Just got two Clausing VS's, need to find a stand for one of them

P-Ritch

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So, I found a big cast iron table with two Clausing variable speed heads attached (one 2286 and one 1770) for what seemed to be pretty cheap considering I've never seen a used one of those drills or their Powermatic counterparts on ebay or craigslist for less than $1000.

I was too far away to check them out in person, so I had them send me video of them powered on just to be sure the motors still ran. They both spin, but 1770 has some rattling that I would want to address immediately. When researching them I found an older post on PM that said you can replace all primary spindle bushings and bearings for $75 back in 2017. I'm thinking those will be automatic, then replace some of the missing knobs, fix loose fitting covers, and a fresh coat of paint and they will look great.

Now reality has set in that I just bought two giant drill presses with an even bigger cast iron table. It will be a bear to move, but could make a cool work bench surface. A smooth metal top with perimeter tray will be ideal for reloading and gunsmithing. There are quite a few drill holes/craters in the table top. I can either fill them with bronze brazing or collect a bunch of cast iron filings and mix them in with some JB weld. I don't want to try any welding on such a large piece of solid cast iron. I think long term I will get both fixed up and keep an eye out for a scrapped drill press stand that I can mount one of them on to sell and maybe even recoup my initial purchase! Any recommendations for where to find solo stand components would be greatly appreciated. There is a 20" table on ebay, but having trouble finding a base.

Anything in particular I should know about working on these guys? So far everything I have read about them online is that they are awesome DPs and seem to be a final stop for manual drilling. Here are some photos and videos of them:

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No. But if you don't come up with something, it looks like they'd be just fine sitting how they are. Swing them out of the way when you need the table space. Looks like you'll t need another drill press! Congrats!
 
So big.. so thick.. and all cast iron!
Except for the trough all the way around, I have to wonder..
Would that cast iron table ever have originally part of an engineering layout surface plate?
 
I'm pretty sure it's always just been a multihead drill press table.
 
Here's a new one.
 

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Nice for drilling in one and tapping with a head in the other . I had a gang press years back and loved it . It kind of leveled the playing field when doing production work .
 
So, my dad was picking these up for me today since I 'm way out of state right now. After they loaded it onto his trailer they asked him to check something else out. They had a brand spanking new Clausing DP floor stand that will fit the 2286. He called me while I was at work and said they were asking $400. My knee jerk reaction was to say no thanks (I only paid $600 for the two heads and big table). I couldn't find a price on the table standalone, I think it a replacement/special order through Clausing, but I'm sure it is normally more than $400.

Now that I see the pictures I wish I had just asked him to grab it for me. I've occasionally seen used tables and stands without heads on craigslist for around $100. My thought was I'll eventually grab one of those and clean it up, but not having to deal with smiles of shame or a mismatched table size seems worth the extra money up front. I'd still only be sunk $1000 for two function heavy duty heads, a giant cast iron table, and a brand new stand. My dad said they made it sound like they have been hanging onto it for a while and looking to get rid of it, so I think I'll give them a call next week and seal the deal.

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What is the diameter of the column?
I recently bought just the head like one of yours but different brand.
Would like to find a 110 mm (4.330") column, base and table.
 
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