How to Adjust the Pulley Speed on a Drill Press

Adjusting the drilling speed of drill press will extend the life of your drill bits.

A drill press drills a variety of materials. Each type of material has different drilling requirements and you must adjust the drill press accordingly. This will extend the life of your drill bits and reduce the amount of wear while drilling. Unlike other variable-speed equipment, a drill press uses a two-stacked series of different-size pulley wheels to change the speed of the drill press spindle.

Instructions

1. Unplug the drill press electrical cord from the electrical socket.

2. Turn the two thumbscrews on the pulley cover. The pulley cover is on the top of the drill press, directly above the spindle.

3. Push back the hinged pulley cover to expose the spindle and motor spindles.

4. Turn the locking wing bolt counterclockwise with your fingers to loosen the drill press motor.

5. Move the loosened motor toward the drill press to loosen the pulley belt.

6. Read the speed reference chart on the inside of the pulley cover. The speed reference chart shows the speed obtained for each pulley belt location. As a rule, the smaller the spindle pulley wheel, the faster the spindle will rotate.

7. Set the pulley belt on the spindle wheel designated on the reference chart for the pulley speed required to drill your material.

8. Pull the pulley belt across to the motor spindle located directly across from the spindle wheel, pull the motor away from the drill press until the pulley belt is tight and turn the locking wing bolt clockwise to lock the motor into position.

9. Close the hinged pulley cover down over the spindles and tighten the thumbscrews to lock the pulley cover in position.

10. Plug in the drill press to drill in the material at the new pulley speed.

References

• Paul Meisel: Setting Drill Press Spindle Speed
• Partsmadeeasy.com: Cummins Industrial Tools--5-Speed Drill Press