Any millwrights on board? Or others who may know? My dad was a millwright, but unfortunately passed about 30 years ago. So I am reassembling my 50 year old Rockwell drill press, and it got me wondering what the rule of thumb might be for clamping the head, table, and base to the steel column. It seems obvious that over tightening the bolts could crack the collars, but I doubt that all of these old machines were assembled with a torque wrench. I have dealt with them many times, collars on older tractor axles, etc., and my method, which I assume I learned from my dad, is mostly based on feel. I snug them up, then sort of thump the end of the wrench with the palm of my hand a few times, call it good, and have never broken one nor had one come loose, but, again, wondering if there might be a more exacting method.

 

If it is working for you then it is correct!
You have described the way I was taught many years ago. I don't see a problem with your method.

RR

 

Thank you, Rooster. Yeah, it's not rocket science, and it's worked, but never hurts to try to learn something.

 

If it's something with no big consequence for coming loose I tend to err on the side of less tight especially if its something that's easy to snug up in the future. I've wasted way too much time filing deep set screw gouges out of shafts, boring out and re-tapping stripped holes and my favorite extracting a bolt that's broken off flush.