Pillar Drill - Startrite Mercury

[Jimmy Mack]

I'm on the look out :eusa-shifty: for a new (to me) pillar drill and the first I'm taking a look at is this weekend; a bench mounted Startrite Mercury - 3 phase.

For any that can help or have experience of; I have a couple of questions:

Inspecting

• Wind the Quill right down and give it a good wobble for play
• Hand turn and check for play in the motor arbour (belt off)
• General visual inspection and check points of adjustment (bed rise & fall, pulley lock, stops, etc.)
• Are the quill bearing common (should they need replacing)

Any other characteristic problems I should be looking out for?

Power

I do have the option to run the machine on 3 phase (mainly for woodwork, with v.occasional metal) however is it worth considering converting to single? I've seen users add a digital converter for accurate and easy speed control.

• Would a convertor be expensive?
• Make a big difference? (assuming the belt change on a Startrite is straight forward?)


Many thanks,

Jim

 

[9fingers]

The big potential problem on a startrite mercury is that the spindle does not have a an internal taper and so the spindle has a small diameter male taper (JT6) into the back of the chuck. This narrow neck is easily bent and not so easily straightened. The drill will then run out of true. Take a long drill<1/2" diameter or a known true metal rod with you. Fit to the chuck and look at the tip as the drill runs. Reject anything with the slightest visible wobble or maybe if it only very slight, use it a price bargaining device.

Running from inverter is by far the best way and I can help with this once I get home from hols at the end of the month with a suitable device.

Bob

 

[Jimmy Mack]

The big potential problem on a startrite mercury is that the spindle does not have a an internal taper and so the spindle has a small diameter male taper (JT6) into the back of the chuck. This narrow neck is easily bent and not so easily straightened. The drill will then run out of true. Take a long drill<1/2" diameter or a known true metal rod with you. Fit to the chuck and look at the tip as the drill runs. Reject anything with the slightest visible wobble or maybe if it only very slight, use it a price bargaining device.

Running from inverter is by far the best way and I can help with this once I get home from hols at the end of the month with a suitable device.

Bob

Thanks Bob.

When you say 'easily bent', how easily? I'd suspect you'd have to be pretty heavy handed?

Hopefully I'll be able to see it running, however I've got a hunch it's on a garage premises without 3 ph. I may have to go with the gut, based on the general condition of the machine :?



Many thanks,

Jim

 

[Robert]

You only need 1 turn of the chuck to see if it runs true using Bobs long drill/rod method and you could do that by just pulling the belt by hand.

 

[stephen.wood125]

I have a Meddings LF1/FS with a JT6 you'd be surprised how much force you can get with the rack and pinion even with those 6" levers. I saw a couple of bent ones before I got mine.

 

[9fingers]

Bending the spindle is dead easy. You only need a drill to snatch and the job hit the column and the stored energy is all dissipated in the spindle. On a drill with an internal taper you just fit a new chuck arbour for a few quid but the Mercury is damaged for life.

Bob

 

[Jimmy Mack]

Thanks for the replies, very useful.

Sounds like an Achille's heel... if it's easy to bend the spindle am I best steering clear of a Mercury as I could end up bending it myself one day :shock:

A difficult replace? Custom machined spindle to replace?

The others I've been on the look out for are, Meddings, Fobco & Bedford

Thanks,

Jim

 

[9fingers]

Add Progress to that list.

Bob

 

[Jimmy Mack]

Out of interest I looked up the cost of a replacement Mercury spindle from Machine Spares...

£121 (probably plus VAT n carriage). Quite an expensive part to replace... I'd probably consider changing the bearings whilst I had it apart :? Rude not to

I think I'll still check it out...Do you think a hand turn will be enough to see any deviation/ wobble? (thinking aloud) perhaps if I use an engineers square or ...I might be able to borrow a Dial gauge and magnet base off a local pal - that should do it

Thanks for the responses.

 

[9fingers]

So you can see that a spindle and either 4 or 5 bearings will soon add up. You would need to get the drill for a giveaway price to make it worthwhile.

You don't need it under power to check run out. In fact if you are using a dial gauge you must not check it under power to avoid bu88ering the dial gauge.

Bob