My brand new 50 year old drill press!

evintho · Oct 30, 2009

Well, brand new to me anyway! Craigslist score - $200. Craftsman 150 floor drill press, model# 103.24531. The story is, the seller's grandfather bought it new in the 50's. He was a machinist and used it up until the mid 80's. He passed 12 years ago and it went to his grandson who's used it 3 times in the last 12 years. It was taking up space and he just wanted to get rid of it.

It needs a little cleaning up but it runs very smooth with no bearing noise! No side to side movement in the spindle, at all! This thing has to weigh close to 400 pounds! Cast iron head, table and base. Check out the cross vise that came with it! The only thing I don't like is no rack and pinion vertical adjustment for the table, just the old style handle. Oh well, that's old skool!

A_Pmech · Oct 30, 2009

Looks good!

rasit · Oct 30, 2009

Great find!! got to love the old equipment....

chadster1 · Oct 30, 2009

I will say it. You ****.

Adam McLaughlin · Oct 30, 2009

WOW That is pretty good... I want one!

Race you for it! My truck against your T-bird, what do you say????

)

Adam

scottg1952 · Oct 30, 2009

Wow wow wow
Stylin!!!
I love this drill!!!!
yours Scott

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv · Oct 31, 2009

Nice find, evintho! I picked up a benchtop model a couple months back...

fatboy99 · Oct 31, 2009

WOW a GE motor that was made in Fort Wayne they dont make motor's here any more it's sad to go by the plant these day's it's a ghost town. Great looking drill press that's a great score

Vinko · Oct 31, 2009

rasit said:
Great find!! got to love the old equipment....

+1 That art deco design label is great. I love the old Craftsman equipment. I finally got, after searching on CL for a long time, a table saw like my grandfather's.

fordcragar · Oct 31, 2009

Great score!

Monte · Oct 31, 2009

cool design !

evintho · Oct 31, 2009

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv said:
Nice find, evintho! I picked up a benchtop model a couple months back...

Hey, it's a mini version of mine! Your's is much cleaner, though! I especially like how the chuck key is attached to a retractable key ring. I'm gonna have to steal that idea!

I found a website where you can download the original manuals for ours, for free. Someone is selling the same manual on Ebay for $11!
Just click on the PDF right below the preview.
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/pubdetail.aspx?id=1519

Joe69 · Oct 31, 2009

Those are sweet! I just love old tools!

Joe

airdale · Oct 31, 2009

Nice!

I would replace the power cord before using it, it looks like something funky going on there. The old ones tend to have deteriorated insulation anyways. What brand is the cross slide vise? That really makes the deal. And how the h3ll do you end up breaking the handle off a cross slide? :dunno:

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv · Oct 31, 2009

evintho said:
Hey, it's a mini version of mine! Your's is much cleaner, though! I especially like how the chuck key is attached to a retractable key ring. I'm gonna have to steal that idea!

I found a website where you can download the original manuals for ours, for free. Someone is selling the same manual on Ebay for $11!
Just click on the PDF right below the preview.
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/pubdetail.aspx?id=1519

Yep, I like that rectractable key ring too. Smart idea.

Thanks for the link...very cool! :beer:

JohnFreeman · Oct 31, 2009

They're both fantastic. Great scores guys

Stuart in MN · Oct 31, 2009

I have the bench top version as well, mine's a few years older than either of yours but it's the same thing except for the logo on the name badge. They are great tools, very well built. As for the chuck key, if you take another look at the table there's a little hole at the rear on the right side where the factory wanted you to keep the key. That retractable key holder is a good idea, though - no way you'll forget to take it out of the chuck before turning it on.

krusty the clown · Oct 31, 2009

Monte said:
cool design !

kinda reminds me of an old mercury outboard :bounce:

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv · Oct 31, 2009

Those old tools got style!

evintho · Oct 31, 2009

Hey, what'dya guys think about this. The lowest speed on this thing is 600 rpm. I'd like it much lower for metal working. Now, as you can see from the photo, it's on the lowest speed - small pulley on motor and big pulley on spindle. The motor is adjustable, up and down on the mount. What if I slid the motor down on the mount, lining up the big motor pulley with the big spindle pulley. That would significantly lower the spindle rpm's. Wouldn't it?

dalvorsen · Oct 31, 2009

no not really...go hop on your bike and try it out, you'll see why not

mightymg · Oct 31, 2009

Very cool!

rjh-yota · Oct 31, 2009

Ive got the same drill press and i also wanted to slow it down. Check out this page http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/LoSpeedPress.pdfI did this and it works great.

Keep · Oct 31, 2009

rjh-yota said:
Ive got the same drill press and i also wanted to slow it down. Check out this page http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/LoSpeedPress.pdfI did this and it works great.

