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Craftsman Drill Press
- Thread starter FrankLee
- Start date
Nice recap! Your machine looks great!
Early on, I bought 3/8" wide belts for a middle pulley... big mistake. They will bottom out in the pulleys and are more prone to slipping. The 1/2" Duralast cogged belts at Autozone are still my preference. But they have to be USA or India made. Mexico belts are very stiff.
Thanks Frank! Ok, good to know about the belt, I will get the Duralast other than Mexico mfg. I thought I had read about the linked belt in one or more of your posts, then someone must have remembered incorrectly that you posted you no longer used the linked belts, signs of an aging brain. Carry on!
Wow! Great find. I'm envious.. Been looking for the lift for awhile. Congrats!
-Jesse
Corona, CA
Hoorn
Well-known member
I have a Delta 220 drill press that I'm restoring, so I need to wrap that up first.
As for the lift, I did start on that. I took it apart like a kid opening a Christmas present. Everything was very straightforward except the panel screws holding the "Patent No" badge were apparently made of kryptonite and would not budge. I had a large 1/2" Allen key that I ground down the L angle into the exact size of the through hole and tried hammering it out from the limited space available, similar to Franks panel screw removal tool, no go. I was at this for quite a while until my desire to save the screws ended and I drilled them out. Even then they proved tough.
Here are some random pics of progress. Even though my CDP 150 is power bronze I'm painting these what I believe to be the only color ever offered, the blue gray, as found on the 100s.
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Hoorn
Well-known member
Cruzan80
Well-known member
Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press
Possibly NSK?
Sent from my IN2015 using The Garage Journal mobile app
Possibly NSK?
Sent from my IN2015 using The Garage Journal mobile app
Hoorn
Well-known member
Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press
My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I'm pretty sure the bearing says "Nice Ball Bearing" and even has company location of Philadelphia.
My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I'm pretty sure the bearing says "Nice Ball Bearing" and even has company location of Philadelphia.
12vx2
Well-known member
The Green Loctite I have used and am familiar with is bearing mount.
That is so cool!
Every lift I've had or seen had Nice 603-1/4 bearings. The "nice" thing is that the vast majority of these lifts were used as table lifts. Because of this, there was never much pressure on the bearings. They are always like new after being cleaned.
I do recall that the panel screws were difficult to remove even with the tool. On two of my units, I tapped those holes with a #4 tap... very slowly and very carefully with the tap in a small Jacobs chuck. That was a dicey operation, but turned out very good.
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Hoorn
Well-known member
Did you happen to notice that your Patent No. badge (from your current keeper) and mine are affixed to opposite sides of the gear box? I went looking around on the internet and found every example to be randomly on one side or the other.
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y'sguy
Well-known member
I would sure like to trip across one of those lifts for my press someday soon. Very nice.
I just checked my lift and the plate is on the same side as Frank's last photo.
Y'sguy: Good luck as I looked for several years before finding mine. And even then, I had to pay up for it and spent over double what I paid the 150 DP. But I still have less into the entire DP set-up than a new one.
Y'sguy: Good luck as I looked for several years before finding mine. And even then, I had to pay up for it and spent over double what I paid the 150 DP. But I still have less into the entire DP set-up than a new one.
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Hoorn
Well-known member
When one is rarely offered for sale on the internet, since about 2018 it usually commands north of $400.
Seems the only way to find one now is a random garage sale or in my case just be lucky enough to be the first guy who contacts a CL seller who does not realize what he has. When I finally picked up the drill press this table lift was attached to, the seller told me that his phone had absolutely exploded with requests to buy his DP. It wasn't until I actually got it in my SUV and closed the tailgate that I could exhale and smile my biggest smile -I knew how fortunate I was. The competition is crazy in SoCal for vintage tools.
And again, my $100 got me an Atlas made 1942/44 Craftsman DP in good condition/original paint with that table lift, an MSA pulley and that beautiful/ugly full length pulley cover. The added cherry was that it had a 1950 Craftsman motor that runs utterly
smooth.
Seems the only way to find one now is a random garage sale or in my case just be lucky enough to be the first guy who contacts a CL seller who does not realize what he has. When I finally picked up the drill press this table lift was attached to, the seller told me that his phone had absolutely exploded with requests to buy his DP. It wasn't until I actually got it in my SUV and closed the tailgate that I could exhale and smile my biggest smile -I knew how fortunate I was. The competition is crazy in SoCal for vintage tools.
And again, my $100 got me an Atlas made 1942/44 Craftsman DP in good condition/original paint with that table lift, an MSA pulley and that beautiful/ugly full length pulley cover. The added cherry was that it had a 1950 Craftsman motor that runs utterly
smooth.
A couple weeks ago, I saw this band saw in a craigslist ad. Today, I was taking a closer look and noticed that the belt guard did not look like an oe band saw belt guard....
Then the lightbulb lit up!
Then the lightbulb lit up!
justintendo
Well-known member
looks like the top cover from a certain dp
Bingo!
