No body will pay for it.

 

Just guessing here, but don't you think that the longer spokes are for gaining leverage when drilling through tougher materials? The longer the moment arm, the more your input is amplified. You wouldn't be able to generate as much downward force with a wheel. As far as having three spokes, it make sense to have at least that many to guarantee that you always have a comfortable angle to apply leverage. Sorry this doesn't directly address you question Duane, but the engineering is sound.

 

money saver...

 

One of the reasons I believe is so that on short runs on the drill press you can remove the handles as needed when they get in the way, especially if you have a larger drill press table and fence. I have to remove my handles one at a time on many occasions while using my fence.

 

Steve, there's a simple solution to that. Cut a contour in your DP fence, and a T slot in the back of the fence. Then just slide the fence left when you need the clearance, and right when you need the support.

My apologies for the hi-jack, now back to the riveting drama of "Why'd dey do dat?"

 

Duane,
Go onto the web and buy a cheapie suicide knob.

 

Not a bad idea Ron. I assume you mean to drill and tap a hole for it in one of the knobs on a spoke?

Duane I have been considering what you are suggesting. It might be a little shy on leverage in metals but it would be more than adequate in drilling wood. However large wheels like that aren't cheap. I know they are available from Essentra.

 

Charles,
I don't know, there are so many different clamp set-ups ones bound to be close enough to minimize or eliminate modifications to the DP or knob, I'd hate to drill out a spoke knob, crack it then not be able to glue it back or get a replacement. My DP is 25 yrs old and whoever owns Delta now probably dumped/discontinued all parts and inventory to punish owners.

 

Hi Duane,
I had the same thought some years back. I have an inherited Rockwell Delta, with only a two-spoke handle (a straight steel rod which could originally be locked in an offset position with a thumbscrew).
A suitable wheel came my way - the aluminium drum pulley from a dead washing machine. Radius about the same as the length of the rod. I actually found it more difficult to use when drilling a deep hole which required more than one revolution of the wheel - it was easier to change position on the rod than slip along the circumference of the wheel (one-handed).
I tried adding the "suicide knob" suggested by Ron to the wheel, but opted to go back to the original straight handle. Had it worked better, I would have made a rubber "tyre" to fit in the V-groove of the wheel.
Interestingly, last year I wanted to overhaul my DP - found a local former agent who had a stash of brand new original spares for various Delta machines (mostly TS), including the DP thrust bearing and spindle bearing which all the US websites listed as obsolete, no longer available.

 

Thanks for the post, I was toying with the idea of making a wooden wheel to try it out, but after your experience I have decided to not try and "reinvent the wheel" and waste my time trying other things.

When I ponder the idea there were a lot of drill presses in industry and an efficiency engineer at some time would have improved on the handle if it made any sense to do so to increase productivity.

I have used the straight handled set up like you have but prefer 3 or 4 handles.

On second thought maybe a steering wheel as on a boat with the spoke handles on the wheel might be better.......HMMMMMMMM

What think ,any old saltys out there?


Herb

 

Wouldn't a wheel with a knob allow you to put adequate pressure on the work piece. I would think if you have to muscle the machine that much you need a new or a sharp bit. Forcing it would not be good for either the workpiece or the bit (or the user).

 

Old fashioned ships wheels are good for spinning and the handles were used for locking the rudder in place as much as micro tuning course

 

The main difference being the ergonomics. In the case of the DP, you're facing the 'wheel' edge on; with a ship's wheel you're facing it, well, face on. That makes a huge difference in both the effectiveness and comfort of trying to turn it.
If you only wanted to spin it, like a wheel chair rim, a wheel might actually be way more practical, but the DP is spring loaded to return if you let go. That's a big obstacle to the wheel idea.

 

As long as we're reinventing the wheel, how about we add a friction brake to override the spring...

 

As Dan says. I found it OK if the wheel only needed to turn about half a revolution. Thereafter it slipped back while I tried to advance my hand on the rim. I then found I was using the spokes, in which case the rim just got in the way. The whole reason for the experiment was that the straight lever is a bit limiting - I would have liked to have three, maybe four spokes. The wheel is essentially a two-handed device, even on a boat, but I have nevber had occasion to have both hands free on the DP - maybe poor workshop practice.

 

Like I said earlier, I've toyed with the idea of changing spokes to a wheel for quite a while now. It's difficult to change hands to another spoke without letting go of the work. I checked Essentra a couple days ago after this thread started and a wheel with spin handle is half the price of my drill press (aprrox $250). i.e. out of the question. I think it was Herb that suggested making a wooden one which is certainly doable. I'm thinking 1/2 thickness segments overlapped and screwed together with slots where the spokes will go. That way the pieces will be long grain instead of trying to make arcs and winding up with short grain in the segments. I think it was Ron suggested a "necker's knob" (I knew girl's fathers who wouldn't let you take them out on a date if you had one of these attached onto your steering wheel) or suicide handle as I think ebay calls them and they can be had for just over $3. So I think it may be possible to cheaply convert the DP to a wheel.

For drilling wood it should have plenty of torque. For drilling metal maybe not but I usually have metal clamped down so I can change hands when I need to then. So Ii think this is one idea I'll have to give a try to.

 

so dry spin the spokes to figure out which spoke best suits the need and begin your drilling from there...

 

That only works if the total revolution is one or less. I guess I should qualify that some as it may be possible if you are young and healthy. If you have arthritis in your hands it may not work.

 

got the arthritis...
it works...

 

It often doesn't for me.

 

Maybe part of the reason that it's still basically the same is the fine control, not to mention feedback, you get through the spoke system?
Otherwise why not go to a ram type of vertical drive? Or a couple of synchronous motors? (One as a controller, the other to drive the spindle gear down or up)

 

"Mine only have 3 Spokes and they are a distance apart out on the handles. But we don't want to make things too easy, or everyone would be doing woodworking."

-Herb
A wheel just complicates the process...

 

I have used a drill press with a wheel and also one with a foot pedal. My three spoke drill press is easier to use than either of the other styles.

Regards Bob

 

For the Bosch PBD 40 there is a wheel. People get annoyed because it is difficult re-gripping when doing longer strokes than 1/2 turn.