CLever Action (small gloats included) - How (you should not) I assembled SC DP myself

Mike Heidrick

Member
Messages
127
Location
Bloomington, IL
Let me see if I can clearly describe this.

I bought the SC 17" DP from Berland's Tools this week (Joliet IL - 200 mile drive but so worth it). I brought it home in my Jeep Grand Cherokee which fits in the hatch on edge (even with a carseat on the drivers passenger side). When I got it home I backed the Jeep up to the shop and slid it onto my mobile bench. I put the Jeep away in the other garage and closed up the doors to the shop and fired up the heat.

I went out after dinner and started assembling it. I assembled the column to the base. The Drill Press head was still in the box on the bench.

I had to figure out how to get this crazy heavy DP head onto the column. I could not lift it myself and no buddies wanted to come out in the weather to give me a hand. Started looking at the head in the box and a fuzzy light went off. (never listen to those fuzzy light bulb thoughts)

Do not do what I type below at home please. Very stupid and dangerous not to mention risky.

OK, lets begin. I tore open the box side and back surrounding the head of the Drill Press and removed all the cardboard and ripped out the styrofoam so that the bottom of the head and the column mounting hole was exposed. I positioned the head and column mounting hole on the edge of the table. Locked the wheels on the bench.

I then picked up the column and base (very heavy for me btw), raised it level with the head mounting hole, and sid it into the head and fully seated it. Then, still holding onto the column and base, I slid the head back (still in the carboard bottom of the box) on the table a bit and made a pivot point on the column against the wooden bench.

Then I lowered the base and colum down and the Lever action lifted the head into the air.

It was stupid and a bit scarry but it worked perfectly. Actually I was stunned that I did not drop or break anything.

Here it is as assembeled so far. I will finish it up tomorrow.

dp2.jpg


dp1.jpg


Couple more notes.

Also while I was at that Berland's store I bought these Marples chisels - Dewalt Styled. I had never seen these before - I think they sold a free chisel set from some other tool. Price was $25 for the four chisels and the tool roll.
dewaltchisels-1.jpg


Also while I am posting - for those that know about the shaper I got last month from the Amazon clearence deal ($999 for the 43-460 shaper) here is how it turned out. She is now a 5hp single phase LVC controlled 43-460 with a new WEG motor and new old stock single phase Delta LVC. The feeder I have is a small Delta versafeeder but will work until I get a 1hp one.

shaperfeeder.jpg
 
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I dunno Mike...it doesn't seem all that crazy to me. Sounds like you kept things under control and let gravity do a lot of the work. ;)

Congrats on the new drill press, BTW. I've heard a lot of good things about that one.
 
Mike,

I brought mine home in the trunk/backseat of my baby Benz, with the stand pipe across the passenger seat into the back...

When I got it home, I put the stand on the pipe, the FoxShop mobile base on, and put the table on. I layed the pipe/stand down with the base turned so it's long side was horizontal, and the pipe end lifted up about a foot.

I then lifted the head up and twisted it onto the pipe. When the pipe was far enough in the head, I lifted it up...up...up until I could tilt the press enough to stand on the mobile base. The thing weighs a ton, and it took a couple of times to get up upright...:eek:

I should have called my neighbor! :doh:

The press is great! Well built, quiet, smooth.. I have a Woodpecker table being delivered Monday.
 
Gravity is GREAT, I use it all the time to get things into the Dungeon :thumb:

Nice looking DP, those SC units look like they are going to give Grizzly a run for their money! :wave:
 
When I set up my drill press, I had my daughter get her boyfriend to help me. At the time, they didn't let me know that he really was her fiancé. But, that little chore of working together told me he was a good kid, polite and smart. I liked him right off. They have now been married two years and are doing well. Sorry to hijack the thread, your story reminded me of my drill press, head lifting story. Worked out well for both of us. :thumb:
 
Nice job Mike. Sometimes heavier things are easier to move because we think before we grunt.:huh:

I did a similar erection of my Delta X5 DP. Assembled on floor with head still in styro packing. I kept the table near the base, lifted the base and set column on sawhorse. Then I balanced on horse and rotated the head onto workbench, kicked the horse out of the way and lowered base to floor. I put a large eyebolt in a ceiling joist and ran rope tied to top of column twice thru the eye and back to me. Squatted and lifted while taking up slack till it reached the balance point, then went around to the other side and pulled it the rest of the way.:thumb: :)

Easier than moving a two-holer outhouse with a pickup truck.:eek:
 
Nice thread Mike and great gloat. You know, I live a heck of a lot closer to Berlands and I've never been over there. Looks like it's time for drive. Funny about the Dewalt chisels - you are probably right. I did get that exact same set for free a couple years ago when I bought my Dewalt biscuit jointer. I'm pretty happy with them actually. Great looking DP and wow... heck of a setup on that new Delta gear.
 
I had two 6' 1" friends who told me the best way to help was to stay the hell out of the way. :rolleyes:
While they lifted the drill press head I went inside and made a coffee for me, a scotch for one of them and lemonade for the other, then spent 30 minutes or so listening to them holler great obscenities at me because it was so heavy. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

As I've said before Mike, great shop you have there. You are going to love that drill press.
When you get a chance, how about doing a thread on the router/extention table setup you made for your Wiener Saw. I'll bet a lot of members would like to see how you made that.

DT
 
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