Where (apart from ebay) to look for a pillar drill base?

New member here. I have acquired a Buffalo 15" pillar drill which seems in good order, however the base is an enormous sawn off half of a twin drill setup (cut by hand with a hacksaw would you believe) and too big for where I want to put it.

Where might I look for an alternative base? It has a 2-3/4" round column with a square mount approx 5-1/2" x 6-1/2" so two options at least available.

Thanks.

Adrian, if you can't locate the real thing you could always fabricate something from steel channel or rectangular tube. It may even be possible to cast one in concrete with a suitable bit of tube as a socket for the pillar and plenty of rebar attached to the socket. (Just thinking out loud!)

John

Can you post a photograph please. I have the base and column off my old pillar drill but it's only 2 1/2 inch diameter. Both are fairly heavy but you're welcome to them if you want to try and make an internal adaptor for your column. Nathan.

There is a difference between being the 'right size for the drill' and being 'too big for your space'.

Can you not cut it down further, if it is oversized for the application? Alternatively secure it to the floor with suitable fixings, if reduced to a size which is inadequate for the application. Safety is important.

I owned a Buffalo drill years ago. It was a nice tool even though a previous owner had abused it. It is certainly worth keeping. The 2 3/4" column was very common on US made drill presses. If it was part of a gang drill it probably has a flange on the bottom of the column. If so, even a piece of steel plate could be used as a base.

One should turn up eventually. Posting it here is probably the best place to post it.

I've uploaded pictures of the drill and base into an album, hopefully shared (ignore general mess and the additional stand which comes off a woodworking drill and is much too small)

@John, yes, but it would have to be true and flat on top as there is no separate table with this design, photo should make it clearer.

@Nathan, I'll try and track down something that fits first, but thanks and I may come back to you if no luck.

@John R, yes, a nice flat piece of steel would work but ideally it would have some mounting slots for a vice, something like the one fitted to this model:

**LINK**

I'll add a wanted advert once I reach the "enough posts" threshold, but otherwise if anyone knows of a machine breaker or graveyard please speak up.

Several on e-bay from the US that would fit, depends whether you want to pay the postage for a heavy item like that

An alternative would be to do yourself a half decent drawing and take it to a steel profilers of the dimensions and contour you want/like and have a profile cut from steel plate.

Have it stress relieved and surface ground ground both sides to clean.

You would have little work left to make it usable.

Indeed, but as you note transport costs would be disproportionate!

I've put up a wanted ad, will pay £50 for a nice one delivered to my door, less for a tatty but usable or if I have to go and fetch it. Meantime I think I will bolt it to a chunk of kitchen worktop.

Ah, didn't realize that, thought it was floor standing. Could still fabricate think aluminium EcoCast plate easy to machine and better than the kitchen worktop, use a pattern of holes rather than slots. Or there are cast iron slotted tables about, welding table or work table, most tend to be a bit on the large size though.

John

As you say the woodworkers drill table is 'too small' is the buffalo drill post hollow; if so could you not make up an adaptor to fit in the smaller base & the drill post you have, fastened in with a couple of grub screws, & then bolt it to a worktop or fabricated stand ?

George.

It might be worth your time looking for Walker Turner drill press on ebay. They look similar. I picked one up off ebay for 17 pounds the other day

Maybe a small surface plate would do for a nice cast iron base. One that no longer cuts the mustard as a surface plate will be more than good enough. Guess any dealer would be more than happy to take a few pounds off you for such as being otherwise unsaleable.

I agree that a lump of decent kitchen worktop will do fine as a get you going move. Use large washers on the underside in suitable recesses cut with a Forstener bit. With a similar issue I went a bit OTT by making "large washer on a tube" style inserts taking countersunk headed screws. Customer was a known machine abuser and I wanted to control how tight he could get things and as much support as possible. Must have worked 'cos he didn't break it!

Might be easier to handle things if you made tapped inserts of similar style which can be inserted from the bottom before flipping the base, aligning drill column and putting bolts in from top. Nail or screw through a hole or notch in the washer end will do to stop it turning as you tighten the bolt.

Rows, or even a full grid, of tapped holes make a more or less adequate substitute for slots. Push or screw in from the back thread inserts can be got quite cheaply from Screwfix (under furniture fixings) et al. Pop a bit of glue on to improve retention. Generally only 6 mm and 8 mm easily obtainable over the counter but such are more than strong enough for sensible use.

If you want a metal surface a piece of 10 gauge / 3 mm steel sheet glued and screwed on top of the worktop material will make a decent job.

Whilst you are at it obtain some thick MDF from redundant kitchen cabinets et al. Suitably sized chunks are ideal sub bases for working on thin sheet or hard to hold items. Just add wood screws as and where required. Bin when too ragged for further use. Worth keeping a longer piece fitted with worktop off-cut feet so it will sit level on the bench to use as an extended table for long or cumbersome objects. Hafta clear the bench first of course but stability is a good thing.

A friend with two bench drills arranged one so he could quickly shift it onto a workmate thingy either in the middle of the floor or outside when doing big stuff. He found it very worthwhile. Can't do that its my big Pollard pillar drill so I got cunning with placement and doors. Largest part so far was 14 ft long!

In my experience temporary set-ups often last longer than the proper job so worth making a bit more effort.

Clive.

Thanks all for suggestions, especially the Walker Turner as that looks like it would fit without much work.

Adrian - I have a heavy cast alloy radial arm saw rectangular base (approx. 6" x 7" bored to take a 3" column. It has a central extension 'spigot' used for the table mounting which would need to be cut off.

PM me if of interest

rgds

Bill

Adrian - just got my brain in gear and remembered that there is also the original column - (precision fit) steel tube, wall thickness 1/4" (from memory) which could be bored to fit your column..

rgds

Bill