. I would like to get hold of the proper casings but will have to wait until I can bail down the model before going on a hunt.

Best Regards

Tim

Hi all,

I have just discovered that my bench drill found at a boot sale some 25 years ago is a Startrite. However since it didn't have its original covers, I have no idea which model. It is a bench drill with 5 speeds which I think narrows it down to one of three - Mercury Mk 1, Mercury Mk 2, Bantam.

Does anyone know what the differences between the models is (apart from the badge which goes on the front)?

Many Thanks

Tim

Steve,

It appears that there are two forms of the large autolock chuck. The largest will take 3 different collets 3/4" 1" and 1 1/4". Plus three metric equivalents. The metric equivalents have a groove on the outer 'wings' of the collet. The one I have takes two imperial collets 3/4" and 1" only and the metric equivalents. The collets for mine are smaller in outside diameter than the large ones so are not interchangeable. The Clarkson chuck documents I have seen on the net don't mention my chuck. See Graham Wharton's post earlier for the part numbers of my chuck.

It has been very interesting to find out about the Clarkson chucks - this thread probably contains most of what is known.

Thanks to all.

Tim

As requested, the engraving on the chuck says:

3 MORSE TYPE S

BR PAT 915713

ENGLAND 1/2 BSW

Tim

P.S. If anyone has any of the 4 collets made for this chuck, do get in touch!

Thanks for all the info guys. It looks like a medium autolock (didn't realise there was such a thing). I guess that the 3/4" and 1" collets for the medium and large chuck are different. Ho hum.

Tim

Second attempt ....

Edited By Tim Ostley on 07/04/2015 20:29:17

iPads are not the greatest for this but .....

Hi,

Well I give up. I obtained a Clarkson S autolock chuck and whilst it was on its way I bought a collet to go in it ( the chuck was just that, no collets or spanner). As you might expect the collet didn't fit - I thought I was getting a small model s chuck and a large one arrived. Ho hum silly me. So I got a 1 1/4" collet instead and blow me that doesn't fit either. The chuck is definitely a Clarkson and the outside dimensions match those for a large chuck. The collet looks like a Clarkson but is too big. It is also 32mm but that is another story. There is precious little data on Clarkson chucks on the 'net.

The chuck has an outer ring screwed on the body with Tommy bar holes, has a 3MT arbour and the number 40096 engraved on the back of the ring. The body is also engraved with Clarkson S and a patent number. The outside diameter of the collets needs to be 1 3/8 as near as I can measure it.

Before I spend any more money on collets can anyone tell me what I have got and what specification of collets I need to obtain?

All the best.

Tim

Edited By Tim Ostley on 07/04/2015 19:56:58

Edited By Tim Ostley on 07/04/2015 19:58:08

Edited By Tim Ostley on 07/04/2015 19:59:14

John,

Yes I know all about the wonderful World of Apple but this is actually an ME / MEW issue. They must know that I have a subscription otherwise I wouldn't see the mag but they haven't joined that up to the rest of their site. All they need to do is to allocate a subscription number and everything would work just fine (and they must have a unique number from iTunes). I spend most of my time writing and specifying this sort of IT system and it really isn't rocket science.

Dave,

I guessed as much and have just cancelled the subscription which is supposed to run out tomorrow. I suppose the only bonus is I might get a free gift as a new subscriber!

Tim

It appears that there are two levels of digital subscriptions.....

When I bought my Ipad I obtained a digital subscription to MEW and have been happily reading the magazine ever since. I wanted to look up a back issue, went on to the ME/MEW web site and logged in to find I needed a subscription number for access. No problem I thought but I couldn't find a subscription number anywhere so 'phoned up the telephone number on the web site. I am then told that because the subscription was paid for via ITunes (try doing it any other way on an Ipad) I am not registered as a subscriber and cannot see any back issues.

This is ridiculous. Either you subscribe or you don't, how you pay for the subscription should be completely immaterial.

Has anyone else come across this and if so how was it sorted?

Tim