# Powermatic 1150A Drill Press



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I've been looking for a drill press and just scored a great deal on a Powermatic 1150A (3/4 horse, 120v). Aside from minor dings it works well and seems to have been well cared for (and no "arc of shame") so it doesn't need refurb, though I will be checking for true etc. However, it does need cleaning! There is about 1/16" layer of grime on most of it that I would like to clean off. I think it goes beyond cleaning up with some WD40 and I need a heavier duty approach. Any thoughts on how I might accomplish this? Would Mineral Spirits and a rag be the right way to start?

Also, I will need a table for this guy. Since I've never had a DP before I'm not sure what features to include, and how I can set it up for versatility so it can be with me for a long time. I know there is a decent cheap one at Harbor Freight too, which may be an option for now. I'd appreciate any guidance! :smile:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*rust on the column*

To remove the rust, find a length of sanding belt/cloth probably 100 grit or more and lay the column horizontal and then strop it like an old shoe shine man. wooden handles or folds will allow a grip and turn as you go. No doubt removing the head would be best, but that sucker looks HEAVY. Probably 2 men or a chain fall overhead. The table will be better off the column as well so basically just break it down so everything is off. Break Free, PB Blaster or Gibbsasize are products that I use to derust metal. Rust Stop is an acid product that transforms the rust to some degree and leaves a like new surface.  bill

http://michigancenteroutdoors.com/gibbs.html


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Stropping is a great idea. You're right, this thing is heavy as H - E - double toothpicks! If I can rig a hoist from the joists I may give it a try - otherwise move the head in place. Definitely want to get the dirt and grime off first. The only semi-clean spots are from moving as evidenced by my shirt and pants... :blink:

Did I mention this sucker has a 6" quill travel? :thumbsup: There are some great deals out there.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Very nice,am sure you'll get lots of use out of it.Be respectful of the bearings,anything that loads them from the side should be avoided like.......milling,sander sleeves,even hole saws are hard on DP bearings.Good luck with your clean-up and table.BW


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

*Don't stress the press*

Thanks BW. I did plan on using it for some sanding. Nothing heavy duty but smoothing out curves etc. I do have the option of using my radial arm saw for that since I have a Jacob's chuck for it.

Another project I have calls for a 3" Forstner bit to about 1-1/2" into some cherry. Figured I'd just take that slow and that this press would be up to the task. Haven't even thought about what the best speed for that would be yet.

In it's previous life this press was used for drilling metal. Does a hole saw (and presumably large Forstner bit) create more stress on the bearings than that?

I just tried "Goof Off" which I had on hand to take off some of the grime. It works pretty well but I'm afraid it may be taking some of the paint off as well. Trying Mineral Sprits next.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Hole saws are very much a case of "you get what you pay for"....the cheap,poor geometry versions will rattle even a large DP like yours(I won't even allow one on our BP).Forstner's for the most part are just plain,straighter.

A really easy project if one wanted to use a sander(moderatly)would be to come up with a lower bearing plate.Anything that you could come up with on the bttm,for support would greatly reduce sander flexure....and the stress on spindle bearings.

But gotta say,at least how we use stationary sanders(refering to them as grinders(wood)is about right),theres a tremendous amt of pressure at the point of contact.Even dedicated "spindle" sanders won't cut it sometimes in this respect.I swear by edge sanders.....utilizing different diameter "nose" radius's when doin inside curves.Theres just so much more surface area on a long belt.The belt stays cooler and has at least a fighting chance at cleaning itself.The grit size plays an important role here as well,the larger the more it self cleans.BW


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Thanks again for the info - feeling better about the 3" Forstner (I'll let you know if I have any disasters!) At some point I'll need to come up with a better sanding solution but for now may try to rig something to support the bottom.

After trying several things I ended up back to WD-40 and Scotch-brite since it just works. I'm still finding nooks and crannies of grime but for the most part it's presentable.

Picked up the Harbor Freight DP table since it's what I can afford now. The DP's table is so large I had to modify the HF one to broaden the underside clamps' reach. Used a couple of Forstner bits to countersink for this and man, I don't know if it's just that I have never had a drill press before or what but I'm just blown away by how smooth and perfect it is! :smile: I'm lovin' it. Quickly becoming my favorite tool!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*speeds..*



Shop Dad;225318
Another project I have calls for a 3" Forstner bit to about 1-1/2" into some cherry. Figured I'd just take that slow and that this press would be up to the task. Haven't even thought about what the best speed for that would be yet.
In it's previous life this press was used for drilling metal. Does a hole saw (and presumably large Forstner bit) create more stress on the bearings than that?
.[/QUOTE said:


> This DP should have a speed chart on it somewhere. It will probably list speeds for metal drilling which of course those won't work for wood. Wood drilling speeds range generally in the 1000 to 3000 RPM. If you drill a lot of metal like I do, some larger holes up to 1" you will find the speed range of 200 to 300 RPM works best..... and plenty of lube...and a pilot hole.... and have it clamped in a vise. :yes:
> Rule of thumb for wood or metal: The smaller the bit the faster the RPM.
> Hole saws are a completely different animal...and can be dangerous if they grab the work piece and spin it. :furious:
> Been there myself., so I recommend Forstners when possible.
> ...


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## tjwoodworking (Oct 3, 2010)

*Powermatic Envy*

Congrats on the press; those old Powermatics are world-class industrial strength machines.

