I recently posted about an old 1950’s drill press I found. Thought some might be interested in the finished product. New paint and bearings, some elbow grease and Flitz polish.
Good as new….but old. Wish I could say the same about me.
PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.
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Replies
You do work on spouses? :-)
"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
You do work on spouses? :-)
A long time ago and in a mind set far, far away I did some work on someone's estranged wife...got so weird I started packing a gun.
I limit my spousal work to mine now...better that way!PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Looks like an Art Deco trophy. Nice.
Yea Art Deco that's what I was thinking.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
Very nice! I have the exact same drill press, along with the matching jointer. You should post those pictures over on the old woodworking machines website at http://www.owwm.com/. Incidentally, they have a copy of the factory manual for that drill press, at http://www.owwm.com/files/PDF/Craftsman/1950-103-23130.pdf.
Edited 4/22/2006 9:50 pm ET by Stuart
Found that site and the manual...pretty cool.
Do they have a gallery or something like it to post stuff like this?PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
If you scroll down the owwm main page a ways, there's a place for submitting photos. You have to be a member, I think.
I haven't restored my drill press, it was in pretty decent shape when I got it. It works really well, back then a Craftsman tool was really worth something. :-)
Wow that is nice list it on Ebay bet you could make some $$. Course it is pretty nice to have in the shop though.
Wow that is nice list it on Ebay bet you could make some $$.
Nah, these old machines are like dear friends...get to know 'em via rebuild. I figure they'll see me through till I croak. Then maybe someone else can enjoy 'em.
Rebuilt an old Davis-Wells jointer once. Never liked it much...real crude. I sold it to make way for the '66 Powermatic I've got now.PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
That's what I learned on. Pop had one just like it (including the stripped motor housing) in 1948, and I think it was old then! Think it was his pop's before that. My sister has it now. Have a pix somewhere as me at about 3 YO drilling holes in a piece of 2x4.
BTW, the late 1960 drill presses have very similar handle knobs, you may still be able to get a replacement for the one that is missing.
Mine is similar, but is the floor stand model. It has been outfitted with a convenient on-off switch on the side above the ratchet wheel.
Very nice what you have done. I had the exact same machine that I got from my grandfathers shop after he died about 20 years ago. It stilll worked but needed someone like you to give it the time that it needed to restore. Time and space in my garage is something I just don't have these days, so I sold it along with the old jointer. I have tons of other stuff that was his so it's not like I'm selling off the only connection I have with Grandpa and his shop. I used to have a nice big woodshop but sold nearly everything when we moved 8 years ago. Just yesterday my wife comments that maybe we should build something out the back for a shop. Gotta get outa tuition city first and that won't happen for another 5 years. I miss my shop.
Good job on that drillpress.
very nice....
just proves nothing special buy'n new.....
thats almost art
p
I, too, have the floor model of that machine. Where'd you get bearings for it?
-- J.S.
Hi John
Most old stuff I've restored has common sized bearings. Best bet (and who I use) is a bearing house. Around here that's Mcguire Bearing, Kamann or Motion Industries. I take the old ones in and they match up to current stuff dimensionally. Incidently, six bearings,(2 quill, 2 motor, 2 quill shaft) tallied more than the machine cost in 1951. $95 for bearings, 74.95 would get this bought back then.
All told, I have a tick over $200 plus my labor (don't ask), and some running around. All things considered, a pretty good deal, plus I get a bang out of restoring and using the old boogers.PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Peter, you must be a builder.
Some guys work on motorcycles in their kitchens, you work on a drill press.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'
No one will provoke me with impunity
Some guys work on motorcycles in their kitchens, you work on a drill press.
Well, I don't cook much, gotta use the space for something.
Actually, it's our patio.
Some day I'll get the shop started...really!PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.