Repowering an IMA drill machine

Maddogmech1

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My current drill press (craftsman 12" bench model) is really taking a beating, I seem to be getting into a lot of bigger projects lately that it just is too small for. So I began to shop for a bigger one, I wanted a floor machine, and was looking at the bigger models at HF. I'm glad I waited, because a monster of a machine came into the scrap pile at work. I pulled it out, but was immediately discouraged at seeing the setup of the machine. It's an IMA IG-30-8, geared head. Problem is, it's an integral motor, and 575 volt 3-phase, which I have no way to run in my small home shop. I was going to put it back in the scrap pile, then had an idea. This is how I got around the problem.

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Here is the "donor" motor. It's a 3/4 hp 220 volt 3-phase. Just one I had laying around.

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Here is the motor disassembled

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This is the main body of the drill head. The large middle cavity is what houses the motor.

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A shot of the motor cavity

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Here I've pressed the donor motors core off the original shaft, and pressed it onto the turned-down shaft from the drill motor

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This is thick wall aluminum tube I ordered from speedymetals. It was the only place I could find this piece

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Turning down and boring the sleeve to a press fit for the motor cavity and new armature.

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So far so good

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Here is the gear head reassembled.

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Waiting for my vfd to arrive, I tackled the table. It was full of drill holes from its previous life, so I welded those in and set to resurfacing the top. My makeshift surface grinder did the job well, but that will be the last time I do grinding on my shaper. The grit goes everywhere, including the ways.

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Here it is mounted on the column. Notice the base, I had to fabricate a new one, as the original had been shattered at some point getting tossed about by heavy machinery in the junk pile

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Vfd arrived. Got it from eBay, not a bad price. This model is good for 2hp, just because it wasn't much more than the 3/4 ones

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Here is the latest pic of it. I had test fired it, and it runs great! Still have some things to do, machine some handles for the gear selectors, I just finished the quill handles today. FYI, the vfd's are set at 400 hz from the factory. It sounded like a jet engine until I adjusted it!



---------------------------------Why buy something when you can build it for twice the price!
 
Nice work! Nothing like making a nice machine out of someone else's trash! I might have an Ellis horizontal bandsaw coming my way tomorrow in the same manner. Just waiting for management to decide what they want to do with it. It runs and works, just does not cut well. Something tells me that a few blade guide bearings and a few other details might go a long way!
 
Awesome job. That motor project it a lot more than I would have tackled. Filling in all those holes must have taken some time too. I am impressed, looks like a new machine.
 
Thank you for the kind words. The table actually wasn't too bad to do. I just cleaned them out, filled them in with the mig, and used an angle grinder to level them out close. Took much longer to grind the top on the shaper.
Terry, bandsaws can be quite fickle, I'm going thru the same thing with my Horrible Freight 4x6 right now. Spent 3/4 of a day screwing with the thing, shimming the idler wheel, doing all kinds of crap until I put an indicator on the drive wheel to find out there's play in the bearings. I ordered new SKF bearings to replace them, just gotta find time to do it


---------------------------------Why buy something when you can build it for twice the price!
 
Mr. Wermie:
I once got a saw from a school sale. Nice Delta 22". That sucker would not saw butter. Finally said "Today I am fixing this saw or it is out the door." One thing about it, when you get a saw from a Jr. High School, if it has an adjustment, it has been adjusted! Remade a couple missing guards, retapped or heli coiled some pot metal parts, and carefully adjusted upper and lower blade guides. Now I would not let that saw go. I don't know about the poor fella with the HF saw, I wish him well.

Mr. Maddogmech1:
I save the best for last. You SIR, are one inventive person who definitely thinks outside the box! My congratulations on a job well done. Pretty seldom am I impressed with an electrical alteration such as you accomplished.

WELL DONE! :man:
 
Thank you very much! I've only been at this machining thing for a couple years when time permits, so I definitely was happy it turned out well. I figure the drill is probably worth a few thousand new, and I've got the cost of the vfd and the paint basically. Just wanted to give others some ideas that you can get around the industrial voltage machines problem and work them into some usable home machines


---------------------------------Why buy something when you can build it for twice the price!
 
super job Its more then most people would tackle. including me
 
that's a very ingenious way to convert the motor, I wouldn't have even thought of that! End product looks really great. How is it in action? Does it have a motorised table lift (saw the rack on the column and a motor on the floor)
 
No it doesn't have motorized lift, the handle was broke off in the scrap pile. The motors on the floor are some other finds in the scrap. Motorized table is an interesting idea though...

The motor conversion really wasn't that hard. Just take your time making sure your core ends up in the center of the armature, and the lathe keeps everything else true and centered. I was worried something might be out of balance, but I can't detect any vibration. I would imagine if there was, it would be pretty cheap to have it balanced


---------------------------------Why buy something when you can build it for twice the price!
 
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