That looks like a ton of work. I am in the process of building a "Low speed attachment" basically its another step pulley that mounts to the center tube. Once I have it completed I will post some pics. You can actually purchase them from the manufacturers but they run about $250!!, should cost me about $30 to build one.

What you posted would work great, but man that takes a lot of room.

NUTTSGT · Oct 31, 2009

Great find, hope you use it more than the grandson.

Benw455 · Oct 31, 2009

Sweet find!

JohnFreeman · Nov 3, 2009

Wheee!
I go pick up a benchtop version of the same tomorrow, if all goes well.

John

lucforce · Nov 9, 2009

Keep said:
That looks like a ton of work. I am in the process of building a "Low speed attachment" basically its another step pulley that mounts to the center tube. Once I have it completed I will post some pics. You can actually purchase them from the manufacturers but they run about $250!!, should cost me about $30 to build one.

What you posted would work great, but man that takes a lot of room.

There must be plenty of these DP's available because I have one too. I am pricing components to slow mine down but have not compromised on price vs cool factor yet. What do you have envisioned for $30?

Jay H 237 · Nov 18, 2009

Keep said:
That looks like a ton of work. I am in the process of building a "Low speed attachment" basically its another step pulley that mounts to the center tube. Once I have it completed I will post some pics. You can actually purchase them from the manufacturers but they run about $250!!, should cost me about $30 to build one.

What you posted would work great, but man that takes a lot of room.

The circa 1950 Cman drill press I got from my grandfather came with the multi-speed attachment,

drill press

single belt setup

remove column cap

insert multi-speed pulley (motor pulley still needs to be flipped over before belts are put on)

additional pics,

The paperwork is amazingly in like new condition. My grandfather was VERY meticulous and kept all paperwork/manuals for his tools in folders. All attachments/tooling were kept boxed up when not used with all separate parts together. He gave me this drill press and many other tools as he was dying. I've had the drill press since the summer of '97 and he passed away that December.

He wanted someone to take care of them. My uncle (his son) took the table saw, lathe, bench drill press, grinders, arc welder and many other misc. stuff before he gave me the floor mount drill press and other remaining stuff. My grandfather was royally pissed when he found out my uncle was just selling/giving the stuff to friends, ect. He was even more pissed when he found out that some of the stuff was just left in my uncle's pick up bed for weeks/months getting rained and snowed on until my uncle decided what to do with it. He's one of those individuals that the pick up bed is a dump and just throws things in there and forgets about them until he needs the space or someone asks about it..........or it just disappears when the truck is left parked somewhere.

uhtkem · Nov 18, 2009

WOW That is pretty good

CATSNOX900 · Nov 18, 2009

I recently came across this Craftsman 150 for $100.0. I don't really have the space for it at the momment but I'm still thinking I should go pick it up. I'm not up on these older drill presses and what they are capable of, so I don't know if its worth the money for light duty metal work and occasional wood use. What do you guys think?

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/tls/1439523032.html

lucforce · Nov 28, 2009

Jay,
Thanks for putting that together and posting that. I have looked for but not been able to find how that exact setup works. I have seen a later setup that uses two intermediate pulleys between the motor and the quill but I have not find any documentation of it.

I glad that you were able to get that machine of your grandfathers. Take care of it. I have a high concentration of retirees where I live. Unfortunately every year in my area more machinery and tools are lost for scrap or to backyard stashes where deterioration takes place rapidly in 95% humidity-Mostly when family members don't care about the objects or just see a quick buck after someones passing.

Keep · Nov 28, 2009

Jay H 237 said:

This looks a lot like the attachment I built I will get some pictures tomorrow, but mine is a very close match to that.

I built a capped sleeve that goes over the middle tube, drilled a 1/2 hole in it and ran a 1/2 bolt through a 4 step pulley, hardest part was fitting the damn belts. Nothing like 4 trips to the store because my measurements didn't match the new belts.

evintho · Nov 29, 2009

Yes, please post pics along with as much detail as possible. I'd like to build something like that for mine.

Keep · Nov 29, 2009

Here are the pics. If you want I can take it off for a better look, it still needs some refinement but I wanted to make sure it was possible before I took the time to press in some bearings or brass bushings.

I could not find a 5 step pulley for this build but if I track one down I will switch it over.

This is made of 3 inch id 1/8 inch tubing. some scrap 1/4 plate, a 1/2 by 3.5 inch long bolt with a locknut and a couple washers.

I welded on a couple tabs and then cut the pipe to allow it to slide and pinch to hold.

I then welded a cap on top that covers a little over 3/4 of the tube, this was so I could leave a bit open so the tube would crimp down and hold it on the tube.

Then I drilled a 1/2 inch hole, flipped the pulley on the motor and started searching for belts.

