Recent content by javie

Wow, FrankLee's Craftsman page is the reason I joined this forum, so useful and he has a big heart, willing to help on every question I posed to him. FrankLee, are you out there???

"I got a fevah, and the only prescription is more block grinder"...famed director Bruce Dickinson, yes, the Bruce Dickinson...

Now the search is on for a matching stand. I have a Grizzly, but it seems a shame to mount this blue-gray beast on a green Grizzly stand...:lol_hitti

Picked up this beauty last weekend from a seasoned gentleman probably in his early-mid 60's. He said it was his Grandfather's and he was moving to the coast to a condo and not taking his toys. This one is dated from 1949, not sure of the M3 manufacturing code on the serial number but the motor...

Re: Craftsman Drill Press - Painting Okay, I've pinged a few knowledgeable folks about painting cast iron, specifically drill presses, there seems to be no real consensus about the 'right' way to finish one of these old workhorses. Assuming the head, tables, etc...are bead-blasted and ready for...

Use two PVC pipes, an outer and inner, both capped on the bottom. Just make sure they're sized to hold the column between them with a small annular space. That Evapo-rust is expensive. Oh yeah, the column sometimes gets mushroomed at the bottom and essentially force bonded together as I'm sure...

I'm thinking I like it like this too. Those hammer marks and scratches just add character. I'll probably use a bit of black paint on the lettering and then seal it with Rustoleum High Performance Clearcoat with Johnson's wax on the machined surfaces.

A little Athol vise-**** for Tuesday. Had a chance to use some Evapo-Rust and wire wheel today. There was a greenish-yellow tint to the metal following the ER (in the before pics), but my smile was huge after hitting this thing with the wire wheel for a few minutes (the after pics). The pics...

Thanks for the words of wisdom Shiftless. We're on the same page, I already did the pressure washer bit, there are places with thick paint, but I figure those are pretty much rust-free underneath. I was going to hit it with a 3M Scotch-Brite to remove paint, then Evapo-Rust. It looks like you...

Okay, the Athol 624 is apart and I just got a 5-gal bucket of Evapo-Rust. I've seen lots of advice on what to do after Evapo-Rust elsewhere (e.g., 1) degreaser and then acetone or brake cleaner, 2) wash with detergent then WD-40, 3) brake cleaner then etching primer/paint) what is the consensus...

Came across what looks like a dual motor/dual pump compressor. Seller says it is a Dayton, but doesn't have any further info on it and I cannot seem to find one like it anywhere. A few pics below show the tank and dual setup. I've read where they use dual motor/pumps to generate 2x the cfm with...

Thanks for the reminder ganymede, I researched the disassembly elsewhere, too, and noted the set screw - which is really a substantial 3/8-in bolt with a flat screwdriver slot. I removed it prior to attempting to loosen the very large bolt holding the base on. I'm getting some Kroil today as the...

Pics of the finish with the Sculpt product?

Well, good news and bad news. The good, the base fully swivels. The bad is I cannot get that dang big bolt to budge using the washer method. I'm going to need to get a drag link and use an impact wrench...

Great idea drivesitfar and you're right about Starrett being there from Day 1 - although there appears to be a short amount of time when Starrett wasn't involved with Athol. https://visecollector.com/history-of-the-athol-machine-company/ I'm going to give it a shot today after work. Rusty...