Craftsman 150 drill press head unit disassembly (pic heavy).

[evintho]

Well it's Christmas day and I'm just sitting around the house recouperating from last nights festivities. Figured I'd use the time to be productive, so I strolled out to the garage (against the wifes wishes) and started tearing down the DP head unit. Snapped some pics as I went along and threw this together.

I know a lot of you guys have these old Craftsman 150 benchtops and floorstanding models. I'm doing a light resto on mine and thought I'd do a small write-up on disassembly of the head unit. Some think it's a daunting task but it really was quite simple. Follow along and you can disassemble yours just as easily.

I referenced this parts list in the write-up. The numbers in parenthesis correspond to the parts list and photo captions. You'll figure it out!

Craftsman 150 Operating Instructions/Parts List/Exploded Photos

Here's the beast in question.

No pics of the base and tray removal. Suffice to say with 60 years of rust and accumulated gunk you'll need to soak the pole joints with PB Blaster, pound on the cast iron pieces with a deadblow hammer, soak 'em again and let it sit overnight, come back the next day, soak and pound on them again and they should come off!

The pole was covered with rust and gunk. I simply clamped it to a 2x4, used my DA sander and sanded it with 150 grit followed by 240 to remove some of the scratches. Came out great! Here it is half done..............

Finished and covered with a light coat of oil for rust prevention................

On to head disassembly!

Head removed from pole.............

Flip the head upside down and remove these 2 bolts (1 on each side) to remove the motor support base (43)...............

Use a 3/32" allen wrench to remove the setscrew and pull off the lock handle (15)...........

Remove the quill lock screw (11)..................

Drive out the rear quill lock sleeve (10) from the front then drive out the front sleeve from the rear.................

Next, loosen the knob lock screw (17) and remove the hand knob (9)..............

Unscrew the lock handle (15).............

Then drive out both head lock sleeves (16) just like you drove out the quill lock sleeves, 4 pictures above..............

Remove this bolt that retains the hub, pinion, spring & pin assembly. Don't forget to save this washer..................

Now, slide out the hub, pinion, spring & pin assembly (54) chuck it in the vise and drive out the pin (56)....................

Slide (may have to tap) the feed handle off..................

Remove the feed stop collar (37)..................

Slide the quill/spindle assembly out...................

The Craftsman logo panel (6) is held to the cast iron head unit by 2 panel screws (7) that look like blind rivets. All you need to do to remove the logo panel is to locate the 2 small holes on the inside of the head unit...............

Use a small punch and knock them out from the inside..................

There ya go. Completely disassembled!

I didn't remove the pulley 'cause I don't have snap ring pliers long enough to reach inside. No worries. I'm gonna give it a solvent bath, duct tape any machined surfaces and sand blast it, along with the base and tray after I get my new sand blaster next week. Hope this helps someone.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

[A_Pmech]

Looks like you're off to a good start!

 

[ghnl]

Hmm, taking them apart is usually the easy part...!

 

[evintho]

I took it apart first to make sure there were no problems, put it all back together in about 10 minutes and then disassembled it one more time to snap the pics.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

You saved me a ton of time figuring out how to do this on mine and posting the pictures. Can't thnk you enough. What color are you planning on re-painting?

 

[evintho]

You're welcome brother! I want to go the same beige color. I'm partial to Rustoleum. It takes a couple of days to really cure correctly but when it does, it's rock hard! There's a local hardware store with a really good selection. I'll go see what they have.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Very Well Documented, anticipating the rebuild

 

[ImportTuner]

Great job .. what color are you planning on painting it ?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Great job .. what color are you planning on painting it ?

See #6 post above.

 

[chrislehr]

Awesome thread, thanks for doing this. I don't own one now, but knowing this is here will make me look more now

 

[Elroy]

You'll have a classic drill press to complement your classic floor jack. Very nicely done!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Evintho,
I finally got a chance to work on MY Craftsman 150 tear down today after work. I think my tear down is at exactly the same place your rebuild is...at least by your last post here on 12-26.

The one thing I haven't gotten out is the belt pulley and shaft. It looks like there are two internal snap rings. One on the pulley and one on the shaft - have you done this dis assembly yet and just not posted it? If you have, can you post pictures soon?

Ironically, I don't have any snap ring pliers...HOWEVER....I just happen to have gotten a $40 gift card from Sears for Christmas so I think you can figure out I'm headed over there tonight to get a pair of them.

Last, I also have a large sandblast cabinet which is going to be my NEXT restoration Too bad because I sure could use it now. Since I don't have it available to me, I'm going to soak my head unit in Zep heavy duty degreaser, give it a good scrubbing inside and out, dry it, and a final wipe down with Lacquer Thinner before painting. I still have not been able to separate the post from the base despite a week of soaking with penetrant and beating on it through a 2x4 as hard as I'm willing to. I even beat it a bit without the 2x4 but I was afraid I'd worsen the crack in the base. I'm just going to have to restore the post installed, polish it, and mask it off when I paint the base....afer I have the base crack welded up.

What's new with your rebuild?