Since I have found that this is a workable design I will start to refine it by drilling out the pulley to accept either a couple bearings or a brass bushing that will just ride on the bolt.

Junkman · Nov 29, 2009

I have the same drill press. I bought it used in the early 1960's. When I moved in 1973, I left it in a friends garage, and it got a lot of surface rust on it. I took it apart to paint, but had a difficult time trying to figure out how the spindle shaft came out. I wanted to replace the rubber O ring bumper that stopped it from clunking when the spindle returned to the top. It is all together now, except for putting the switch box back on the side and wiring it.

evintho · Dec 4, 2009

Keep said:
Here are the pics. If you want I can take it off for a better look, it still needs some refinement but I wanted to make sure it was possible before I took the time to press in some bearings or brass bushings.

I could not find a 5 step pulley for this build but if I track one down I will switch it over.

This is made of 3 inch id 1/8 inch tubing. some scrap 1/4 plate, a 1/2 by 3.5 inch long bolt with a locknut and a couple washers.

I welded on a couple tabs and then cut the pipe to allow it to slide and pinch to hold.

I then welded a cap on top that covers a little over 3/4 of the tube, this was so I could leave a bit open so the tube would crimp down and hold it on the tube.

Then I drilled a 1/2 inch hole, flipped the pulley on the motor and started searching for belts.

Since I have found that this is a workable design I will start to refine it by drilling out the pulley to accept either a couple bearings or a brass bushing that will just ride on the bolt.

Yes please, when you take it apart take more pics and write a detailed explanation of exactly how it works. I think I get the idea but I'd like to know for sure so I could copy it, if you don't mind. Nice work!

930dreamer · Dec 4, 2009

Very nice, not a piece of plastic on it I bet. 930 :bowdown:

jimsil13 · Jul 31, 2010

Hello guys,

My name is Tim, and I joined this site tonight, just because of this thread.

Tonight I picked up an "really old drill press" off Craigslist, that had been "rescued from the scrap-yard", and paid just $45 for it.
It's a Craftsman 150 (model 103.24521), 1/3 hp, free standing floor model. I've been searching for a cheap drill press for a while, to help complete a garage project (mini sand-rail) that I've been slowly working on for the last couple years. I don't know much anything about drill presses: this is the first one I've ever owned. I don't necessarily need to totally restore it to original condition, as I bought it for the functionality/need. But then I found some of these restoration type threads, and it makes me think that bringing it back to original form would be cool as anything. Maybe I'll get it running tip-top for now, and then try to restore it next winter, when the snow is deep, and the nights are long.

Anyway: I brought it home, plugged it in, and it fired right up. Tested it with a 1/4" drill bit and a scrap piece of angle iron bed frame: cut right through it like it was nothing. But, it also brought to light a couple important questions:

1) It has several knobs, handles, bolts, etc missing, (I'll try to get a photo up tomorrow) and since the model hasn't been made for maybe 50 years, I'm not gonna find authentic replacement parts. Do I just go with pieces that I find, that might work (for functionality sake), or is there someone out there that re-manufactures vintage parts, replicas, or even sells lost original parts (NOS/shelf finds etc??)

2)The quill has a bit of play (up and down): so how do I find out what size bearings to order, to replace them with? If some have already restored similar models, do you maybe recall the sizes? How do you measure the bearings? ID of the bearing itself, or OD of the quill shaft? Would I be better off just replacing the whole assembly with something newer, of similar size and diameter?

3) I'm gonna have to dissemble it, and thoroughly clean it up; as like many garage/barn finds shown previously here; as it's been sitting for years, collecting lots of dirt, dust and grime. I'm not sure how to take the quill apart, or how to get the gears (I don't know if you'd call it a rack & pinion or not) apart to clean (there was a wasps nest built inside around the shaft). Is there a trick to it?

Anyway: sorry for the lengthy post; I guess I'm just a little excited at my find, and am just chomping at the bit to get started on it.

Thanks for reading my first post, and I hope there are a few here who can kinda give me a little push towards learning my way through rebuilding this old gem.

Stuart in MN · Jul 31, 2010

I have the same drill press. One thing to remember is they sold the same basic model for probably 20 years or more (there were minor updates like different paint colors, etc.) As a result there are still a fair amount of them out there and you may be able to find good used replacement parts. Also, it's possible that Sears still carries some parts as well - go to their website and find the parts and service section, and enter the model number. It's worth a shot.

You could place parts wanted ads here and other places. Another good resource is the Old Woodworking Machines website at http://www.owwm.com/ They mainly concentrate on table saws, lathes, etc. but drill presses are covered as well. They should have an owner's manual online that you can look at, too.

My brand new 50 year old drill press!

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