Cole drill, mod
 

On Oct 30, 3:38*pm, Jon Anderson wrote:
Finally put my eBay sourced Cole drill to use. I'm really running up
against the limited travel vs different drill lengths, finding it much
easier to move the head back to change drills. But then, how to realign
quickly?

With a 1/8 ball end mill, I milled a shallow groove down the length of
the column, to a width very close to the slot in the head. In aligning,
I have the clamp slot centered over Thanks this groove on the head and use the
base for positioning. Then, when I need to move the head, it's simple to
realign. There's more than enough slop in the whole setup to accommodate
any minor misalignment between the head and this groove.

Jon

Thanks for posting Jon.

Do you think the mod weakens the drill at all?

TMT

Cole drill, mod
 

Finally put my eBay sourced Cole drill to use. I'm really running up
against the limited travel vs different drill lengths, finding it much
easier to move the head back to change drills. But then, how to realign
quickly?

With a 1/8 ball end mill, I milled a shallow groove down the length of
the column, to a width very close to the slot in the head. In aligning,
I have the clamp slot centered over this groove on the head and use the
base for positioning. Then, when I need to move the head, it's simple to
realign. There's more than enough slop in the whole setup to accommodate
any minor misalignment between the head and this groove.


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

One step further.. add a thin key to a slot in a bar (silver solder etc)
which is just a little narrower than the head slot.

The Cole drills are really handy tools, it would be kinda unnatural to add a
laser spotter or other high? tech accessory to them.

A set of rods with conical tips of different diameters and lengths would be
worthwhile for relocating the hole center. It would add an extra step, but
chucking a rod with a tapered/conical point will generally relocate a hole
center fairly accurately.

FWIW..
For pilot drills, a drill diameter which is close to the width of the chisel
point (across the web thickness) of the final size drill works very well.
I find using a range of sizes to get to a final hole size to be more trouble
than it's worth (and sometimes problematic in causing missed hole
locations). An exception is a uni-bit-type step drill.
I generally spot a location with an 1/8", then use that to drill a pilot
hole, followed by the final size drill.. and always an adequate amount of
cutting lubricant with each.

--
WB
..........


"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
Finally put my eBay sourced Cole drill to use. I'm really running up
against the limited travel vs different drill lengths, finding it much
easier to move the head back to change drills. But then, how to realign
quickly?

With a 1/8 ball end mill, I milled a shallow groove down the length of the
column, to a width very close to the slot in the head. In aligning,
I have the clamp slot centered over this groove on the head and use the
base for positioning. Then, when I need to move the head, it's simple to
realign. There's more than enough slop in the whole setup to accommodate
any minor misalignment between the head and this groove.


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

On 10/30/2011 4:48 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:

One step further.. add a thin key to a slot in a bar (silver solder etc)
which is just a little narrower than the head slot.

That was my first thought, but I'm neck deep in projects and just
getting started on this one, which has been sitting at the front of my
garage for 2 years now. About danged time I get moving with it, and not
going to risk putting it off further by stacking yet another project in
front of it!

I'm using a rod I machined to the ID for alignment, it's the same length
as the drill, which helps a lot.

I'm finishing (finally) the conversion of my old Millport CNC knee mill
back to manual. Sold the balls screws out of it, and bought a brand new
set of lead screws off eBay out of some BP clone. The screws didn't line
up on the same centers as the originals. I have the Y done, by shimming
the knuckle. But that put the X screw up too high, and a bit too far
back. So I'm drilling and tapping the 4 end holes on the table to 3/4NF.
Then I'll clamp up the end bearing plates, get the X screw aligned, spot
and drill/tap new holes. This will look way cleaner than obrounding the
end plate holes, and make it easy for anyone down the road to add a
power feed. In fact, nobody would ever know what I did if I didn't tell
them. I'd borrowed a mag drill from a customer and tried mounting it to
a large angle plate. But it's just too heavy for me to hold up, align
over the hole, and activate the magnet.

Cole drill to the rescue! It's a lot of work drilling that size hole
that deep in cast iron. Drill and tap one a day, that's about what I can
handle... G


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

Yep, upgrades/improvements during a project can definitely impede progress.

Mag-drills are exceptionally good for some jobs, but when the drilling job
is in an engine compartment, remote locations/outside of a shop, up in the
air, or has the operator working on a floor, under a truck chassis for
example, a Cole drill often makes it much easier.

BTW, a drill motor can be added to a Cole by taking the handle and ratchet
wheel off, and using an adapter threaded onto the shaft (Cole used to supply
such an adapter).
One can be fabricated from a piece of round or hex stock (drilling and
tapping a hole in the Cole end, and flats for a chuck to hold on to at the
drill motor end).

I like to sketch out these sorts of small upgrade/improvement ideas and
stick the drawing up in the shop space where they can be seen, so when I
need to make a similar part, it's more convenient to make a nifty do-dad.

It sounds as though you're nearing completion, and being able to see the
conclusion getting near (light at the end of the tunnel) is good motivation.

It'd be great if you could post some pictures of the project when you're
done.

--
WB
..........


"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
On 10/30/2011 4:48 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:

One step further.. add a thin key to a slot in a bar (silver solder etc)
which is just a little narrower than the head slot.

That was my first thought, but I'm neck deep in projects and just getting
started on this one, which has been sitting at the front of my garage for
2 years now. About danged time I get moving with it, and not going to risk
putting it off further by stacking yet another project in front of it!