It's a Craftsman Drill Press Cover. Even more rare than a table lift.
All mounting hardware is missing, but it still works well, even with a middle pulley. Another downside is that a small notch was cut in the side to fit the band saw, but it's fixable.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Good Sleuthing Frank!
y'sguy
Well-known member
And I have to ask, Did you buy the whole thing or offer a mysterious price for just the cover
. Steal of a deal no matter what. Good for you Frank!
. Steal of a deal no matter what. Good for you Frank!Hoorn
Well-known member
Amazing how often you come across such rare accessories. Tip o' the cap Frank
RHJO51
Well-known member
I have one of these same craftsman dip covers , with all the mounting hardware and even the chrome acorn nut for the top. I’ve had no luck finding a table lift though, still looking!
I bought the whole saw. The saw itself was a disaster! It must have tipped over at one time and broke the saw off the stand. The right frame was "welded" back together.And I have to ask, Did you buy the whole thing or offer a mysterious price for just the cover
Both the upper and lower blade guides were fubar, but there are plenty of other good parts in addition to the pedestal.
Hoorn
Well-known member
lafester
Well-known member
Outlawmws
Well-known member
I agree; it already has a heck of a stop drill...
Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press
I think I would raise the table to support the head with something. Then, loosen and tighten the head lock. If the crack closes and opens, I would be mending it with a narrow plate or strap and machine screws slightly around the column.
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ttpete
Well-known member
There are 3 flat surfaces to drill and tap for steel straps. Take it off the column and clamp it together first.
lafester
Well-known member
Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press
I'll probably do this just to see what happens. The pic is with the lock on tight and there is barely any gap.
I'll probably do this just to see what happens. The pic is with the lock on tight and there is barely any gap.
lafester
Well-known member
I just noticed that the table is black like the 150 dp... I assume that this is a crossover model? I have seen the mismatched handles before but I thought the table was painted blue grey like the head and base.
I also did FrankLee's test and yes, the small gap goes away when you loosen the head lock. I still do not see how this crack could get any worse over time, in fact I think it has been there for a very long time already.
I also did FrankLee's test and yes, the small gap goes away when you loosen the head lock. I still do not see how this crack could get any worse over time, in fact I think it has been there for a very long time already.
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PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
edit
Here are the drill press colors used throughout the 100/150 series and their approximate years:
- 1946-1956: light gray
- 1957-1963: power bronze
- 1964-1966: dark gray
Light gray and dark gray are not chronologically adjacent, so I don't think your machine is a crossover/transitional machine. IMO, that table was replaced.
Also, if the 1954 motor is original to the machine, the original table would have been a tilting table.
So the next rhetorical question is whether the replaced table and the cracked head casting are related to some traumatic event. Did this machine fall over and break the table and head?
The issue I see with the cracked column support is that more stress is being applied around and splaying open that support ring. The weakest/thinnest part of that ring is now at the front, 180 degrees from the crack.
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PDX
Well-known member
Pardon the make-shift work area, still setting up shop but needed to knock out a few projects this weekend, but figured I would show the old beater off. Snagged it a couple weeks ago - they were asking $35 but haggled them down to $20 since "it's so old and probably not working very well these days." Didn't even have to clean it!
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Re: Table Lift, DP#15
Hi Frank,
Once again thanks for all the great information you've contributed for all of us. I continue my restoration project and though it's going slowly, it's coming along. Once I'm done, I'll post pictures of the before, during and after. I'm also in the process of reverse engineering the atlas table lift. I've actually purchased a partial set of components on Ebay (lead screw, bevel gears, crank handle, housing cover and thrust bearing.) I'm attempting to draft up plans for the gearbox as well as the lower threaded collar (the one the lead screw threads through.) Any chance you can share some of the dimensions and measurements from those components?
Thanks in advance,
-Jesse
Corona, CA
Hi Frank,
Once again thanks for all the great information you've contributed for all of us. I continue my restoration project and though it's going slowly, it's coming along. Once I'm done, I'll post pictures of the before, during and after. I'm also in the process of reverse engineering the atlas table lift. I've actually purchased a partial set of components on Ebay (lead screw, bevel gears, crank handle, housing cover and thrust bearing.) I'm attempting to draft up plans for the gearbox as well as the lower threaded collar (the one the lead screw threads through.) Any chance you can share some of the dimensions and measurements from those components?
Thanks in advance,
-Jesse
Corona, CA
Pardon the make-shift work area, still setting up shop but needed to knock out a few projects this weekend, but figured I would show the old beater off. Snagged it a couple weeks ago - they were asking $35 but haggled them down to $20 since "it's so old and probably not working very well these days." Didn't even have to clean it!
You scored! That's a great looking press.
sheltonfilms
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 28, 2014
- Messages
- 157
My drill press had a 11 56 stamped motor and it (motor) was power bronze, along with the press.
Im wondering if they did changes in the middle of the year.
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