Tauco drill press

Great result, Alan

... astonishing.

MichaelG.

Hi there, Alan,

I wonder if Wilkinsons provided you with a copy of this:

My Tauco has a female spline in the upper spindle extension and a die-cast component with the male spline that sits within the pulley. This die-cast piece doesn't show very clearly in the diagram! When I acquired mine, the male spline had worn paper-thin but I was able to obtain a replacement from Wilkinsons.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

For over 30 years a friend of mine drove and carefully maintained a 1952 Standard Vanguard that he bought in the late sixties. Only sold it because a collector made him an offer he couldn't refuse!

What was surprising to me was he had no trouble getting spares for it. Many parts were still used on current models (in the 1980s). Might be misremembering, but I think the indicator lens cap was identical to that on a Morris Marina and the otherwise obsolete tyres were still used by London Taxis.

Watching those telly programmes about restorations is even more surprising; if rebuilding a Sherman Tank, it seems possible to get new turret rings.

Alan gets a double gold-star. Not only did he find an unusual part but it was affordable. Miracles do happen!

Dave

I too have a Tauco, the exact model as shown in the drawing. Acquired from work many years ago , a few bits missing. It has been my woodworking drill.

Good solid well made machine.

Adrian.

Off Topic but here goes:

Back in 1969 I needed a 28 Volt dynamo for a project. Watson's Eastern Motors (a long-time ME advertiser) was listing the 'Type O Engine-driven generator, 28 Volts DC 1500 Watts'. (I'm relying on memory there. ) So I drove out to Aldeburgh and stated my requirements. 'Oh, we don't keep them here. Let's go the the other store' was the reply. The 'other store' proved to be a bungalow some distance from the main shop. I was ushered into one of the rooms whose walls were lined, floor to ceiling, with cardboard boxes each containing a Type O and addressed to the CO of some RAF Station. The labels all said 'Rotax'. I purchased a few for my requirement.

Some time later I heard that the proprietor of Watson's Eastern Motors had died and the succeeding proprietors were more interested in house clearance. I still wonder what happened to all those Type Os. I later donated two of the ones I had bought but not used to a restoration group at Duxford.

The type O was one member of a family of aircraft dynamos that had a standardised interface to the aircraft engine gearbox via a splined shaft and a flexible coupling. I wonder whether that equipment practice is still used today?. Some (most? ) were 28 Volts but the family had 12 Volt members. Each type letter denoted a different power rating,

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

That is interesting, thanks for the info.

My Tauco pillar drill is a slightly different design:

For a start it has no movable table. Instead the whole head has a rack and pinion on the side of the rear column, which can rotate around the column with the head. Given where I 'acquired' the drill I assume it was lend lease.

Andrew

Andrew, your pic prompts me to say "ah..where would we be without 'Old Holborn' tins".
Having moved house and sorting out an accumulation of bits and pieces, I bet they beat single use plastic for longevity, must date back to late 60's/early 70's and still going strong long after the contents went up in smoke.
DaveD

Back in the 80's you could spot an 'old lag' by the Golden Virginia (or similar) tin covered entirely with matchsticks

Neil