I'm using a rod I machined to the ID for alignment, it's the same length
as the drill, which helps a lot.

I'm finishing (finally) the conversion of my old Millport CNC knee mill
back to manual. Sold the balls screws out of it, and bought a brand new
set of lead screws off eBay out of some BP clone. The screws didn't line
up on the same centers as the originals. I have the Y done, by shimming
the knuckle. But that put the X screw up too high, and a bit too far back.
So I'm drilling and tapping the 4 end holes on the table to 3/4NF. Then
I'll clamp up the end bearing plates, get the X screw aligned, spot and
drill/tap new holes. This will look way cleaner than obrounding the end
plate holes, and make it easy for anyone down the road to add a power
feed. In fact, nobody would ever know what I did if I didn't tell them.
I'd borrowed a mag drill from a customer and tried mounting it to a large
angle plate. But it's just too heavy for me to hold up, align over the
hole, and activate the magnet.

Cole drill to the rescue! It's a lot of work drilling that size hole that
deep in cast iron. Drill and tap one a day, that's about what I can
handle... G


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

On 10/31/2011 6:32 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:

It'd be great if you could post some pictures of the project when you're
done.

Getting better about photo documenting projects. I've got plenty of pics
and will post them when I'm done.


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

On 10/31/2011 6:32 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:

BTW, a drill motor can be added to a Cole by taking the handle and
ratchet wheel off, and using an adapter threaded onto the shaft (Cole
used to supply such an adapter).

How exactly does this ratchet come off? Can't see a setscrew nor pin on
the ratchet. It appears to be pressed onto a reduced section of the
spindle. Maybe a 2 jaw gear puller?


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

For the 2 Cole Drills that I have, the ratchet gizzy is just threaded..
right-hand internal thread (for clockwise turning of a drill during
cutting).

There are threads above the ratchet and handle hole on these versions, which
are the type that the drill adapter was available for.

While holding the spindle stationary, using something similar to a
channel-lock/slip-joint type plier to grip the ratchet (over a rag or
something to prevent metal removal), it will screw off turned CCW.

If your design is different, maybe someone else has experience with it. I've
seen other designs, but they weren't marked with the Cole name.

--
WB
..........


"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
On 10/31/2011 6:32 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:

BTW, a drill motor can be added to a Cole by taking the handle and
ratchet wheel off, and using an adapter threaded onto the shaft (Cole
used to supply such an adapter).

How exactly does this ratchet come off? Can't see a setscrew nor pin on
the ratchet. It appears to be pressed onto a reduced section of the
spindle. Maybe a 2 jaw gear puller?


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

On 11/2/2011 6:15 AM, Wild_Bill wrote:

For the 2 Cole Drills that I have, the ratchet gizzy is just threaded..
right-hand internal thread (for clockwise turning of a drill during
cutting).

There are threads above the ratchet and handle hole on these versions,
which are the type that the drill adapter was available for.


I put a wrench to it gently without success. Not going to mess with
something that's working for me until I'm done with this task. Hard to
see clearly, but it almost appears as if there's a key in there, but it
would be impractical to cut a square ended key slot right up to a
shoulder, so maybe it's just a bit of debris.

It is a genuine Cole, but there's no threads above the handle. The
spindle steps down in diameter for the ratchet and there's a very small
gap between the ratchet and this shoulder. When I'm done, I'll haul the
head over to the microscope for a good look-see. If I think it is
threaded, I'll soak it a while with penentrant before trying again.
Adding power could be very useful in the future, but for this job,
though tedious, the slow rpm works great.

Thanks,


Jon

Cole drill, mod
 

On Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:07:25 -0800, Jon Anderson
wrote:

On 11/2/2011 6:15 AM, Wild_Bill wrote:

For the 2 Cole Drills that I have, the ratchet gizzy is just threaded..
right-hand internal thread (for clockwise turning of a drill during
cutting).

There are threads above the ratchet and handle hole on these versions,
which are the type that the drill adapter was available for.


I put a wrench to it gently without success. Not going to mess with
something that's working for me until I'm done with this task. Hard to
see clearly, but it almost appears as if there's a key in there, but it
would be impractical to cut a square ended key slot right up to a
shoulder, so maybe it's just a bit of debris.

It is a genuine Cole, but there's no threads above the handle. The
spindle steps down in diameter for the ratchet and there's a very small
gap between the ratchet and this shoulder. When I'm done, I'll haul the
head over to the microscope for a good look-see. If I think it is
threaded, I'll soak it a while with penentrant before trying again.
Adding power could be very useful in the future, but for this job,
though tedious, the slow rpm works great.

Thanks,


Jon


Jon
Just pulled the handle off my Cole.

Put the Cole on the bench, put a Crescent wrench on the drill shaft
with the 'chuck locking bolt head between the jaws and the wrench
handle on the 1-1/8" 'post'. Put a slip-joint wrench on the ratchet
wheel and the wheel turned off real easy. (maybe should have put some
pads between the jaws and the ratchet, but there were no marks left on
the ratchet)

The drill shaft to ratchet wheel threads are 1/2"-13.
(watch that the ratchet prawl spring and prawl don't try to fly away
grin.

I didn't get the power drive attachement with the drill, but it should
be as easy project to make one.

HTH
Bob
rgentry at oz dot net