Craftsman Drill Press

Craptain · Dec 13, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

Very nice job. The table is excellent with just a very small arc of shame. I had to zoom in to see it. You will enjoy using it.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

shortykorte · Dec 14, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

Itsrock very nice clean up. Definitely chose right.

Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

FrankLee · Dec 14, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

itsDROCK said:
Finally put her back together today. I disassembled and cleaned every part except for the motor. Disassembling the motor seemed intimidating to me being that it’s so old and I’m not well-versed in electrical. However, I did remove some of the old bearing grease and added oil to each bearing. I replaced the four bearings on the drill press itself too.

The white overspray was very difficult to remove and I ended up leaving it as you see in the photos. Too much of the original paint was coming off, exposing bare metal, and I decided not to go any further.

The work light doesn’t like to stay put. I may replace it down the road if it proves to be worthless. As for the column, i used the wire wheel on my craftsman block grinder because it was quick and easy. Sanding by hand, although much more time consuming, would have made for a better end result in my opinion. Thanks to FrankLee and everyone else who participates in this thread. It is a great resource and influenced me to pick up a craftsman instead of another brand.

Craptain said:
Very nice job. The table is excellent with just a very small arc of shame. I had to zoom in to see it. You will enjoy using it.

shortykorte said:
Itsrock very nice clean up. Definitely chose right.
Shorty Korte

Ditto... Excellent job!

That chrome looks really nice. I've had similar results with chrome on earlier machines. It just seems to be much better quality than later machines.

ttpete · Dec 14, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

FrankLee said:
Ditto... Excellent job!

That chrome looks really nice. I've had similar results with chrome on earlier machines. It just seems to be much better quality than later machines.

There was a lot of bad chrome plating during the Korean War. There was a nickel shortage and they had to lay the chrome on over the copper undercoat only. It really showed up on car chrome parts when the chrome would peel off.

FrankLee · Dec 14, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

ttpete said:
There was a lot of bad chrome plating during the Korean War. There was a nickel shortage and they had to lay the chrome on over the copper undercoat only. It really showed up on car chrome parts when the chrome would peel off.

Here's an example of bad plating over copper, but this was from a 2nd gen Emerson, '67-'69.

jg4660 · Dec 15, 2019

Hi all...I'm interested in a similar drill press thats listed for sale as part of a bunch of other stuff. I'm not sure of the model# yet.What is a fair price for it? I think it would make a good restoration project.

FrankLee · Dec 15, 2019

jg4660 said:
Hi all...I'm interested in a similar drill press thats listed for sale as part of a bunch of other stuff. What is a fair price for it? I think it would make a good restoration project.

kirk69nova said:
Thank you so much for replying back. From what I’ve read throughout this and other threads $100 is about the right price for a working DP. Would you guys agree?

FrankLee said:
Condition, optional accessories or attachments, region and want-vs.-need are all major factors in price. If in decent shape with no parts missing, yes, I would agree that $100 is about right for a standard drill press. If any accessories are included, $100 is a better bargain.

It's the 13-1/2" Craftsman 80 model and looks like it's in decent shape with a couple missing parts and a couple odd set-up issues. I'd pay $50 for that if everything works as it should.

jg4660 · Dec 15, 2019

FrankLee Thanks for the info...I was thinking about $50 also...I'm not sure what he wants for yet. He's also got an old Craftsman bandsaw of about the same vintage.

JG

GreyEyes · Dec 15, 2019

FrankLee said:
and a couple odd set-up issues.

Yeah, looks like someone transposed the head and table locks. The head lock is recessed and the table lock is sticking out, both are normally pretty close to flush.

FrankLee · Dec 15, 2019

GreyEyes said:
Yeah, looks like someone transposed the head and table locks. The head lock is recessed and the table lock is sticking out, both are normally pretty close to flush.

Yep. That and the belt looks way too long based on the motor mount position.

The feed stop bracket also looks like it slid down the quill some, but that is the case on virtually every early 80/100.

All are easily addressed.

I'm kinda thinking it's a '56-ish model because of the non-tilting table. I also suspect it's a floor stander... not too common for a Craftsman 80.

.

jg4660 · Dec 15, 2019

FrankLee said:
Y

I'm kinda thinking it's a '56-ish model because of the non-tilting table. I also suspect it's a floor stander... not too common for a Craftsman 80.

.

The seller's not real responsive..i was hoping check it out in person today...theres another for sale also..looks similiar and the seller wants $150. Its model is a 103.23641. has the light and original manuals. is it worth it?

FrankLee · Dec 15, 2019

jg4660 said:
The seller's not real responsive..i was hoping check it out in person today...theres another for sale also..looks similiar and the seller wants $150. Its model is a 103.23641. has the light and original manuals. is it worth it?

IMO, no.

