Bustednuckles

For the new and uninitiated, *STBD is an acronym for a phrase I coined a couple of years ago when I had THE BRONCO FROM HELL.

I have used it since, basically it covers Red Neck Repairs that you run into by some complete retard that either doesn’t know what he is doing or tried to fix something on the cheap.

This episode is one for the books, I’m tellin’ ya.

There is a once very nice and very expensive drill press at work.

Expensive as in well over a couple of Grand when new, a Clausing Variable Speed Drill Press.

As is what seems to be typical of old industrial equipment, this thing has seen better days.

I use it occasionally, first I had to clean the nasty thing up as it has downright been abused.

One of the things I noticed when I was cleaning it up, is one of the most Bone Headed, Stupid As A Box Of Rusty Hammers, cases of SHIT THAT BUBBA DID that comes to mind in recent memory.

For anyone not familiar with these machines, you can change the chuck on them by knocking a small arbor shaft out of the hollow drill post quill with a small wedge and a hammer.

If you have never seen or done that, watch about the first minute and a half of this video and you will see exactly what is going on there.

The inside of the quill has a slight taper machined in it and the arbor also has a taper. It is a Morse #2 Taper.

Basically when you shove the male arbor into the female quill, the two tapers will meet and create an interference fit.

These work great for up and down or back and forth shafts that spin.

They don’t work worth a damn for spinning side loads however.

This is why Milling Machines have a way to hold the tapers in mechanically, usually with a threaded rod that screws into the end of the taper.

This brings me to The Shit That Bubba Did on this drill press.

Drill presses do not have a way to run a threaded rod down the quill.

Therefore, drill presses are not meant to be used as a milling machine. The side load knocks the arbor loose and it drops out onto the work piece, spinning at rather high speed.

Bad things happen at that point.

So as I am looking at this drill press, I noticed something looked funny.

As I got in close I found this,

That Semi- Keyhole indentation there is supposed to be where you stick the wedge in to knock the arbor and drill chuck out at.

Some complete Jackass, welded the arbor to the quill.

On both sides!

This kind of thing is what gets people fired.

On the spot.

It’s also a damn good way to get a busted lip if I ever find you doing it.

You have just ruined a precision machined part on a piece of machinery that costs a couple thousand dollars.

Mad?

I was dumbfounded that someone could be that ignorant.

After I walked away for a few minutes to cool off, it occurred to me that the most obvious reason for this is that some complete dumbass was trying to use this drill press as a mill, the arbor and chuck kept vibrating out and they decided to cure that problem permanently by welding it in.

Permanently being a relative term in this case.

Enter Bustednuckles and one of his little friends.

Lots of light, a good place to rest my arm to keep it steady, a Dremel with a tiny burr bit, face shield, gloves and LOTS of patience.

BOTH SIDES!

I got a real good feeling of playing Dentist.

After I pretty much got the keyhole shape dug back out, I went in with the heavy equipment.

You can’t really see it very good in that picture but at the very bottom of the bigger hole on top, is the top of the arbor that needs to be driven out with a wedge.

Of course I didn’t have one.

I have about 15 of them out in the garage though.

I ran out of time to try much of anything else but I figure I have a real good shot at getting that thing out on Monday.

When, not if, I get that bastard out of there, I also have a Morse Taper #2 Reamer out in the garage I am going to take in with me to clean that inner taper back up properly.

Then I am going to order a new arbor, with a brand new keyless chuck on it to put back in it.

I’m telling ya, no jury of my peers….