Way to tighten up cheap drill press quill?

[vpt]

Anyone ever figure out a way to tighten up the cheaper craftsman/jet/grizzly drill press quill? Like the one in the pic.

[Carld]

Tighten quill in housing or bearings in quill?

[vpt]

Quill in housing.

[Carld]

How loose is it?

[vpt]

Pretty loose. I didn't actually measure it but moving it by hand and guessing I would say I can move the quill about 1/8" maybe more down at the tip of a drill bit.

[Dr Stan]

Are you sure it's the quill and not a bad bearing?

I'd double check using an indicator against the quill and then again against the drill chuck.

[vpt]

It is the quill, I can see it move.

[Dr Stan]

Probably need to buy a new housing.

[Camdoc]

I have a similar Crapsman Drill Press and the Quill wobbles. I think it was made by Ryobi. It is a problem with the fit in the splines of the quill and not the bearings.

I have tried to talk to Sears, but they more less told me to Go Away? They could see nothing wrong? I can see about 1/8 inch of play in the quill?

Ron

[vpt]

The drill press is only about 5 years old. Would cutting a slit down the front of the housing and drilling and taping a couple holes to squeeze down on the quill just a tiny bit be a bad idea?

[lakeside53]

They are al pretty horrible with the quill fit. My Jet 17 inch from 1990 has a setscrew that can be adjusted to PUSH the quill to one side.. lol... but it does help..

You could bore out the iron, sleeve the quill etc.. or...

[Toolguy]

You could bore the casting, make a bronze bushing and press it in. ETA - I was writing when lakeside posted.

[vpt]

I don't think that is an adjustment screw. I thought the same thing when I was checking out the play in my quill and tried to turn the screw a bit. The screw (at least on mine) is cut like a keyway for the slot in the quill so the quill can't spin in the housing, I don't think it is for adjusting quill 'slop'.

[Ken_Shea]

The drill press is only about 5 years old. Would cutting a slit down the front of the housing and drilling and taping a couple holes to squeeze down on the quill just a tiny bit be a bad idea?

Not only not a bad idea, that's how a lot of factory drills come but these have extra material in the area that i sslit.
If you have the material to slit, drill and tap, although 1/8 to take up may be a bit on the far side for thin cast iron.

I like the idea of the bushing, unfortunately, none of this is a simple fix for you.

Perhaps wrap/epoxy the quill with some stainless shim stock?

[vpt]

The 1/8" of play is down by a drill tip, at the quill it is less. If I have time tomorrow I will take a good measurement at the quill. I would really rather not sleeve it.