Tauco drill

saved this Tauco drill from the scrap man. Are they any good ? Worth restoring ?

(I know its back to front )

Edited By Richard chucklbutty on 27/08/2014 19:41:00

I bought one at auction 20 years ago, repaired and painted it and then sold it ,customer was happy with, I thought it was quite a good machine ,yours is well worth restoring its certainly not like the rubbish that nowadays comes from the far east.

Many years ago (30+) my father and I obtained a pair of these drills from a factory in Dundee who were re-equiping.. Mine has been an absolute star all the way through, it even came with a 1/2" Albrecht chuck, but when I inherited father's I took it into work to be an additional drill. What I hadn't realised was that the pulley on the drilling spindle was in a metal which was rather like Mazak and which had become very brittle. I bit the bullet and tried to replicate the pulley, but this time in Dural. I even treated it to a new bearing. It does a great job, but I'm pleased that you can't see the table, as the factory workers had adorned it with the most picturesque chain drilling pattern .

One issue which I haven't resolved is the fact that the column has a dint which affects the ease of adjusting the table. I tried to order a piece of thick walled tube from the local steel supplier, but despite ordering 2.75in. tube I got 70mm. They, the suppliers, learned a few new words, but so far the imperial stuff hasn't been delivered, yet.

Regards,

Alan.

Hi there, Richard,

The main spindle has a spline groove down most of its length, it might be two grooves, diametrically disposed, I can't remember. Then, inside the stepped pulley there's a rather odd-shaped bobbin sort of 'gizmo' that fits round the spindle - this has male spline(s) in its bore that engage with the spindle groove(s) to provide the sliding drive. This 'gizmo' is (on my Tauco) made of zinc-based die-casting alloy. When I got mine, the male splines had worn paper-thin and hadn't much life left.

After lots of research (no Internet in early 1970s) I found that Wilkinsons in Edinburgh had Tauco spares and supplied me with a replacement 'gizmo'. I did Google Wilkinsons a year or so ago and they were then still in business; I don't know if they still have any stock of Tauco spares.

Unless the 'gizmo' in your machine has healthy splines, I fear it is junk, unless you can procure a replacement or home-brew some substitute. So I suggest your first priority should be to strip off the stepped pulley and eye-ball what that reveals!

I believe that the Tauco drills came over to the UK from the USA during 1939-1945 WW2 as Marshall Aid or Lend-Lease. Mine has given very satisfactory service and one or two other members on this forum have them.

I made my own control box containing a MEMDOL single phase direct on-line starter and a forward-off-reverse switch; the box is bracketed off the motor mounting plate. I expect the starter in your photo is similarly mounted.

If you PM me with your email address, I may be able to find a .pdf of the illustrated parts list (aka 'exploded diagram' ).

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly.

Hi there, again,

An after-thought: when I was setting my Tauco to work, I turned up a couple of plastic rings bored to fit over the column and with a shallow groove on the outer surface. These are split and tightened onto the column with a Jubilee clip. One sits beneath the main casting as a safety measure and the other sits below the table knee bracket. I find this helps a lot when raising or lowering the table.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

Thanks for the link ,I was unaware of Charnwood.

I could say more but one stir a week is enough.

Hi there, Richard,

I've up-loaded the Tauco spares list to my album but it seems to have gone up as a microdot!

I hope that you can read it and that it helps.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

What a difference in belt guarding standards between then and now!

.

When men were men, and gave two fingers to safety.

... At least [with that guard] they kept their hair on.

Seriously though; a decent guard would not be difficult to contrive, and it does look worthy of restoration.

MichaelG.

Hi there, all,

I've tweaked the gamma on the Tauco parts list to improve its readability. (Three cheers for MS Photo Editor! ) I've up-loaded this latest version to my album.

It'd be nice to get some confirmation that other folks can read it.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

I can read it quite easily, thanks.

hi regarding my comment on far eastern tools, I clicked the link first thing I spotted right at top of page was Woodworking machinery,well I suppose any old drill will put a hole in a bit of wood , after bitter experience with a mill drill i will continue to state that things like drills are rubbish. I have seen and tried a drill on a local farm,brand new put the spindle down to the table pull hard on the handle and the table visibly defects,base bolted to floor push on column and the base deflects ,utter rubbish, not in the same league as my 45 year old fobco or my 20 year old meddings drills ,never had to do anything other than a few shots of grease in that time, yet we see regularly in this forum queries on how to adjust or repair far eastern machine tools which are of no age or even new,new machines should not need repairs or adjustment .

Hi Alan,

These guys list 69.85mm Cold Drawn Steel tube in various wall thicknesses that might do you **LINK**

Nick.

Edited By Nick Hughes on 29/08/2014 17:31:49 To get rid of the Bl***y smileys

Edited By Nick Hughes on 29/08/2014 17:33:30

I clicked the link first thing I spotted right at top of page was Woodworking machinery,well I suppose any old drill will put a hole in a bit of wood , after bitter experience with a mill drill i will continue to state that things like drills are rubbish. I have seen and tried a drill on a local farm,brand new put the spindle down to the table pull hard on the handle and the table visibly defects,base bolted to floor push on column and the base deflects ,utter rubbish, not in the same league as my 45 year old fobco or my 20 year old meddings drills

DMSGDT