Hamilton Vari-matic sensitive drill press

riodeloso · Oct 14, 2010

Found this little gem on Clist a few days ago...$50. Hamilton Vari-matic Sensitive Drill Press. The biggest little DP...probably weighs about 80-100 lbs. Infinitely variable speed from 800-8000 rpm via mechanical cone linkage. Needs some paint (stay tuned), but otherwise is in useable condition. And with a bonus RI 1hp 110V milling machine motor for $10 (no picture...but when the VN gets up and running, you'll see it). Even if the DP wasn't worth it, the motor was a great find!
Anybody have a manual for this guy?

steamachine · Oct 14, 2010

Great find. They're awesome drillpresses. Looks like you are missing the table which rotates on the mushroom shaped stump. You beat mine on price as I paid $75.00, although the original crackle finish paint on mine is better.

Sorry, I don't have a manual. I looked for one for a while after buying mine last year. I seem to remember manuals occasionally showing up on Ebay.

Todd

rklopp · Oct 14, 2010

I've got one, with halfway decent paint. The drive cone rubber on mine has hardened to the point where the drive slips a lot at the higher speeds. One of these years I'll ditch for a VFD. I tore mine all apart, remade part of the feed mechanism, and cleaned and relubed the bearings. A couple of the bearings are on their way out, but they are oddball angular contacts, IIRC, and cost more to replace than the machine is worth. I have no manual.

riodeloso · Oct 14, 2010

steamachine said:
Great find. They're awesome drillpresses. Looks like you are missing the table which rotates on the mushroom shaped stump. You beat mine on price as I paid $75.00, although the original crackle finish paint on mine is better.

Sorry, I don't have a manual. I looked for one for a while after buying mine last year. I seem to remember manuals occasionally showing up on Ebay.

Todd

Do you have a picture of the original table? I haven't fooled around with it yet, but I was considering trying to remove the mushroom and replace it with a x-y table as a poor man's mini jig borer.

steamachine · Oct 14, 2010

Here's some pictures of the table. It might not be too hard to make out of duraplate. Mine is not the variable speed model but it seems many of those suffer from the deteriorating rubber on the drive cones. I'd love to find one of Hamilton's tapping machines-

Todd

L Vanice · Oct 14, 2010

steamachine said:
...I'd love to find one of Hamilton's tapping machines-

Todd

You said the magic words, Todd. Email to lvanice at comcast.net.

It weighs 85 pounds net, so I would have to ship it in two packages. I think I would toss the 1/6HP 1750 RPM single phase motor and use a 3 PH motor with VFD if I were going to use it. But It has been collecting dust for about 30 years here and I have just been waiting for those magic words, followed by money.

Here are links to some pictures of the Hamilton tapping machine. It is similar to the drill, but has a rack and pinion feed table with a finger that goes on top of the part to be tapped. When the table is raised, the part forces the spindle upward, engaging the cone drive and driving the tap into the drilled hole in the work. There is a travel stop. When the tap reaches full depth, it disengages the drive cone. Then lowering the table pulls downward on the spindle, reversing the tap until it is free of the work. It can do tapping at a very fast rate for production runs. The unit has a 1/4" Jacobs chuck, so it is not for large taps.

http://load.hostphotofree.com/2dd4b4a0a8cca588c6a45d97ab687cfc/MVC-006F.JPG

http://load.hostphotofree.com/2dd4b4a0a8cca588c6a45d97ab687cfc/MVC-010F.JPG

http://load.hostphotofree.com/2dd4b4a0a8cca588c6a45d97ab687cfc/MVC-008F.JPG

http://load.hostphotofree.com/2dd4b4a0a8cca588c6a45d97ab687cfc/MVC-009F.JPG

http://load.hostphotofree.com/2dd4b4a0a8cca588c6a45d97ab687cfc/MVC-010F.JPG

Larry

Screwmachine · Oct 14, 2010

I had an early Hamilton when I was in the states. Awesome machine. Sold it when I moved here, figured I get a fancy Aciera or some other slick Euro machine. Now I would trade two Acieras to get my old machine back! It was entirely reworked with new bronze spindle bearings and a shiny new Albrecht, lives with a friend and he ain't letting it go. Oh well. Nice find!

rivett608 · Oct 15, 2010

I have one of their drill presses...... it is a early one, circa WWII that was in the Navy Yard in DC. It has a few speeds by changing the belt...... It is rebuilt to new condition and runs great, I love it.....

And just like Larry I had the tapper too....... it now resides with another PM member after one of my clean outs..... if a machine tool fix-up project can't get it self done in 20 years than it needs to get done somewhere else!

They are sweet machines.

Frank R · Oct 15, 2010

I just picked one up last week, it is still in the back of my car.

Planned on selling it at NAMES, or sooner.

Gordon Long · Nov 9, 2011

Hamilton parts manual

Here's a link to one of four pages, the other 3 are in the same album.
HamiltonSensitive1.jpg picture by revgo1898 - Photobucket

SouthBendModel34 · Nov 10, 2011

Thank you, Steamachine!

"Looks like you are missing the table which rotates on the mushroom shaped stump."

The knowledge on PM never ceases to amaze me.

I have a completely different round-belt-driven sensitive drill with the same mushroom/rotating table arrangement. I never understood until just now that the table is supposed to rotate on the "mushroom". Mine was stuck solid when I bought it, but soaking in Kroil loosened it up PDQ. I was surprised at the surface finish on the stump & underside of the table. Now, thanks to you, I understand that this is supposed to be a rotating joint.

John Ruth

Shenrods · Nov 10, 2011

You may want to look at the Hendey Shaper Alert!!!! post and follow the link to the auction site and then ook at the pictures - #17 looks like a nice Hamilton if anyone is interested. Looks like this guy had one heck of a basement shop.

Jon Bohlander · Nov 10, 2011

And just like Larry I had the tapper too....... it now resides with another PM member after one of my clean outs....

Here it is:

It is a nice little machine. I have one of the drill presses from yet another PM member that is in pieces. It had some serious rust/patina issues, some parts are seized up. I may have time to work on it now. I hope I have all the pieces still

as my shop has moved twice since.

Greg Menke · Nov 10, 2011

Table & mounting knuckle pivots around the support arm on my Hamilton A-M drill- take out the taper pin, loosen the setscrew on the underside of the knuckle, loosen the binding nut on the end of the arm. Very stiff if its not been moved but it eases w/ some oil.

The A-M is a handy little drill up to 1/4". I've used it a bunch- nice little Albrecht chuck on it.

Greg

Gordon Long · Apr 14, 2023

Gordon Long said:
Hamilton parts manual

Here's a link to one of four pages, the other 3 are in the same album.
HamiltonSensitive1.jpg picture by revgo1898 - Photobucket

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

Hamilton Vari-matic sensitive drill press

riodeloso

Aluminum

steamachine

Cast Iron

rklopp

Diamond

riodeloso

Aluminum

steamachine

Cast Iron

Attachments

L Vanice

Diamond

Screwmachine

Titanium

rivett608

Diamond

Frank R

Stainless

Gordon Long

Hot Rolled

SouthBendModel34

Diamond

Shenrods

Plastic

Jon Bohlander

Stainless

Greg Menke

Diamond

Gordon Long

Hot Rolled

Similar threads