11b30b4's Vintage Classic Craftsman Drill Press Information Thread

[DDOPWD23]

I have a question, the lock handles for the Atlas made DP. Are the lock handles the 12.5” the same length as the ones for the 15.5”? Thanks. Trying to find one for a DP. I know the table and head casting are the same length. Not like on a King Seleey where the head casting is wider than the table. I’m also referring to the Atlas ball end type handles.

Thanks!

 

[11b30b4]

You will need to message FrankLee here on Garage Journal. He is the expert on the 12.5" drill press. I normally only work with the 15.5" drill presses.

 

[FrankLee]

@DDOPWD23, I'm really confused about the 12.5" size. What is the model number? Pics may help.

Anyway, Atlas had 12.75" and 15" drill presses (were there others? I dunno.).

King-Seeley had 12.25", 13.5" and 15.5" drill presses.
(The '46-'55 Craftsman catalogs say the large drill press is 15". Don't believe it, they are actually 15.5").
(K-S also had the mohawk dp. The VM Photo Index shows those in 12", 13", 13.25", 13.5", 14", 15". So who knows wtf happened there.)


Regardless, I don't have much experience with the smaller Atlas dp, but a comparison may be relevant between the Altas machines and the K-S 13.5" and 15.5" drill presses.

Because of the smaller diameter column on the 13.5" K-S dp, the lock cylinders are closer together than on a 15.5" K-S dp. Therefore, the bolt portion on the lock handles are shorter by 1/2"(?). The ball-end portion of the handles are the same on the 13.5" and the 15.5" dp.

The lock cylinders on both the the Atlas and K-S DP's are the same length and diameter (except the head lock cylinders are longer on the K-S machines.

 

[DDOPWD23]

@DDOPWD23, I'm really confused about the 12.5" size. What is the model number? Pics may help.

Anyway, Atlas had 12.75" and 15" drill presses (were there others? I dunno.).

King-Seeley had 12.25", 13.5" and 15.5" drill presses.
(The '46-'55 Craftsman catalogs say the large drill press is 15". Don't believe it, they are actually 15.5").
(K-S also had the mohawk dp. The VM Photo Index shows those in 12", 13", 13.25", 13.5", 14", 15". So who knows wtf happened there.)


Regardless, I don't have much experience with the smaller Atlas dp, but a comparison may be relevant between the Altas machines and the K-S 13.5" and 15.5" drill presses.

Because of the smaller diameter column on the 13.5" K-S dp, the lock cylinders are closer together than on a 15.5" K-S dp. Therefore, the bolt portion on the lock handles are shorter by 1/2"(?). The ball-end portion of the handles are the same on the 13.5" and the 15.5" dp.

The lock cylinders on both the the Atlas and K-S DP's are the same length and diameter (except the head lock cylinders are longer on the K-S machines.

Thank you for the info, half my issue is I don’t have the proper measurements. Thank to you now I do. On the other hand it’s hard to look on eBay when items aren’t labeled correctly.

From the all it says is it came from a Craftsman 101.03581 and that it fits either the head or the table which is true. I learned that when I restored a 1942 15” they were interchangeable. I looked it up and that’s how I knew it was a 12.5”

 

[FrankLee]

From the all it says is it came from a Craftsman 101.03581 and that it fits either the head or the table which is true. I learned that when I restored a 1942 15” they were interchangeable. I looked it up and that’s how I knew it was a 12.5”

Your 1942 101.03581 is 12.75".

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/2961.pdf#page=33

 

[DDOPWD23]

Your 1942 101.03581 is 12.75".

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/2961.pdf#page=33

When I return home in a few weeks I’ll let everyone know if it works out or turns out to be too short to work in a 15” King Seleey table.

 

[DDOPWD23]

Your 1942 101.03581 is 12.75".

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/2961.pdf#page=33

I was able to find a handle from a 15” Atlas so hopefully that will work as well. I hate just randomly buying things but it’s slim pickings out there. I’ll take measurements and report back what I find out. Maybe my mistakes can help someone else out.

 

[FrankLee]

I was able to find a handle from a 15” Atlas so hopefully that will work as well. I hate just randomly buying things but it’s slim pickings out there. I’ll take measurements and report back what I find out. Maybe my mistakes can help someone else out.

It may be too long and the nut may bottom out on the threads, but if so, you can extend the threads with a 1/2-13 die and cut off the excess. NBD.

 

[DDOPWD23]

It may be too long and the nut may bottom out on the threads, but if so, you can extend the threads with a 1/2-13 die and cut off the excess. NBD.

Good idea, thank you. I believe I have that in my set but will have to double check when I return home.

 

[Farmall450]

OP, nice write up. Would the best USA model for metal work be the 1975 – 1983 Craftsman Emerson Generation 4 (Commercial) Drill Press?

 

[11b30b4]

the Commercial model is great but you may still need to slow the rpms down depending on what you are drilling. There is a rare slow speed attachment for the Emerson later models. Here is a video about it.

 

[Farmall450]

the Commercial model is great but you may still need to slow the rpms down depending on what you are drilling. There is a rare slow speed attachment for the Emerson later models. Here is a video about it.

Great video, thank you. If I get the DP, I will keep an eye out for that attachment.

 

[11b30b4]

Cool, I Know someone who has the attachment and may be willing to sell it. Let me know when you are ready and I will reach out to him.

 

[Farmall450]

Cool, I Know someone who has the attachment and may be willing to sell it. Let me know when you are ready and I will reach out to him.

Just got it home.

 

[Farmall450]

Tilting tables

I may have missed it, but I was looking for this on your channel. I see my new DP has a mounting spot for one cast into the t nut/pro table.

 

[11b30b4]

It does, Emerson began adding the mounting point to all tables starting with the Gen 2 drill press. The tilting table does show up from time to time on ebay but the best way to get one is to buy a drill press with one on it, then resell the drill press after you remove the tilting table. This is how I got mine. I will say that I have never found a need to use the tilting table so I am not sure its worth hunting down.

 

[Farmall450]

Here's a cool snip of my exact model from the 82/3 tool guide.

Wish I was around to remember these catalogs back then. Neat stuff, and super concise.