The condition does not justify the asking price. It's older than the other and the motor is not Craftsman.

jg4660 · Dec 15, 2019

Thanks I'm amazed at the level of knowledge you guys have on these old presses. i'm hoping the seller of the first one responds.

JG

FrankLee · Dec 15, 2019

jg4660 said:
Thanks I'm amazed at the level of knowledge you guys have on these old presses. i'm hoping the seller of the first one responds.

JG

If it's not too far, it may be worthwhile to take a look at the second. You never know how motivated the seller is. I got plenty of machines at 1/3 to 1/2 of asking price. Just don't be afraid to walk away.

GreyEyes · Dec 15, 2019

jg4660 said:
The seller's not real responsive..i was hoping check it out in person today...theres another for sale also..looks similiar and the seller wants $150. Its model is a 103.23641. has the light and original manuals. is it worth it?

There's something funky going on with that motor mount. It looks like a smaller one nested inside a larger one. :headscrat

jg4660 · Dec 16, 2019

jg4660 said:
Hi all...I'm interested in a similar drill press thats listed for sale as part of a bunch of other stuff. I'm not sure of the model# yet.What is a fair price for it? I think it would make a good restoration project.

I made contact with the seller today. They seem pretty firm at $100. Should i take a chance or pass? there seem to be a number of these that show up on CL or FB but they all seem to ask $100 and up.

Thanks
JG

FrankLee · Dec 16, 2019

jg4660 said:
I made contact with the seller today. They seem pretty firm at $100. Should i take a chance or pass? there seem to be a number of these that show up on CL or FB but they all seem to ask $100 and up.

Thanks
JG

If it's the first one from Tonawanda, has a running Craftsman motor and no visible run-out and you need one, then maybe. Can't really see much in the ad.

jg4660 · Dec 16, 2019

Yeah thats the one...Can't say i really need one. i'll probably go check it out. What do you make of the craftsman grinder in the same ad...curious about that as well.

FrankLee · Dec 16, 2019

jg4660 said:
Yeah thats the one...Can't say i really need one. i'll probably go check it out. What do you make of the craftsman grinder in the same ad...curious about that as well.

That 3/4 hp bench grinder would be great if they really have it. The belt drive, not so much.

jg4660 · Dec 17, 2019

Well i checked it today. Was pretty much as pictured but didn't appear to have the original motor, it may have been another Craftsman but i couldn't tell. The motor and the mounting bracket were a different color than the drill. It needed a new power cord, was poorly rigged to a switch on the bench it sat on. It did run but had a bearing rumble to it...I offered $50 but they held firm on $100. The hunt continues.

I did snag this vise for $10 though...needs a little work, stuck in this position.I didn't mess with it yet.

JG

FrankLee · Dec 17, 2019

jg4660 said:
Well i checked it today. Was pretty much as pictured but didn't appear to have the original motor, it may have been another Craftsman but i couldn't tell. The motor and the mounting bracket were a different color than the drill. It needed a new power cord, was poorly rigged to a switch on the bench it sat on. It did run but had a bearing rumble to it...I offered $50 but they held firm on $100. The hunt continues.

I did snag this vise for $10 though...needs a little work, stuck in this position.I didn't mess with it yet.

JG

You did good to walk on the drill press. V-belts and power cords almost always need to be replaced, and at least half the time, there is some kind of custom switch set-up.

GreyEyes · Dec 18, 2019

jg4660 said:
I did snag this vise for $10 though...needs a little work, stuck in this position.I didn't mess with it yet.

JG

That vise is very old, 100+ years at least. It originally had pipe jaws in the openings below the regular jaws. It is rather odd though, all of the Meadville vises I have seen have had the model # cast into the movable jaw and yours is smooth. They are not real common though, so it's possible they did make one like that. I wonder if it may be a hermaphrodite, with a later Barret/Yost movable jaw? (would also explain the paint colors)

jg4660 · Dec 18, 2019

Greyeyes: I took it apart and got it working. The paint on the movable jaw was poorly done and there's spots of it on the static jaw as well. It seems just like the static in terms of texture and weight and under the blue is similar paint as well. It looks like the original paint was a low gloss black. I'm going to repaint it all like that and put it to use.

JG

Junkman · Dec 18, 2019

It has been a while since I last posted that I picked up the table top Craftsman DP with the Vari Speed. Back in September I knocked it apart, and was thinking that I would have the worn arm of the Vari Speed repaired, and then put everything back. Dropped it at a friends that builds racing transmissions for him to install a bushing. He finally got to it this past week, and I picked it up today. Now it is too cold in the garage, so the project will be awhile until I get back onto it. Below is a picture of the arm with a new bronze bushing. When you look at the arm, it is clear that is has multiple bends in it. Don't know how he drilled it out and installed the bushing, but it should now work. The only thing that I still haven't found are the locking knob and parts, and the step wheel for the motor.

