Drill Press with Wheel instead of 3 handles

On every drill press I've seen and used, the drill head has been moved up and down by a 3 handled spindle. Moving it up and down large distances requires the use of two hands, one to keep the head from retracting and the other to switch to the next handle.

Rather than the 3 handles, are there any drill presses out there that use a wheel to advance the head? Am I missing major drawbacks?

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper
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What are you doing with the other hand that you can't use it?

Max

Reply to
Max

For me, that would be carpal tunnel syndrome, weak hands, arthritic fingers, amassed scar tissue from countless sprains and bumps and bruises. I like the ability to adjust the pressure I put on the handle, although I don't like it when you reach the end of your travel, and you have to get hold of the next handle on the three spoked versions. I think if you were only doing light pressure work with a wheeled type, it would be beneficial and a little more precise.

Must be some reason, as I've never seen one. One would not be hard to build, then test and find the weak spots.

Steve

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Steve B

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tiredofspam

Am I missing major drawbacks?

Leverage (how big is the wheel)? I suspect the popular 3-handled solution is the result of the fact that the 3-handled solution is probably comparatively pretty cheap. When I read reviews, I see complaints about things as seemingly-simple as depth stops. Intuitively, it seems a wheel might be nice for very precise drilling applications where you are drilling holes with little depth. Lathes and TSs use wheels...

Bil

Reply to
Bill

manufacture - and I've also seen quite a few with aluminum or zinc "V" belt pulleys installed to take the place of the handles. - you know, the 3 spoked "utility" type pulleys.

I remember one old drill press used to be in a machineshop in my home town years ago that had a wheel with a self-retracting knob - with it flipped out you could wind it quickly, and with it retracted you could hand-over-hand it quite accurately. It was almost like a flywheel. It MAY have been made by the machinist himself, as he built a LOT of his own machinery, and modified most of the rest.

Reply to
clare

I don't understand the problem. I just went out and tried my own drill press. I grasp one of those 3 handles by the ball on the end and pull it toward me and down (let's say from 12 o'clock to 9 o'clock) to start the spindle downward. Then I simply let the ball slide in my fingers while I continue rotating (now, from 9 o'clock toward 6 o'clock) only now I am pushing the handle down and away from me, then pushing away and upward (from 6 o'clock to 3 o'clock) and finally, to complete one whole rotation, pulling up and toward me (as it moves from 3 o'clock to 12 o'clock). I can go round and round with no problems. If you can't do this, then a wheel wouldn't help, unless it had a handle sticking out. My vertical mill has one of those.

If this motion does not make sense to you or others, I suppose I could do a video, but it would only be about 3 seconds long.

Pete Stanaitis

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Puckdr> On every drill press I've seen and used, the drill head has been moved up

Reply to
spaco

A 12 inch pulley gives about the same leverage as most 3-bar handles and gives you the infinite control as well.

Reply to
clare

I like the setup on the shopsmith.. Only one handle/lever and it's short enough to spin 360 degrees if your drilling something that thick.. Oersonally, If I set my table height to just below the tip of the drill bit, I don't have a lot of travel to worry about.. You drilling through 8 or 10" thick stuff?

Reply to
Mac Davis

"Rather than the 3 handles, are there any drill presses out there that use a wheel to advance the head? =A0Am I missing major drawbacks? Puckdropper"

I just saw an article (did not save it/bookmark it - sorry) about a fellow who exchanged the three handles for a large Pulley (maybe ten inches or so) and fixed a cord to it and the cord to a couple of pulleys mounted to the wall behind the drill press tying it off at a paddle affair mounted on the floor.

He could, then, hold the work with both hands - should the need or desire arise - and use the paddle affair on the floor to drill the hole(s).

I met a fellow in Florida a few years back who had modified his drill press so that the spindle could be made to "oscillate" up and down while turning. This feature allowed him to attach a drum sander to the press to finish work.

Back to the first "guy," guys, it would seem that, where the pulley large enough, it would serve as implied by the OP - although a smaller pulley would be better for the foot-operated approach as the limited range of the foot paddle (6" or so, as I recall) would significantly reduce the spindle travel were the wheel attached thereto very large.

I wonder if one of those automotive steering wheel replacements (J.C. Whitney) wouldn't make a real comfy drill press wheel at a reasonable price. Years ago they sold some rather small replacement wheels - maybe ten inches in diameter. The spokes on some of these are set at an angle that should provide the requisite clearance.

Reply to
Hoosierpopi

" although I don't like it when you reach the end of your travel, "

Well then, how about a Wheel with one of those knobs attached? I think those that were sold to be attached to the steering wheels of cars were referred to as "Suicide Knobs," but that might just have been "my crowd."

Reply to
Hoosierpopi

We called them that as well.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

The story I heard was that was because some people managed to get their shirt sleeves tangled up in the thing and got into accidents.

I remember driving old trucks that had big steering wheels and needed a lot of turns to turn the vehicle sharply. We installed those knobs on them. Back in the day before power steering.

Reply to
Lee Michaels

I had one on my '57 Chebby. It really took a lot to turn that 22" steering wheel, too. The few times I lost my grip on the suicide knob, I ended up doing bodily harm to myself. (once, a fist in the nuts) Yeah, they were dangerous, alright.

-- The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. --Herbert Spencer

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Back in the days when bench seats were standard they were called "necker's knobs" as they made it easier to drive with one hand on the wheel and one hand on various parts of the passenger's anatomy.

The major safety concern at the time IIRC was that in a crash one was likely to recieve significant blunt force trauma from the knob (I don't think they called it "blunt force trauma" at the time but don't recall what term was used).

Reply to
J. Clarke

For awhile, I used one on my '64 Rambler station wagon . The car didn't have power steering and the one handed quick steering action was fun to use, but I do admit that it always made me feel a little aprehensive. I had visions of the knob breaking off the steering wheel while I was using it.

Reply to
Upscale

Bet the guy never complained either, eh?

Reply to
Robatoy

On many drill presses it's possible with a combination of workpiece, bit, and taple position, for full rotation of the handle to be blocked. With the 3 handles, you can then unscrew them one at a time and reinstall as you advance the drill head downwards. A less common arrangement, usually seen on older presses, is a sliding T-handle like a vise, that also avoids blocking the press feed handle with the workpiece or table.

Reply to
Larry W

"Necking knobs" on the 55 Chevy - "thumb busters" on the 44 Massey!!!!

Reply to
clare

I recently got a Suicide Knob for my riding mower, for use when the snow plow blade is attached. Got it at the local NAPA store. I wasn't sure they even made them anymore.

As to the drill press, I'm going to look into a wheel for mine. Sure seems like a good idea. Metal would be ideal, but I might see if I could make one from wood. Maybe 1-2" thick, 10" dia. Have to see how to attach to the drill press.

Reply to
rich

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