Tailstock Drill (Lever Action)

[HandyDan]

I was never happy drilling on the lathe.  All that cranking of the tailstock wheel and never enough travel.  I always thought a lever action, like a drill press, would be nice especially when it comes to clearing the chips from the bit and hole.  I looked through my stash of "Stuff that Will Come in Handy Someday" and found everything I needed.  I had a tailstock from a old small lathe I scrapped so I took it and removed the 1/2" shaft that was in it and turned a brass bushing with a 3/8" hole to fit in its place.

 

 

I chose the 3/8" hole because the mounting thread for the drill chuck was 3'8" and I found a rod with 3/8" fine thread already on it.  Mated the two together and checked for true and it was more than close enough for this purpose.  

 

 

Since the tailstock didn't match my Delta 46-460 I needed to make a pedestal for it to mate to.  Made it from some 1.5"X3" plastic and made a hold down clamp from some Delrin I had on hand. This part was a little tricky so to make sure I got it right I chucked a 3/8" bushing in the lathe chuck and slid the assembly with a 3/8" bit in the drill chuck it in and out until it did so effortlessly.

 

 

Next up was the linkage.  All went well there.  Mounted it on the lathe and the tests proved success.  I now have a lever action drill for my lathe with a 4" travel.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gunny]

That is pretty slick!!!

[lew]

Quick, call the Patent Office! I see a fortune in your future!!

 

Really awesome idea!!!

[Steve Krumanaker]

That's awesome Dan. It is a chore drilling with the tailstock and your setup will be much better. Vega made a tailstock that was lever action and I've try to find one to buy over the years just for the tailstock but they are rare.

 

[HandyDan]

30 minutes ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

That's awesome Dan. It is a chore drilling with the tailstock and your setup will be much better. Vega made a tailstock that was lever action and I've try to find one to buy over the years just for the tailstock but they are rare.

 

 

One for and Atlas metal went for sale on Craigslist here but they are pricey and would have had to be modified too so I decided to make one.  There is this option too but doesn't have much throw either.

 

[Larry Buskirk]

3 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I looked through my stash of "Stuff that Will Come in Handy Someday"

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve Krumanaker]

2 hours ago, HandyDan said:

 

One for and Atlas metal went for sale on Craigslist here but they are pricey and would have had to be modified too so I decided to make one.  There is this option too but doesn't have much throw either.

 

 

That would probably work for me. I do a LOT of drilling that is 1/2" deep or less. Would be nice if there were some kind of stop on it. I really rely on the scale that's on the quill to get proper depth.

[HandyDan]

7 minutes ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

 

That would probably work for me. I do a LOT of drilling that is 1/2" deep or less. Would be nice if there were some kind of stop on it. I really rely on the scale that's on the quill to get proper depth.

 

You could probably use a hose clamp to rig a stop for it or you could turn different length collars to use as stops.  Remove the chuck install the correct length collar and then put the chuck back on or pieces of wood or etc could be cut to the thickness of the slot and then different lengths slid in the slot to set depth.  Plenty of ways to skin that cat.

[Steve Krumanaker]

47 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

 

You could probably use a hose clamp to rig a stop for it or you could turn different length collars to use as stops.  Remove the chuck install the correct length collar and then put the chuck back on or pieces of wood or etc could be cut to the thickness of the slot and then different lengths slid in the slot to set depth.  Plenty of ways to skin that cat.

 Hose clamp is a good idea, have spent about $300.00 on amazon already this day. May have to up that.

[Gerald]

Dan that looks like a game changer plan

[Cal]

That sure looks like it can make your life easier.  Well thought out.

[DuckSoup]

 Wheels are always turning

[Larry Buskirk]

...I think I'd use a stop collar.

[Masonsailor]

That is really well thought out Dan. Nice use of an old tailstock and looks accurate. The one listed on Amazon looks like it might have a lot of play in it. 
Paul

[FlGatorwood]

I don't own a lathe nor have I ever used one.  I am wondering if you could simply unlock the tail stock and push it toward the head stock to make any drilling.  Anyone tried this?  

[HandyDan]

32 minutes ago, FlGatorwood said:

I don't own a lathe nor have I ever used one.  I am wondering if you could simply unlock the tail stock and push it toward the head stock to make any drilling.  Anyone tried this?  

 

That's the way I had been doing it for deep holes.  Not the easiest thing to do and no real control for depth of hole.  But doable. 

Edited February 28, 2021 by HandyDan

[Gene Howe]

7 hours ago, HandyDan said:

 

That's the way I had been doing it for deep holes.  Not the easiest thing to do and no real control for depth of hole.  But doable. 

Geeze, Dan. Maybe you need a horizontal borer. SS comes to mind.  

[Larry Buskirk]

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

Maybe you need a horizontal borer.

 

...I'd prefer one of these. 

[HandyDan]

I thought about using one of these but that would have cost money.

 

 

But then again I could have made one those too.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by HandyDan

[Masonsailor]

I actually have one of those somewhere. It was given to me probably 30 years ago. Even has an old drill attached to it. I don’t think I have ever used it. Oh and yes nothing beats a SS for horizontal boring. 
Paul