FrankLee · Dec 20, 2019

dp#77

I left the house at 6:30 this morning for a three hour round trip to Saginaw, Mi to grab dp#77.

This one is a Craftsman 150, model 103.24511. The feed return spring is fubar, but it came with another nice head & table lift.

jg4660 · Dec 20, 2019

Nice..looks to be in great shape.

smalltown · Dec 20, 2019

Frank you struck gold again !

FrankLee · Dec 20, 2019

Re: dp#77

jg4660 said:
Nice..looks to be in great shape.

smalltown said:
Frank you struck gold again !

Yes, it seems to be in very good condition.

Here's the wonky spring. I do have a replacement.

The oe chuck was replaced with a keyless Supreme chuck. The milled surface of the table is in great shape. I could not see any errant holes through the dirt.

When I turned the table lift crank during inspection, it was very tight. So much so, that I was concerned about the condition of the bevel gears. When I got it home, I opened the gear housing and found what appears to be the original grease that was very dry. After a shot of WD-40 and a bit of manipulation, everything freed up beautifully! The bevel gears are in great shape!

The threads of the main screw are packed with swarf and dirt.

For some reason unknown, a previous owner drilled four small holes in each of the column collars. Regardless, it should clean up nicely.

I've got the h&tl dismantled. That old original grease flaked off like old paint.

1/7/2020

dp#77 is complete.

FrankLee · Dec 20, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

phildrennen said:
You've got a knack for finding these table lifts it seems!

It's mostly luck and some persistence and quick action.

shortykorte · Dec 21, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

Looks like a nice find and worth the drive. I’m new to the table lift accessory. How does it work since that one is above the table.
Also, on the fubor return spring, are there replacements?

Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

FrankLee · Dec 21, 2019

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

shortykorte said:
Looks like a nice find and worth the drive. I’m new to the table lift accessory. How does it work since that one is above the table.
Also, on the fubor return spring, are there replacements?

Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

That one was out of position and I only saw it on my second view of the photos. The top row of photos was from the seller. The second row are mine when I went to pick it up. The lift mechanism was so stiff and gummed-up it did not work well at all. There are a few links in the first post with lots of info and pictures on the lift.

I believe ebay is the only regular source now for spring replacements. You may also find one on the forums.

GreyEyes · Dec 22, 2019

FrankLee said:
For some reason unknown, a previous owner drilled four small holes in each of the column collars. Regardless, it should clean up nicely.

Are those holes tapped? Wonder if maybe he was going to put set screws in them?

FrankLee · Dec 22, 2019

GreyEyes said:
Are those holes tapped? Wonder if maybe he was going to put set screws in them?

It was so dirty, I wasn't sure and had to go check. Yes, tapped 10-24.

FrankLee · Dec 24, 2019

Re: dp#75

The weather was unseasonably nice enough in the last couple days to do some parts cleaning outdoors. Below is the head frame casting from dp#75 cleaned with Grez-Off. To say I'm impressed with that stuff is an understatement!

12/27/2019

Progress.

12/28/1019

dp#75 is complete.

GreyEyes · Dec 24, 2019

Wow FrankLee that is quite the transformation, I am definitely going to have to try Grez-Off!

gatewaysysop · Dec 28, 2019

Here's something that I thought the group would find amusing. See how long it takes you to figure out what's out of place. :bounce:

FrankLee · Dec 28, 2019

gatewaysysop said:
Here's something that I thought the group would find amusing. See how long it takes you to figure out what's out of place.

LoL!

Well, at least he stayed with Craftsman badging and didn't use some other manufacturer.

GreyEyes · Dec 28, 2019

FrankLee said:
LoL!

Well, at least he stayed with Craftsman badging and didn't use some other manufacturer.

Yeah, he retro'd a retro drill press!

It looks like the first attempt was to paint the banding on.

gatewaysysop · Dec 28, 2019

FrankLee said:
LoL!

Well, at least he stayed with Craftsman badging and didn't use some other manufacturer.

GreyEyes said:
Yeah, he retro'd a retro drill press!

It looks like the first attempt was to paint the banding on.

Yep. Made me do a double take and compare with side photos of the same thing. Wrong headband and wrong badge, neither one quite fitting the casting correctly anymore. And yeah, it does look like it might have been painted as a first attempt.

I thought I'd seen it all, but people never cease to amaze me with their "ingenuity" to put it kindly.

Here's a few more for posterity, from the CL ad. A modest $360 and this gem can be yours, apparently:

If you want bonus points, see how many other things you can spot that are "off" in the rest of the photos. I lost count. :wtf:

lafester · Dec 28, 2019

That home made table lift is pretty cool though.

Craftsman Drill Press

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member