 

[whelenfan]

These are the best threads. Thanks for doing the work on this, I can't wait to see it completed. Don't forget to update the pics as you are working on it.

 

[evintho]

Dan,
I don't have the correct snap ring pliers either! So, I just left the pulley on there. I'll give the whole head unit a solvent bath, pulley and all. Take a look at the exploded photo I posted in the first post. It looks like the pulley has a set screw holding it on. I've been meaning to go out and check that but I've been busy with family all week. Check it out and LMK what you find.

As for the post/column, I was gonna suggest the same thing! Might as well leave it on there and mask it off when you paint the base.

You'll probably be done with yours before I am. I've got several car projects and 2 houses I have to deal with. I'm also waiting on a sandblaster. Gonna pick it up on New Years Day from Harbor Freight using a 25% off coupon.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Evintho,
I reviewed the exploded view in the attachment to your #1 post. Looks like those inner and outer snap rings get the pully rotating assembly out. I dont see a set screw but maybe I'm missing it?

I'm not comfortable with leaving the pulley assembly in and soaking the whole head in a de-greaser; it would strip whatever lubrication remains in there and I don't want the assembly running hot or galling later because of it. For the same reason, I am wondering if you plan to further disassemble the "quill/spindle assembly"? It seems a shame not to and to lubricate it since we've gone this far. BTW, is there some kind of special permanent lubricant for sealed power tools sub assemblies? I was planning on using white molybdenum grease as axle grease hardens off, so that won't work. Other suggestions?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

P.S. When I get further along, do you mind if I add some of my pictures to this thread? I don't want to be accused of hijacking another person's thread. I'd post the pix I've already taken but they mostly duplicate yours. This way, there will be two sets of photos related to the Craftsman 150 press all in one place for future restorers.

 

[evintho]

Post as many pics as you like! It ain't MY thread, it's just A thread. Everyone likes to see pics.........post away!

I think the set screw I saw (61) is for the motor pulley.

I'm gonna leave the spindle assembly alone. For me, this is a light resto. I just clean, paint, lube and check for any broken/worn parts.

As far as lubricant, I'm not sure. I was going to ask here on the board. Some of these guys are very knowledgable.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

... For me, this is a light resto. I just clean, paint, lube and check for any broken/worn parts...

That's what I thought I was doing too! Now it's gathering a life of its own. At least not getting the post out (and possibly the pulley assembly) is causing me to not have it powder coated! Or I'd be spending waay too much time and money on this.

 

[miniruby]

My son recently was cleaning shop and gave me a bench-top Craftsman 150 drill press. The unit was fitted with a standard electrical box on the side with the feed handle. A toggle switch was fitted to the box and a DPDT switch was inside. The toggle was broken. I see a thumb switch shown in the first photo in this thread. Is this how the drill press was originally wired? Since I need to fix, I would like to bring this back to original condition.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have the same drill press (well, mine is maybe ten years older but it's basically the same thing) and it has one of those thumb switches on it as well. However, I don't know if it's original to the tool. They were sold by Sears with or without a motor, so I imagine those that were bought without motors had all kinds of switches installed by the original owners. I looked at an old Craftsman tool catalog over on the Old Woodworking Machines website, and it wasn't clear what if any switch was provided on a drill with a motor - the illustration just shows a power cord hanging out of the motor, neatly coiled up.

 

[wperryford]

I have the same drill press, however the one i have has a little slop in it. does anyone know where I can find parts to rebuild it?

 

[gritsngumbo]

Sorry to hijack the post, but I have just been given a drill press very similar to the one dissected by the OP. The pot metal pully has been wallawed out (? is that a word) and just spins on the shaft. Anyone have an idea where I would find a replacement?

 

[Kenwc]

I see you also have lurking in the background an Atlas X-Y compound table.

While they are not extremely usefull they do come in handy and they have a high coolness factor.

I've restored 2 and am currently restoring a 3rd and have 1 more in the que. Nice writeup on the DP. Thanks for posting.

 

[evintho]

That looks awesome! I need to restore mine too but the handle on mine broke. Any idea where to purchase a new one?

I sandblasted the head unit, base and tray on my DP and painted it a gold color. Now I just need to find/make a speed reducing unit and put it back together!
Wouldn't you know it. This popped up on CL yesterday. Note the factory speed reducing unit! I just can't win!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/1904804832.html

 

[Kenwc]

Don't know where to get one at present but I run across old original parts like that all the time so I'll let you know if I find one. Actually...if I find it I'll just grab it and let you know and if you no longer need it I know I'll use it.

That looks awesome! I need to restore mine too but the handle on mine broke. Any idea where to purchase a new one?

I sandblasted the head unit, base and tray on my DP and painted it a gold color. Now I just need to find/make a speed reducing unit and put it back together!
Wouldn't you know it. This popped up on CL yesterday. Note the factory speed reducing unit! I just can't win!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/1904804832.html

 

[dtjordan]

Evintho,

Thanks for your post, you inspired me to go out and do something with my Craftsman 150. Here are a couple before and after photo's. I'm waiting on a spindle that I'm hoping will replace the bent one. If not I may need to have it machined.

