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Is it possible to get an extended drill press arbor?

2K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Loren 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a Powermatic drill press which I love, but the average table height for most drilling options is a little higher than I'd like. I did some research and found the arbor spec's for my drill press and from what I could find is the arbor only comes in 1 length based on the taper sizes at least that's what I found at mcmaster carr.

If I could get the arbor extended 2 or 3 inches that would be great, then I can lower the table by that amount and would be at a much more comfortable level for me.

Alternatively I could cut the large pole that holes up the drill press down a little bit, but I really don't want to do that. Replacing the arbor is a fairly simple operation, and can be reversed or changed. Cutting down the pole that holds up the drill press cannot be reversed.

Has anyone done anything like this? do I have to get some custom machine work to get this done?

-jeremy
 
#3 ·
You can slide the head casting down a few inches without the need to chop off the excess … at least on any drill press I've ever used … maybe yours is different … BRAND/MODEL ???
 
#4 ·
@Ben
I'm generally not a fan of stools, but I'll use em when I have too. I'm a believer of bringing the tool to me, instead of bringing me to the tool, I know that isn't always possible but for this I think it is just need to figure out the best way.

@Fuzzy,
It's a powermatic, the only drill press they make a PM2800, I'm pretty sure the head is sitting as low as it can I don't know though.

-jeremy
 
#5 ·
Jeremy, I saved the keyless chuck from a cordless drill that died. It has been chucked in my grill press for years. It extended the arbor and eliminated the key to change drill bits. Worked for me.
 
#7 ·
@mporter
I dunno that seems pretty extreme I'd have to dismount the drill press, take an angle grinder to cut the post down, if I screw up there is no going back and no do overs. Plus if for whatever reason I sell or pass on the tool to someone else, there is no reversing the process without ordering a new part, which 10-20 years from now may not be easy to get.

@gfadvm
I had thought about double chucking the drill press but was unsure if it would work. Since my drill press already has a keyless chuck I was thinking I could get a keyed chuck that fits my current arbor. Then get an arbor with a straight end that goes into the chuck, then a proper jacobs taper to fit in my current chuck.

Since you've had this set up for years, it sounds like a pretty good plan, an extra chuck would easily add the 3 inches or so that I want and can easily be reversed if someday I decide I don't like it.

-jeremy
 
#8 ·
Just as an update, I did find adapters that will extend the reach of an arbor instead of just getting a longer arbor.

Not sure why I didn't see it before, I think it was because it was under the adapter section so I didn't pay attention, but basically I can get a MT2 to MT2 adapter, and it will act as an extension to my current arbor.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#drill-chuck-arbors/=hqmlc3

I ordered one so hopefully it works out well.

-jeremy
 
#9 ·
As Fuzzy said drop the head. From the pictures of the PM2800 the stop collar is set far below the head thus showing it SHOULD be able to be lowered at least as far as the guard. If the guard has a hole in it for the post to pass thruogh just drop it as far as you want. If there is no hole and it can be dropped cut a hole in the guard to set it where you want. As one business book I read said "Don't try to buy solutions."
MIKE
 
#13 ·
@mtenterprises
That is certainly one way to look at it, but everyone buys tools unless you built all your tools by hand with rocks fabricated and sticks. The issue is everything has a cost, it may not always be a financial cost but a cost none the less. And each person needs to evaluate what "price" they are willing to pay for a given task.

Cutting off a portion of the base, has a too high a "permanent" cost to me, having to have some one re-weld on a portion of the pole, or having to purchase a new pole if I screw up and lower it too much is too expensive in the risk factor.

Opening the top and just lowering the head is certainly viable, but I'm concerned about dust build up inside the pulleys causing the belts to need to be replaced prematurely. I do like the adjust ability in this because I can lower the head to exactly where I want it. And I may go this route and figure some way of covering the top if the arbor extension doesn't seem to give me what I want.

The arbor extension was the best price because of it's ease of installation, reversibility if I didn't like it, while it had a higher financial cost than the other proposed solutions, the financial cost was low enough that the other benefits made it worth it.

There is nothing wrong with "buying solutions" as long as the price is right, in a way everyone solution that is ever made is always bought .. just not always with money.

-jeremy
 
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