Making bracket for Powermatic drill press

[Submachine]

The previous owner of this 1150a drill press installed a replacement motor. The new motor and bracket do not allow enough adjustment to tension the belt correctly.

My thought is to attach a square steel tube between the main unit (head) and the motor bracket. I would not need to modify anything existing.

The tube would need to be minimally 5x7x1. Most of these sizes could be larger. The tube width could be 2 inches.

Any better ideas or improvements?
Where can I buy such a small piece of steel?

 

[CluelessNewB]

Maybe just a shorter belt? Two pieces of 2x2 square tube between motor and bracket drilled to match motor hole pattern? It doesn't need to be one piece. Square steel tubing is available at Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home Depot. IIRC Home Depot had 2" that was pre-drilled with holes which may be either good or bad depending on the spacing

 

[Submachine]

Maybe just a shorter belt? Two pieces of 2x2 square tube between motor and bracket drilled to match motor hole pattern? It doesn't need to be one piece.

I thought about a new belt. I already have a couple of the factory $79 ones.

Anyone know a good vendor that can match this belt (albeit shorter)?

Two 2x2’s sounds like good idea.

 

[Billh51]

Another easy cheap fix to increase the center distance by shimming the motor out. Why not just some plywood of whatever thickness needed, cut to match the motor base. I have seen a lot of them done this way.

 

[Ken from ontario]

I think using a shorter belt is a better idea, the bracket (green ) is set at it's maximum and the belt is still too loose.

 

[Diecutter]

I just purchased two premium belts off ebay for about $6.00 each delivered. A Continental and one from D & D Power Drive. Just measure the circumference around the outside of the belt in millimeters, identify the profile (looks like an A profile from the photo, and specify it's a flex/notched style belt as shown in the photo. Usually all this is printed on the outer face of a new belt. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Submachine]

I just purchased two premium belts off ebay for about $6.00 each delivered. A Continental and one from D & D Power Drive. Just measure the circumference around the outside of the belt in millimeters, identify the profile (looks like an A profile from the photo, and specify it's a flex/notched style belt as shown in the photo. Usually all this is printed on the outer face of a new belt. Just my 2 cents.

Trying to find one. The belt is 7/8th x 46 inches. The 7/8th seems to be less common.


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[hman]

Couple thoughts ...
It appear that the belt is pretty deep inside the pulley. Is yours a variable speed drive? If not, you could effectively "gain" some belt length by replacing the pulley. If it is indeed a variable speed drive (I forget the name) that varies pulley width, then you do need to go with either a longer belt or a motor spacer.
There's no belt guard visible in your photos. If there were one, spacing the motor out might not work well with a belt guard that's designed to work with the original motor mount.
If no belt guard, you shouldn't have any trouble adding spacers between the existing motor mount and the motor. Unlike the Chinese style motor mount adjustment (two ½" rods), your mount is well designed, with the two bolts on each side. So if you have trouble finding a new belt, it should be perfectly OK to space out the motor. The double bolts will insure that the motor doesn't sag out of line.

 

[Submachine]

It is a variable speed drill press. That is what makes it weird. I have not had luck sourcing the belt. I think I am going to try the steel stand-offs using 2x1’s. In this way, if 2 inches is too long I can rotate it and use 1 inch. I like the plywood idea, but it won’t work without a lot of work. The bolts coming from the column/head are welded into place. I would need to grind and drill out those bolts and replace with loose(not welded) nut/bolt. I took a picture of one of the welded bolts.

 

[Billh51]

I see what you mean on the bolts being welded in place. This might be a great use of some coupling nuts on those studs and bolt your motor to them.