Quote Originally Posted by RetiredFAE View Post
I had a 1936 Rockwell Delta 16" drill press that never had the rack and pinion table lift, I put a Harbor Freight 1.5 ton long ram flat base hydraulic jack under the table, quick disconnect mount on the table and the floor base so it can be removed for really tall workpieces.

Slow to raise and lower the table until I rigged a foot pedal and a pressure relief valve that I didn't have to bend down to actuate either of them.

Think I like the above idea of the pulley arrangement with a counterweight better!
That is a coincidence. Six months ago I had a fall and damaged my left shoulder and I am only now repaired enough to start again in the workshop. Yesterday I had cause to raise the table on my Bridgeport mill, combined with the knee etc. it is quite a weight and winding the crank handle with my damaged arm was not a pleasant task. This morning I started measuring it up with a view to converting it to use an hydraulic cylinder as you have done.

I know that you can buy electric winders but when used to lift the table I have read many reports of short life spans. Hydraulic should last forever, especially with a foot pedal and remote relief valve. Fortunately, to accommodate the original lift screw there is plenty of length available for a cylinder under the knee, unlike a drill table as you know.