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TO use this drill press in my basement, I bought and installed a Hitachi L100-007MFU VFD that takes 115v input and produces 3 phase 220v output. I also had to rewire the motor to accept 220v instead of 440v, as it was wired at the factory. I junked the original start/stop control, in favor of a reversing switch. Now, with the VFD, the drill press can be reversed. One more thing remaining is to install a brake resistor.
Use of an electronic drive (VFD) gives many advantages. One is that I can extend the speed range of this drill press. It was meant to accept motors from 900 to 1800 RPM. Presently it has a 1 HP, 1140 RPM motor, with the spindle speed range of 130 to 1300 RPM. I set the VFD to give the maximum of 90 Hz, which would be equivalent to having a 1800 RPM motor and a spindle speed range of 200 to 2000 RPM. Another advantage is my ability to use electronic braking and slow down the spindle quickly.
As you can see, now the drill press is fully operational. I will be sure to use it a lot.
Finally, I installed a new decal for the front cover, as the old markings were completely erased due to years of operation. A quick test showed that I can drill holes with a 7/8" drill. I used soluble oil coolant in a spray bottle for cooling and lubrication, which seems to be the way to go for my scale of operations.