Regards,

dtjordan

 

[dtjordan]

I've been asked about what paint I used for my drill press, here is a picture of the paint, it's rustoleum "hammered". I also noticed that after I removed someones old spray job the motor housing was originally a two tone brown and gold.

 

[Climb On!]

Did you go with brown or a red/maroon? Its hard to tell from the photo.

 

[dtjordan]

Good question, the original color looks maroon but the can of paint that best matched the color was labeled as a brown. I just took one of the handles with me to the paint store and matched it up as close as possible. The brown paint on the motor and mounting plate were originally a hammer tone paint too. I thought I was in luck because Rustoleum also has a brown hammered finish but once it was sprayed out it didn't come close to matching the original color and it looked really bad against the gold paint. I decided to forgo the hammered look and stay with a paint that more closely matched the actual color.

Hope this helps.

dj

 

[Climb On!]

Thanks, it does.

 

[snowdog]

Thanks for the great post - this has been extremely useful (and the reason I discovered and joined this forum). I inherited basically the same drill press recently but sadly, it has been sitting idle in my parent's garage for at least 20 years. While rather rusted, it is too classic to give up on and this post inspired me to make a go at a restoration. The good news is that I was able to disassemble most of the head and the removed parts are cleaning up nicely. Unfortunately, the main part - the quill/spindle assembly - seems to be locked in tight to the head. I guess there is more opportunity for the rust to bind to things on that big piece than everything else. I've sprayed penetrating oil all over it and let it sit for a couple days, making several attempts to break it loose with a crowbar without any hint of movement. Does anyone have any ideas on the best way to get the thing out?

 

[evintho]

Glad I inspired you! I use PB Blaster or Kroil as a penetrant. Now it's been a long time but IIRC there's a couple of snap rings underneath the bearing up in the head. Check the exploded photo out on page 6 - #'s 4 and 5.

http://www.owwm.com/pubs/222/1519.pdf

That may be holding it up. Mine was pretty mangy too but I remember the quill sliding right out after everything was apart. If it ain't budging with a crowbar, somethin's holding it up.

Mine's just about finished. It's all back together except for the motor. I'm waiting for the paint on the motor casing to dry, plus I'm sicker than a dog today. Maybe tomorrow I'll finish it.

 

[snowdog]

Thanks for the reply - I actually just got it! After several days of soaking, I tried putting a torch to it and heating it up. I leveraged a crowbar into the teeth, held my breath, and gave it a big whack with my framing hammer. The son-of-gun moved! 10 minutes later, I had the whole thing out. Unbelievably, the quill and spindle seem quite good! The damn thing spins and sounds like it did the last time I remember using it (around 1975!). The bearings on the pulley are shot, however, so that will be my next challenge. Can't wait to see your's all put back together. I will post pictures of mine if I am so lucky!

Thanks again.

 

[cool50]

Thanks for the reply - I actually just got it! After several days of soaking, I tried putting a torch to it and heating it up. I leveraged a crowbar into the teeth, held my breath, and gave it a big whack with my framing hammer. The son-of-gun moved! 10 minutes later, I had the whole thing out. Unbelievably, the quill and spindle seem quite good! The damn thing spins and sounds like it did the last time I remember using it (around 1975!). The bearings on the pulley are shot, however, so that will be my next challenge. Can't wait to see your's all put back together. I will post pictures of mine if I am so lucky!

Thanks again.

Any updates?

 

[snowdog]

Yep - Just finished it. The only new parts needed were a couple of new bearings. I did pay a guy to sand-blast the iron to bare metal and it took 5 cans of paint (2 primer and 3 hammered black). I wet-sanded the pole myself and soaked and scrubbed all the parts to get rid of all signs of rust. I took the housing of the motor and blew it out with my air compressor and it started right up. I probably put in 30 to 40 hours of work on it but I'm very happy and proud of the results.

 

[jmh21586]

that is saaaaweeeet.

 

[Kev442]

Man, I love it when you guys restore the old stuff! My CL never has anything like this stuff.

 

[evintho]

Very, very nice!! I like the contrasting color! Great job!

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Yep - Just finished it. The only new parts needed were a couple of new bearings. I did pay a guy to sand-blast the iron to bare metal and it took 5 cans of paint (2 primer and 3 hammered black). I wet-sanded the pole myself and soaked and scrubbed all the parts to get rid of all signs of rust. I took the housing of the motor and blew it out with my air compressor and it started right up. I probably put in 30 to 40 hours of work on it but I'm very happy and proud of the results.

Looks good,
Did yours have a power switch on/with it, and what does it look like?
Thanks,
Tony

 

[sho92]

I have a 150 that my grandfather bought new. The on/off switch is just a simple toggle on the lamp cord style power cord. The switch is hard to reach and dangerous, I hate it. Anyone retrofit something better?

This is a great thread! My drill works fine, but it could definitely use a good cleaning. The owners manual is going to be a nice thing to have too.