1937 Delta DP 220 Grounded Plug & Jackshaft Questions

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mikeyk

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Hello,
I'm new to Hobby-Machinist and I was hoping to get some guidance on my recently acquired 1937 Delta DP 220 drill press. I have 2 main questions:

1.) I need to replace the power cord because the insulation has a lots of cracks and nicks. Should I replace it with a 3-prong power cord and attach the ground wire to an internal motor screw or should I just replace it with a 2-prong power cord, like the original?

2.) I need to drill some 3/4" holes in a 1/2" steel plate. I've seen a couple posts on this form where people made custom jackshafts to mount a 3rd pulley, between the 2 existing pulleys, to achieve lower RPMs. I don't have a lathe so I wouldn't be able to fabricate my own with such precision. So, I was hoping someone could tell me the part numbers of the original Delta kit or a jackshaft kit for another drill press that would work with my DP 220?

Thanks!

-Mike
 
Hi Mike,
I would use a 3-prong cord and ground to an internal screw as you suggest. That way you will get a tripped breaker rather than surprising shock when that new cord cracks down the road.

I do not know about the jackshaft numbers, but someone here will chime in.
 
Thanks John! Would 16 gauge / 13 amp cord be good enough or should I go with 14 gauge / 15 amp? The motor is 1/3 HP, 110V, 6 amp.

-Mike
 
Personally I would go with a heavier gauge wire with oil and abrasion resistant insulation. Here's a link to some information as to power cords and the types of jacketing:
http://www.chem.cmu.edu/groups/bier/procedure_files/general/powercords.pdf

I use 12 gauge or heavier wire on all my machines. They all are al SOW or SOOW. SOW is Stranded (Stranded (up to 600 volts) , Oil Resistant, Weather Resistant. SOOW is (Stranded (up to 600 volts) Double thickness oil Resistant, weather Resistant.

It might sound like overkill, but if the cords are exposed to weather, dragged across the floor, or exposed to oils and solvents these coatings can take it for years.
 
I use heavier cords as well for durability. 14G should be plenty though. Also, you can find heavy 14G extension cords at the box stores and it is many times less expensive to buy and cut up an extension cord than it is to buy the plain wire!
 
ProjectNut,
Thanks for the link, it's very helpful to fully understand the designations of the cord types. I want something flexible and rubbery, like the original, not something thick and plastic feeling.

John,
I agree with the 14G cord. If this was going to be on a hand tool, I think ProjectNut's advice would be perfect. However, once I get this heavy drill press up on a stand, the cord won't ever be outside or touching the floor so 14G should work well for my situation.

-Mike
 
Here is the only picture I could find of the slow speed attachment for the Delta 14" drill press. It's from a 1945 catalog:

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=3635

DeltaMultiSpeedAttachment.PNG

Unfortunately it isn't a great picture. I believe it was discontinued when they came out with a new style 14" drill press around 1956.

But I also found the instructions for it!
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=3248
 
Last edited:
Wow, thanks CluelessNewB! I was all over that site but I thought it was called "Slo-Speed" attachment, not "Multi-Speed". I really appreciate you digging this stuff up for me. I'm going to read everything over and try to find the original attachment. If not, hopefully this info will help me fabricate something similar. Thanks again!

-Mike
 
mikeyk said:
I thought it was called "Slo-Speed" attachment, not "Multi-Speed".
Click to expand...

I wish I could say I "knew" that but truth be told I saw your post yesterday and just happened to stumble on the picture in the 1945 catalog today while looking for something else.
 
I have the exact same DP as yours. 1939 14” Delta DP 220. Same motor also, I think. I’ve found it very difficult to drill larger diameters holes than 1/2”. So use lots of cutting oil, step drill drill with 5/8” and maybe 13/16”, and be sure to clamp the work to the table. With these light drill presses, the big bits tend to grab the bottom of the hole and stall the motor. The DP can rip the work out of your hands, if not clamped. And nip off the ends of your fingers quite quickly!

Somewhere I remember an old timer suggesting to put a piece of old cotton shirt on top of the hole and drill down through that. Somehow it prevents the bit from grabbing. Might be worth a try if you don’t have any other way to punch through,..

Glenn
 
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