Restoring an Elliot Progress Drill

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Love the work done here very impressive.

[Andrew LutleyParticipant @andrewlutley12148]

I have long wanted an Elliott pillar drill and had hoped to buy the Elliott 2G which was in the recent BBC Auction, but I dropped out way before the final price of about £1,000! I bought an Elliott Progress 1 floor standing drill 3 weeks ago which was in fairly good mechanical condition, but a bit tired looking.

I am now part way through tidying it up, mainly by degreasing, filling and sanding the main chips and dings, repainting with Enamel from Paragon Paints (excellent stuff) and cleaning up the metalwork and treating the screws with the Caswell black oxide process. It's certainly looking a lot smarter.

Outstanding tasks are:

• To fit an led light, as per Oompa Lumpa's;
• To make a locking handle for the quill. Most pictures I have seen of Elliott's show the 3/4" hole at the front of the quill housing to take an 'armstrong' lever, but nothing in it. The "2G" at my local model engineering society has the lever, but I've never seen one on a Progress 1.
• To fit a chuck guard;
• To fit a foot operated 'off' switch;
• To get the chromework rechromed;
• To fit a linear actuator to the table;
• To persuade Father Christmas to get me an X/Y Table.

[Andrew LutleyParticipant @andrewlutley12148]

Here's a photo of the drilling head before I started work:

[Andrew LutleyParticipant @andrewlutley12148]

OK, now that I have found out how to upload photos to an Album, here are some more:

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Andrew,

What a nice restrained colour !!

… No offence intended, Graham.

MichaelG.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Andrew, you mention Santa getting you an XY table, god for positioning work for drilling, but don't think that you have a mill, how ever light. You must have a proper chuck, or collet system, with a draw bar to retain it, and don't try using a Jacob's chuck to hold milling cutters. You probably know all this, but there are beginners out there (like I was) who don't. When I started I put a 1/4" end mill in the Jacobs chuck, and just near the finish of my first job (a tap wrench), the chuck fell out, Stop work, find out why, go buy a collet chuck. Still got the tap wrench.

Ian S C

[Andrew LutleyParticipant @andrewlutley12148]

Thanks for the advice Ian – I will resist the temptation!

Actually, I have a Tom Senior Milling Machine, which is currently undergoing a repaint and 'service'. I got diverted from that when the Elliott arrived. The compound table for the drill is intended just to line up the workpiece under the drill chuck.

Andrew

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Andrew, that sounds like a good idea. You are doing a good job there, that machine looks very good.

Ian S C

[Andrew LutleyParticipant @andrewlutley12148]

My parts arrived back from the chrome platers this morning. Here's how it looks now:

Since my previous post I have completed the installation of the LED light (operated via the old motor on/off switch), made an 'armstrong' lever and clamp for the quill, fitted a chuck safety guard, filled in the smiley holes in the table with JB Weld and fitted a linear actuator. The actuator is a great improvement.

Just some filling/painting of the table, pillar and base to do and the restoration will be finished.

[Author]

Posts