Drill Press Options for Tapping

If this is a dedicated tapping setup there is certainly no need for a manual reverse. It would not be difficult to rig up a limit switch depth stop to kick the spindle into reverse. Setup appropriately with your air drive? stroke control this could be a simple load part, press the pair of hand buttons and watch the automatic tap cycle complete, change parts, press buttons, etc.

I agree, but many of the customers considering this type of set-up don't have the expertise to do that... Such as the skateboard manufacturer in CA that does a thousand boards a week and wants to drill 4 holes at a time. It's a bunch of woodworkers with basic mechanical skills building boards for online sales... They don't even have three phase power in their shop. They simply want to buy a drill press and a multi-head and be done with it.

We absolutely offer that - but again, to higher end customers with a need and ability to use a machine like that. We will even gang drill multiple machines controlled by PLCs do perform as many as a hundred tapped holes per cycle... This is the exact opposite end of the spectrum I'm trying to cater to.

Yes, but you indicated tapping w/ reverse, not drilling. I'd agree that drilling would be fine on a simple drill press.

For tapping you have something like three options:

- Use multiple regular tapping heads on the front end of your multi-spindle rig

- Control plug reversing of a three phase motor driving the entire rig

- Build your own tapping head type reversing clutch mechanism to put on the input side of your multi-spindle rig

It was an example. There are plenty of people doing tapping with a similar skill set / desire to keep it simple.

Can do, and do offer.

Too complex for the customer base I am serving in this scenario.

Can do, and do offer.

The option I am looking for uses a drill press that reverses all by itself, with a built in limit switch. The Grizzly G0521 (do a Google search as it is still out there in some places) did that but is discontinued. Also, the Ellis 2400 offers it but the price is too high for many customers.

Let me rephrase the question - Does anyone know where I can get Grizzly G0521 drill presses for the next 20 years? alternately, a similarly priced drill press with the same exact features would be acceptable if the cost were not 200-300% higher.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 x113

V8013-R

--Yea verily I say unto you get cheapie drillpresses and good Tapmatics. I'd guess this would be cheaper in the long run.

Looks like the practical solution to your problem is to get Grizzly to un-d= iscontinue the G0521. If it is suitable, push it to your customers and get= their sales up to where they want to keep making them. =20

Might even come up with a "referral system" so they can see sales, or stock= a few yourself so you can send the press and tooling already mated, tested= , and ready to rock and roll. Yes, you'd have to mark it up a bit - probab= ly still less than the Ellis.

And why the heck are they suggesting a static phase converter for it? (Re = the Skateboard Shop without 3-Ph.) That might be half the problem, they ar= e getting warranty returns/repairs on them from plug reversing on an inadeq= uate power source. Gotta use either real 3-Ph or a rotary phase converter = to drive a heavily loaded motor like that, and plug reversing =3D heavy dut= y. =20

You'll drive a static converter nuts with it trying to drop the start capac= itors in and out constantly, and the caps and the potential relay will die = early deaths - then take out the motor if the operator doesn't recognize th= e symptoms of a failed converter.

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I've spoken to everyone I can over there. Probably won't happen as they had them made for them by someone else (Probably Rexon in Taiwan) and something happened to amke them stop that I'm not big enough to fix with my demand.

CLIP

Ellis is a great company from my perspective, but yes I could do it for a whole lot less $ but a whole lot more headache. For now, Ellis is the answer I have for folks.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022 x113

V8013-R

Perhaps you can locate the OEM in China / Taiwan who actually makes that drill press? Grizzly might even be nice enough to point you in the correct direction.

Almost every import drill press from Taiwan is made by Rexon. I've found them in the past but they will not sell direct to me - or at least they would not at the time.

You could find an importer, or if you have sufficient market and some warehouse space, import a container load yourself.

un-discontinue the G0521. If it is suitable, push it to your customers and get their sales up to where they want to keep making them.

few yourself so you can send the press and tooling already mated, tested, and ready to rock and roll. Yes, you'd have to mark it up a bit - probably still less than the Ellis.

Skateboard Shop without 3-Ph.) That might be half the problem, they are getting warranty returns/repairs on them from plug reversing on an inadequate power source. Gotta use either real 3-Ph or a rotary phase converter to drive a heavily loaded motor like that, and plug reversing = heavy duty.

capacitors in and out constantly, and the caps and the potential relay will die early deaths - then take out the motor if the operator doesn't recognize the symptoms of a failed converter. If the reversal is quick enough, a VFD might be made to do something close to plug reversal with a single-phase supply.

Jon