Deckel FP2 vertical quill handle/lever

[ballen]

The vertical quill of my 1964 Deckel FP2 has 60mm of travel, controlled by a rotating 12mm square shaft. Years ago, I acquired a (vise?) handle with a 12mm square socket, and modified it slightly to use as a quill handle:

Now I was using the vertical head this morning with a rotary broach (making a 4mm hex hole) and when I retracted the broach it jumped out of the hole and the quill handle jumped out of my hand, popped off the shaft, and clattered onto the floor.

No harm done, but I'd like a more secure (but easily removable) way to attach the quill handle. What's a good way to do that? I often need to pull off the handle and shift it a quarter turn.

I was thinking about using the same "spring ball in dimple" solution that is used by standard 1/2" sockets. Is that right? Or is there a better way? That would require mounting a bearing ball and spring either inside the 12mm stub or inside the handle.

Cheers,
Bruce

 

[DJ2]

I have a non-factory handle on my FP-1. Recently at an auto wreckers, I found a pick-up truck that had a ratchet handle for the tire jack (GM truck as I recall). I am planning to weld two scrap 1/2" sockets on either side of the ratchet assembly to operate the vertical head. Your 1/2" socket spring ball dimple is an excellent idea.

 

[ballen]

I'm kind of tempted to do a "locking detent" like on some ratchet wrenches, where you have to push a button to release the detent. I'd have to remove the square shaft/gear part, stick it on the lathe, drill a hole down the axis and then one radially to join it. Need to figure out how the locking detents work.... does someone here know?

EDIT: as usual, google knows:

But I don't think that there is enough space for this...

 

[Peter from Holland]

A 12sided socket key 14 fits the square I thought Then with a ratchet key you do not have the need to remove it anymore
Drill and tap a crosshole in the socket key and with a set screw connect it permanently to the square

Peter

 

[ballen]

Hi Peter,

A 12sided socket key 14 fits the square I thought Then with a ratchet key you do not have the need to remove it anymore. Drill and tap a crosshole in the socket key and with a set screw connect it permanently to the square.

Yes, this would work. But I'd like something that looks nicer.

(I subscribe to Ross's rule: machine modifications are OK if it looks like the guys in the Deckel factory did it.)

Cheers,
Bruce

 

[AlfaGTA]

Food for thought:
Here is a "quick position" quill handle on the shop's Kondia Power Mill (overstuffed Bridgeport clone made in Spain)

Factory handle has a pin that engages a flange that has a drilled circle. Pulling the handle out (against a detent) , moving the handle and pushing it back into another hole to get a new bite and position.
Drilled part is actually made as a hat section with two grooves running around the hat portion...One groove holds the handle at the engaged position, the outer groove there to allow the handle to move in position without
falling off when going to a new hole....

After aftermarket handle uses the pin hole circle , has a spring loaded handle that keeps a pin engaged in one of the holes...Pushing the handle away from the headstock pulls the pin and allows the handle to be re positioned.
The outer housing that carries the handle is kept in place but allowed to rotate using a set screw that engages one of the grooves in the hat section of the original handle base....
Works pretty good...could be made nicer by a caring "Deckelite"....

Cheers Ross

 

[AlfaGTA]

Perhaps something like this permanently fixed to the shaft (center bolt and nicely finished washer.....
Cut the end wrench off the end and make your own handle.....Ratchets to get new position....lever changes drive direction.....

1" 72-Tooth 12 Point Reversible Ratcheting Combination Wrench - Gearwrench
Cheers Ross

 

[rimcanyon]

Bruce, a couple ideas:

First, following on Ross' idea, you could adapt a ratchet. In addition to wrenches, look at the antique ratchets like the very first Snap-On which have a removable pinion that you swap from side to side for tighten/loosen. You might need to broach or build up the center. If you used an impact socket of the right size to fit the quill pinion, you could lock the socket to the quill pinion, either with a spring loaded pin or a circlip.

If you wanted to use a circlip, the graduated ring that fits around the crank hub could be modified. i.e. if you turned a slot in the inner bore of the ring, and turned a flange on the hub of the crank or socket, you could put a circlip in that was held captive and held the crank or socket captive.

 

[Nigel Tudor]

Bruce,

Could you use a ball-nose spring plunger? They are available here (USA) from Mc Master Carr. They are threaded. You could put 12mm square in your vice to hold the handle while you drill and tap it. You might need to use a center cutting endmill to create a land to drill and tap due to the handle shape. If the detent doesn't provide enough holding force, you could use a carbide ball mill to put dimples on the square shaft.

Ross's idea of a ratcheting handle would be more user friendly, but I like the look of your vice handle.

Regards,
Nigel

 

[jim rozen]

I use a short piece of brass shim stock sized to make the metric hex a snug fit into the socket for the quill. I think I used the shim on a couple of the sides of the hex to get a good fit.

The photo shows a handwheel but we've since changed over to a double ball type handle which seems to work better. As you can see it's easilly adjustable.

 

[Halcohead]

I took the speed handle off my bridgeport (identical to the "quick position" one pictured by Ross) and then made an adapter that mounted the speed handle to the Deckel square drive. The adapter is held onto the square with a couple brass-tipped setscrews, and has the same hole pattern and shaft dimensions found on a bridgeport, making it easy to swap the quill handle position quickly without removing it, just like on the bridgeport.

The assembly sticks out a little father than I would like aesthetically, and I should probably shorten the quill handle, but it works perfectly and making the adapter was an easy job.

Better would be a custom one that's lower profile everywhere, but I really don't think such a project is worth the effort.

 

[heartlnd]

here is an other solution.
takes an hour to make and will not alter the original parts.

 

[bsg]

Bruce, here's another thread about quill handles....

Deckel quill handwheels

Here's one source, or like the previous poster, you could make your own......

Arm hand wheels | Elesa

Kevin