Keep in mind that "sealed for life" bearings are sealed for the life of the bearing, not for the life of the second or third owner of the machine. Bearings on any old machine should be considered for replacement. I've replaced sealed bearings as routine maintainance, and once the pair were removed, found one bearing spinning free (no lubricant left) and the other too tight to turn by hand (lubricant hardened), even though the bearings seemed to be fine while in the machine. As a result of some of the really bad bearings I've found - that _seemed_ fine while in the machine or motor - I now routinely replace all arbor/spindle/motor sealed bearings on every old machine that comes into the shop. Externally oiled or greased bearings that appear to have been properly maintained I check for radial and axial runout and proceed accordingly.

Goof-Off is just Xylene, and is less expensive when purchased as such. Xylene is available in quarts and gallons at the hardware store. It is a stronger solvent than mineral spirits, and in addition to being a pretty good degreaser, it can damage some finishes, will melt latex paint, and can damage some plastics. Xylene also excells at removing tape adhesive.

Lye, of course, is a good degreaser, as it turns grease, fat, and oil into water-soluble soap. It's also a good paint remover; I have no idea how it would react with the finish on the Powermatic, but it would surely ruin the labels.

Kerosene is a good degreaser, but then you end up with slop buckets full of dirty kerosene. You can't burn dirty kerosene in a kerosene heater, DAMHIKT.

I've been using a water-based degreaser called Grez-Off. It's available in squirt bottles and gallons, and does a great job. 

Timothy


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

That's hugely helpful Bill, thanks! Thinking I'll borrow my wife's laminator and put that Wood Mag chart right by the DP. This Powermatic bottoms out at 400 so it's not optimal. My current strategy is to just take it slow and provide time for the bit to cool, but would I be better off taking out most of the waste with a smaller bit, then finishing with the large bit for a clean-up pass? :blink:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

When drilling a large hole over a smaller one, centering is an issue and usually doesn't work in wood. In metal it works with a pilot hole.
In metal I almost always use a pilot hole and with a hole saw where the pilot hole is the same as the hole saw bit.
In wood with twist drills, just center the drill on the hole. A pilot won't hurt if accuracy is paramount. A brad point bit is easy to center and a Forstner also. I don't care for spade points and they have not been used for a long time, since I got the Forsners. 
I have 3 DP vises, small, medium and LARGE. I have the handle lock type rather than a threaded rod on the medium and large. Just get it close and lever the handle to lock it. I really don't know how it works....:blink:
For repetitive holes I bolt the vise on the table and then slide the work through keeping the relationship to the back of the vise and drill constant, just line up on the cross marks. The same would apply to a DP table.

How many speeds does it have?


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

tjwoodworking said:


> Congrats on the press; those old Powermatics are world-class industrial strength machines.
> 
> Keep in mind that "sealed for life" bearings are sealed for the life of the bearing, not for the life of the second or third owner of the machine. Bearings on any old machine should be considered for replacement. I've replaced sealed bearings as routine maintainance, and once the pair were removed, found one bearing spinning free (no lubricant left) and the other too tight to turn by hand (lubricant hardened), even though the bearings seemed to be fine while in the machine. As a result of some of the really bad bearings I've found - that _seemed_ fine while in the machine or motor - I now routinely replace all arbor/spindle/motor sealed bearings on every old machine that comes into the shop. Externally oiled or greased bearings that appear to have been properly maintained I check for radial and axial runout and proceed accordingly.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I'll be slowly going through things and may replace the bearings. Initial quick test with a speed square and first operations have been fine. Seems like it would be a good idea for an ounce of prevention. Grez-Off sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. Good reviews on Amazon too. Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. :thumbsup:


As far as speeds, this has five: 5300, 2800, 1580, 840, 400. Front panel pic posted below. I'm going off the 1800 RPM line for 1150. However, the RPM listed on the motor is 1725 so it should be a bit lower than these numbers.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Yeah Bill......those Heinrich quick vises are interesting........sort of have a mind of their own?I try to not think too much about them other than how dang fast they are.

Shop Dad,use as good of quality drills as you can get......as diameter goes up,the more this applies.Punchin out 1/4" holes is gonna be ALOT easier than a 3"........and thats pretty much irrespective of parent material(wood,plastic,metal).That sounds like a "duh" comment,but when folks go price shopping on 3",whatever style,drill........stickershock can set in.BW


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## tjwoodworking (Oct 3, 2010)

IIRC Heinrich has a cutaway diagram on their website that shows how they work. I have a little 3" Heinrich on the Bridgeport right now and they really are handy. A friend and I were wondering how the jaw shaft doesn't get compression damage from years of clamping; they must be hardened.

I think ~400 RPM will be fine for a 3" Forstner if you feed it slow. Large Fortsners will definately overheat if run at too high RPM.

The formula for RPMs is real easy:
Motor RPM x drive pulley diameter / driven pulley diameter. 

For your Powermatic, you could determine the actual RPM just by taking the written spindle RPM and dividing by 1800 then multiplying by 1725.

Timothy


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Fortunately I don't have need for too many 3" holes. This is for a clock but who knows, maybe I'll like it so much I'll make more.

That's an embarrassingly simple math problem (X / 1800) * 1725 = actual spindle speed. Ergo:

5079
2683
1514
805
383

Again, many thanks. You guys are awesome to help out a freshman... :smile:


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## tjwoodworking (Oct 3, 2010)

*Doh!*

Wait a minute - we did it the hard way!

Since 1725 is ~ 96% of 1800, we only needed to multiply the stated spindle speed by .9583018867924528 to get the correct RPM w/ 1725 RPM motor.

Go back and do it again.:laughing:

Timothy


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