Jet JDP-17 - Adjusting Table Tilt

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jrista

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So...a year or so ago....actually, guess its more SO now, as I think it was summer 2021 that I bought it, I picked up a Jet JDP-17 floor standing drill press. Its a nice drill press, at least for someone who had never owned a floor standing one before. Its worked fine in all respects so far, with one exception: the table and its tilt function.

This particular press has a 14x19" table, and underneath that is a locking nut and pin when its in the 90 degrees flat position, and a 24mm nut that you are supposed to loosen, so the table can be tilted.

Well, I cannot for the life of me, get the 24mm nut to loosen at all. I have tried every wrench I have, except one that has teeth (I don't want to marr the nut). I've used penetrating oil to try and get in there and loosen it a bit (there really isn't any way to get even my small, thin bottle at an angle where I can drip this oil on from above the nut, so I've been squirting oil at it from the sides). I've even tried using one of those ratchet straps to try and ratchet-pull the wrench once its on there. NOTHING is causing this darn nut to budge...

I'm starting to get worried that it was somehow fused on at the factory... Does anyone else have this drill press? Any insights into how to loosen this nut? I'm trying to tune the table so that its perfectly square, and turns as true as possible. I've adjusted the chuck itself a bit, to try and work out any runout, and I think its decent now, but not optimal. I'd like to get the table adjusted so that the bit is perfectly square to it, and see how my holes look, before I try to dial it in any more. But man, this darn table, is FRO-ZEN in place...
 
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PatrickR

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You could try the old trick of heating the area with a heat gun or even a hair dryer and then hold an ice cube on the head of the nut. That is a large table and if its cast is heavy. Relieve some of the pressure with a jack or proper length board wedged to the floor. Good luck!
 

jttheclockman

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Did you take out the alignment pin first?? That is that small nut. Many times you have to tighten it to get the pin to release from the gears. Then loosen the large nut. Maybe when the pin is out you can wiggle the top some to break resistance of nut.There are always different ways to loosen the angle of these tables but seems that is the one for the larger floor standing models. That large nut does loosen and is standard threads. It should not be clounterclockwise. Socket with breaker bar should work or extension handle such as a pipe. My go to spray is always PB Blaster. That stuff is great and is sprayed. Or proper box wrench will work with a lever bar. Just another thought.
 
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BULLWINKLE

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Did you take out the alignment pin first?? That is that small nut. Many times you have to tighten it to get the pin to release from the gears. Then loosen the large nut. Maybe when the pin is out you can wiggle the top some to break resistance of nut.There are always different ways to loosen the angle of these tables but seems that is the one for the larger floor standing models. That large nut does loosen and is standard threads. It should not be clounterclockwise. Socket with breaker bar should work or extension handle such as a pipe. My go to spray is always PB Blaster. That stuff is great and is sprayed. Or proper box wrench will work with a lever bar. Just another thought.
PB Blaster is by far the best product of its type. Another great product is Strike Hold. Aerosol spray or pump bottle.

They charge too much to ship but it's the same price on Amazon Prime with free shipping. Maybe worth a try if the PB Blaster don't do it.
 

jrista

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Did you take out the alignment pin first?? That is that small nut. Many times you have to tighten it to get the pin to release from the gears. Then loosen the large nut. Maybe when the pin is out you can wiggle the top some to break resistance of nut.There are always different ways to loosen the angle of these tables but seems that is the one for the larger floor standing models. That large nut does loosen and is standard threads. It should not be clounterclockwise. Socket with breaker bar should work or extension handle such as a pipe. My go to spray is always PB Blaster. That stuff is great and is sprayed. Or proper box wrench will work with a lever bar. Just another thought.
Yes, definitely took out the pin. The 24mm nut won't loosen at all.

I don't have a breaker bar. These days, those seem to be rather expensive for what they are...at least around the local hardware stores. Aroud $25-35 on the low end, it seems... I can try to find a box wrench that will work. I just don't want to spend $30 for something I'm likely to use only once (never needed one before now...)

Have you tried turning it the opposite way? Maybe a reverse handed thread.
Yup, tried both ways several times.

It sounds like I should give PB Blaster a try, see if that will loosen it up. I guess if that fails, the only other option would be a breaker bar. And, I guess, a 24mm socket.
 

PatrickR

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Breaker bar and socket are the way to go. look at harbor freight for low cost tools you won't use much.
what kind of wrench are you using?
 

jttheclockman

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Yes, definitely took out the pin. The 24mm nut won't loosen at all.

I don't have a breaker bar. These days, those seem to be rather expensive for what they are...at least around the local hardware stores. Aroud $25-35 on the low end, it seems... I can try to find a box wrench that will work. I just don't want to spend $30 for something I'm likely to use only once (never needed one before now...)


Yup, tried both ways several times.

It sounds like I should give PB Blaster a try, see if that will loosen it up. I guess if that fails, the only other option would be a breaker bar. And, I guess, a 24mm socket.
It will come out. Mind over matter.
 
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