Progress No.1 Drill

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Rebuild & Restoration

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Hi, I recently bought this Progress No.1 Bench Drill which I am currently rebuilding and restoring. At the moment I am going to fit new bearings for the replaced motor (Gryphon single phase 1HP) and new bearings for the spindle/pulleys. Then I will continue stripping the old paint and painting it with new paint. Will be fitting the MT1 with a ER26 Collet holder and fitting an old Mercer Dial Gauge to the feed gauge. I also need to fabricate some of the missing parts like: Tool Tray, Black Knobs (ebay), Feed Handles x3, top fixing nut/spring/stud, Feed gauge knurled nuts, grease nipples (local stores), new braided power cable (local stores).

It was in good working condition but I will be re-wiring the whole thing with a new configuration to hopefully have a reverse function as well.

Photos to follow.

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

[IanTParticipant @iant]

These are nice solid drills Keith – but very heavy for their size (the cast iron belt cover doesn't help either).

I had a No. 1 for a while but mine had a Jacobs taper nose fitted – with (I think) a 3/8th Jacobs chuck. I gave it away to a friends' son when I acquired a used Warco MT2 drill (12 speed). I have several sizes of MT2 drill chucks I use with it, so that's useful. The table 'rise and fall' rack is also very good when I have heavier things mounted on the table (compounds for instance) and I can crank them up and down – but otherwise I'm pretty sure I could have lived quite happily with the Progress.

Nice machine – enjoy.

Regards,

IanT

[Roger HartParticipant @rogerhart88496]

Very nice machine. Enjoy the restoration, will you be keeping the 'extended' feed handles, useful for those watchmaker jobs…..

[VicParticipant @vic]

For ball handles you can use Golf Balls or Pool Balls!

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Good morning from Malta

Thanks for all the comments, I really like old British tools and their robustness so being a heavy drill is a plus for me The extended feed handles have to go as they are very scruffy made and for the Ball handles I really like the idea of the pool balls but I decided to keep it original. I will go with the Black knobs which I still need to figure out sizes, but here is the link from eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190837418777?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Yesterday the Mercer Dial gauge arrived, So it is time to start figuring out how to set it up with the feed ruler will update with some pictures later on.

Regards,

Keith

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Restoration done. I have one question, Why would you need a reverse on a pillar drill?

[NilochParticipant @niloch]

Is Calleja a common surname in Malta? Or is Joseph the world famous tenor a member of your family?

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Haha !! not that common as other surnames. And no, as far as I know, he is not a member of my family

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Keith Re reversing a pillar drill how else would you drill left handed holes ?

Roy ps nice job

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Hi Roy, thanks for your comment. So drilling left handed holes is required when you want to drill a damaged bolt that you need to extract ? (preventing further tightening of the broken bolt)

Is that correct ?? are there further operations that require a left handed hole ?

Thanks alot

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

The motor is presumably not designed solely for that drill – it is a standard item. Depending upon the device it is fitted to, either (or both) rotation direction might be required. The instructions for reversal are generic.

On my drill which is now powered via a VFD, I occasionally do power tapping in Jog mode – the ability to reverse is useful to wind the tap back out.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Keith Calleja on 04/03/2015 11:00:51:

Restoration done. I have one question, Why would you need a reverse on a pillar drill?

In conjunction with a VFD (which gives you reversing for free) its indispensible for tapping purposes. I use my Fobco for power tapping from M2 up to M14. With a bit of extra switchery backing out can be at high speed which helps when tapping multiple holes. I have just made two camera 'cheeseplates' with a matrix of about 90 1/4" and 3/8" threaded holes in 10mm aluminium.

Ian P

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Keith Sorry it was a tongue in cheek remark But I have got a left handed drill bit

Roy

[WorkshopPeteParticipant @workshoppete]

Hi All

Left hand drill bits were quite common at one time used on multi spindle drilling heads in this day of CNC are they still made?

Peter

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

Is that a royal oilfield single cylinder engine on the floor keith ? I have a progress drill too, it needs work after damage caused by people changing the gears without stopping the motor first. I'll get around to it when the weather warms up a smidge.

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Yes Ronan that is a Royal Enfield Bullet 1993 Single 500cc engine fully reconditioned as part of my project.

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

Looks nice and light keith. I have a triple engine i am putting in a norton featherbed frame. It was going to be a cafe racer, but i think i am getting too old and full of aches and pains to be on a bike that has clip-on handlebars and rear set footrests.

[Nick GrantParticipant @nickgrant21535]

I nearly bought a floor standing progress no.1 recently, they look like lovely machines. These old drills had some beautiful curves you just dont get today.

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

Yes nick , they were heavily built of good materials too, and made to last. You often see in older workshops, old pillar drills that must be 50 or 60 years old , and still going strong.

[Keith CallejaParticipant @keithcalleja19405]

Nice machine Ronan, I would say go ahead and do that cafe 😛 hehe @Nick; today's machines suck… they look so bad if I had to buy a new machine the first thing I would buy for it, is a cover so I don't see it 😛 it will distract me !! LoL

[John Pollard 2Participant @johnpollard2]

Hi Keith, just picked up your post and read with interest as I am currently restoring an Elliot Progress 1. Could I ask you where you sourced new bearings for the pulley wheel and main shaft. Mine need replacing, they are Hoffmann on the pulley and R&M on the shaft. Both these companies were absorbed, along will Pollard (namesake!) I believe into what is now RHP bearings, (Ransome, Hoffman, Pollard) however none of their present codes resemble any of the codes on my bearings and I'm struggling to find any cross references on line. I could work on sizes alone but I'm a bit concerned about any loadings/tolerances that may be hidden among the reference numbers. If I can get my drill to look anything like yours I will be a happy chap, it's excellent, like the colour, reminds me of Harrison grey. Cheers

[Richard Kent 1Participant @richardkent1]

I'm new here as you can see.

I came across this historic thread.

I am just about to purchase an Elliott Progress No.1 (Mk2 model with the same spindle as the one shown in this thread by )

However, it does not come with a pulley cover so I am hoping someone either has a spare or they might send me their one which I can then make a fibreglass copy of.

I will probably make some more top covers in case anyone else needs one.

Alternatively I could cast one in aluminium.

If anyone has a pully cover the can sell me or one which they can send me, which I will then return to them, then that would be great.

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