Drill Press Bogs Down

Mike0714 | Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on March 26, 2020 11:06am

I have a basic SKIL drill press that all of a sudden bogs down even when drilling a small hole in basic lumber. The belt continues to spin, but the ‘spindle’ that holds the bit stops, like there is a loss of friction between the two. Does anyone have any ideas how it might be fixed (or what may have caused it?)
Thank you in advance.

Replies

made_by_max | Mar 26, 2020 11:12am | #1
Make sure the tension hasn't loosened on your belts. Depending on the press, this can happen easily, especially if the locking screw was not tightened enough when the tension was set.
Mike0714 | Mar 26, 2020 04:20pm | #2
Thanks for your reply. I've read that as a possible cause. The belts seems very tight when I touch them. Does this mean the tension is sufficient? They are as tight as I can get them and still have the belt spin.
mikeinohio | Mar 26, 2020 07:22pm | #3
If the belt is tight then it could be the pulley atop the spindle is a bit loose on the shaft and so it slips under load.
geedubbee | Mar 26, 2020 08:56pm | #4
Condition of the belt and the sleeves should be checked as well. Belts can become glazed. A light sanding with a fine sandpaper can help with that. The pulley walls can also get dirty, slippery, whatever. A little clean up may solve the issue.