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info on a King PDM-30 drill mill
- Thread starter Brian H
- Start date
Brian H
Super User
I have found it very difficult to find used equipment that will work in my little shop. I should have jumped om this one a bit faster I guess. By the time I had done my little bit of research it was too late.
Been there done that!
Happy to help any way I can!
Kilohertz
Slightly left of Vernon, BC
Hello David,
I am getting ready to buy one of these mill/drills that needs some work/reassembly and I am wondering if it is not too much work, could you post your mods to this unit that makes it more accurate, please and thank you. You mentioned it in your earlier post.
Cheers
Sure, the first thing I did was to buy a good quality vise, in my case a 4" Glacern. There are certainly less expensive vises out there and they may be fine but the quality control tends to be wanting. So it's a bit of a gamble on getting a quality unit with minimal jaw lift under tension.
The second thing I did was to build a system that locks the head in place when it's raised and lowered. That way I didn't have to worry about refinding position if I ran out of Z height during an operation.
Here's the thread:
https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.com/threads/rf30-head-alignment-guide.2555/
Other than that, I use a ER30 collet chuck and TTS toolholders. The latter are a bit of a luxury but they have helped workflow by allowing me to keep oft used endmills etc in them and I can just pop them into an MT3 (my machine is MT3 spindle not R8) collet in the spindle.
Kilohertz
Slightly left of Vernon, BC
Well crap! I just received pictures of the unit and found out more about it. It's missing some significant items.
It was bought new about 2010, never used, they planned to convert to CNC and started to install the kit but gave up for unknown reasons. The unit is mostly complete but missing some key items. The motor, the motor pulley, the vertical handwheel, the front panel with drill depth indicator and power switch. The jack screws are out for X and Y and bolts are missing, jack screws still there as are the hand wheels. I have priced out the items based on the King Canada web site 2020 parts list as without the motor comes to around $500. I was planning on putting a 3~ motor on it anyways, should be able to find one cheap locally. The key item is the stepped pulley. Hopefully the other items are stocked by King, I'll email tomorrow. I'm not sure if this vintage would be R8 or MT3?? The main spindle bolt is loose so I'm guessing it's R8. Also this one is made in Taiwan.
What are your thoughts now? What are these going for these days, good used? I'm guessing around $500-800 CDN in good shape? This one has the stand as well.
Cheers
It was bought new about 2010, never used, they planned to convert to CNC and started to install the kit but gave up for unknown reasons. The unit is mostly complete but missing some key items. The motor, the motor pulley, the vertical handwheel, the front panel with drill depth indicator and power switch. The jack screws are out for X and Y and bolts are missing, jack screws still there as are the hand wheels. I have priced out the items based on the King Canada web site 2020 parts list as without the motor comes to around $500. I was planning on putting a 3~ motor on it anyways, should be able to find one cheap locally. The key item is the stepped pulley. Hopefully the other items are stocked by King, I'll email tomorrow. I'm not sure if this vintage would be R8 or MT3?? The main spindle bolt is loose so I'm guessing it's R8. Also this one is made in Taiwan.
What are your thoughts now? What are these going for these days, good used? I'm guessing around $500-800 CDN in good shape? This one has the stand as well.
Cheers
I'd say double that for good used
used one in good shape here in Alberta is easily 1500, and it would probably be sold within minutes, i would say a more average price would be in the neighborhood of 1800, for a stock machine, no dro, no vfd, minimal accessories
so if you can pick this thing up for say 500$ or less, put another 500 to get it back to functional condition you would be laughing
so if you can pick this thing up for say 500$ or less, put another 500 to get it back to functional condition you would be laughing
Kilohertz
Slightly left of Vernon, BC
Okay, I have a Q about the motor pulley. It's $220 plus taxes and shipping, call it $300, stupid for the original pulley. So if I am going to put a VFD and 3~ motor on it, I should be able to use a single step pulley on it, right? That would still leave me 3 belt speed changes and the rest by VFD. Does this sound like a reasonable solution? If so, that leaves me some freedom for the motor and shaft size. I may also be able to find an aftermarket multi-step pulley.
Again, input from the wiser much appreciated.
Cheers
Again, input from the wiser much appreciated.
Cheers
I don't think you can belt change between a single step pulley and a multi step pulley, you would have to re-position the single step (up/down) every time. When I converted to 3ph with VFD, I belted for 700 RPM and haven't changed that in two years now. So Ya, the right size single step pulley will do 90% of what you require.
Do you have a lathe? Turning a pulleys is also an option.
BTB - Are all the gibs and lead screw nuts there? I see the y-axis gib on the stand.
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I don't see why that wouldn't work, I don't know if you would still end up with the same range....it might be better, the vfd combined with one of those hall effect tachometers and it would be up and running, if you found it to be a problem you could always make a step pulley in the future
Kilohertz
Slightly left of Vernon, BC
Cool, thanks guys for hangin' in with me tonight.
Well what I was thinking is if I put a single pulley so it runs on the bottom groove of the intermediate, then that leaves me the top 3 slots for variable speed. Also wouldn't need a long shaft motor. I know VFDs don't have a ton of torque below about 30% so if I gear it so that the VFD is happy, then the top speed will be whatever it happens to work out to be, holy cow, call the grammar police.
Yes, I have 2 lathes, Hercus 260 and Cinci Hydrashift 13x48.
Think I'll just go get it this week and figure things out as I go.
Cheers
PS any idea when they changed from MT3 to R8? or was it an option?
PPS yes I too saw the gap between the table and the bed, hoping it's all there, will find out this week. asking less than $500
PPPS CRAP, one more thing missing, the quill return spring, left side of the head...another $100.
Well what I was thinking is if I put a single pulley so it runs on the bottom groove of the intermediate, then that leaves me the top 3 slots for variable speed. Also wouldn't need a long shaft motor. I know VFDs don't have a ton of torque below about 30% so if I gear it so that the VFD is happy, then the top speed will be whatever it happens to work out to be, holy cow, call the grammar police.
Yes, I have 2 lathes, Hercus 260 and Cinci Hydrashift 13x48.
Think I'll just go get it this week and figure things out as I go.
Cheers
PS any idea when they changed from MT3 to R8? or was it an option?
PPS yes I too saw the gap between the table and the bed, hoping it's all there, will find out this week. asking less than $500
PPPS CRAP, one more thing missing, the quill return spring, left side of the head...another $100.
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