@TBJK you mentioned you had an arm breaker drill. Can you tell us the model please. I’m on the hunt for a good drill for use with the tube notcher and for raising and lowering the bridgeport table. If I can get the holesaws from the same place we can get them soon. All other suggestions are welcome. cheers!
This one is similar to the one I have, I’d have to find mine to tell exactly the model.
https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW130V-2-Inch-Drill-Handle/dp/B0007W1K9G/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0E9S3PCZ4EMA23GKPXSQ
that looks good. I wonder if it would be too much for use on the bridgeport. we don’t want to wind the crank past it’s stop.
Honestly I’d be worried to use it on the Bridgeport.
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It’s easy to put an anti-rotation bar sticking out that prevents it from “arm breaking.”
Good lower speed drill, max 500 rpm,
what do you think of this one. Plenty of power, only goes up to 1200 rpm, corded, and 1/2" chuck and the handle is removable. I’m not locked on DeWalt but it’s a good brand.
IMO, for cutting steel pipe a lower rpm and higher torque would be better and easier of the cutters.
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I think we agree, but it’s the dual usage of raising and lowering the bridgeport bed with a high torque drill. what happens when we get to the stop - well just keep going maybe we can go a bit higher!!
I’m cool with it if we just want to dedicate it to the tube notcher and tasks such as driving anchors into concrete. We do have another drill in the shop that isn’t an arm breaker that can be used on the mill.
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I meant to look into a purpose built knee motor for the Bridgeport, but didn’t get to it. Mainly because I don’t know enough about the specifics of our mill. That I think would be the best solution to the problem, and I think it’ll get us a vertical feed as well.
For example: https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pf-z-al510sz/
No idea if this will fit our mill though.
I can donate a low speed corded drill that can plug in to the Bridgeport. We can tack weld the adapter into it so the drill doesn’t wander away.
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I can almost attest to the arm breaking ability. It’s hurt a few times.
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that’s kind of you but keep in mind we do have a drill in the toolbox that can be used for that.
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I built this a few years ago to use on the Bridgeport we had in the shop at the time. We just used a half inch drill… no hammer drill… no arm breaker… and it did just fine. In theory, if the table slows dramatically, the teeth should slip… never really tried it, though.
In terms of crashing the table, we just paid attention to what we were doing and pulled the drill and adapter away as we approached the limit… but in theory, you could mount a set of limit switches with a relay to kill the power supply you use on the drill, I suppose.
This would be a great project to replicate if someone felt like doing some work on the lathe.
Not the usual modus operandi for DMS
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Might you have the specs for this tool in regards to the distance from center and radius distances? I’d like to make one as a gift.
Sure thing. I can get you that on Friday. Just trying to remember off the top of my head, I think I used a 5/16 stainless rod that I pressed into a chuck of aluminum I had in the scrap pile.
I used a paint pen to mark the tines on the Bridgeport and then pressed the end of the aluminum slugs onto it to transfer the marks… then I drilled between the marks, using a dremel on the cross slide, pressed in some brass rod I had around and was done.
Either way, I will grab you some measurements and post them here Friday when I am back in the shop.
Have a great evening
Ok. It is 9, evenly spaced, 1/8" brass pins.
They are pressed in a circle that is 1 1/4" in diameter.
I drilled the holes about half an inch into the aluminum slug, and then reamed them out to just under size. The brass pins were then pressed in using the bench vice. I left about 3/8" protruding, but could have trimmed them down a little more.
The shaft is a piece of 5/16" stainless scrap I had pulled from some machine ages ago.
If I were making one as a gift, I would loc-tite the pressed in brass rods, and then turn down the shaft in a parabola to expose the brass in a cool way. Then, I would probably polish the whole thing and engrave or stamp the name of the recipient into it some place. For my purposes, simple was key… but fir a gift, spend the extra 20 minutes and go nuts 
They also have them on Amazon for about $30.
HHIP 3129-0015 1/2 Inch Shank Knee Feed Adapter For Power Drill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N40TXN8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Pa1aCb6DNAJAV
Yep just found my drill DW130.