11b30b4's Vintage Classic Craftsman Drill Press Information Thread

[11b30b4]

I went back and forth over what I would do with this post. Should I make it an additional post to FrankLee’s Craftsman Drill Press thread, or should I start a new thread? I know there are enough of us experienced guys to carry on Frank’s thread but none of us have access to the thread to index it and link sections. Besides, without Frank’s input and his incredible library of images, posting this information in a new thread makes more sense. If/ when Frank returns, I expect he will want to chime in on this thread as well. Regardless, I do speak with Frank and he assists me when he is able.



This is my Vintage Craftsman Drill Press Information Thread. I will never be able to fill the shoes of FrankLee, but I will try to share what I know and what I learn.

I am not a professional anything that does not sling bullets so if I fail to use proper machinist terminology, please feel free to correct me and/or bear with me.

At the time of writing this thread, I have rebuilt 5 Craftsman Drill Presses. All of these 5 rebuilds can be found here on GJ and links to all my rebuilds are in my signature below. Of these 5 drill presses, I have given one to a family member and I recently sold one, so I still have 3 that are my keeper machines.

If you take the time to look up these 5 rebuilds you will quickly realize that prior to July 2020, I had no idea what magic caused my drill press to operate. But I learn quickly, and I learn by doing. One drill press quickly led to five and boom!, I was hooked. So much so that I started expanding beyond the drill press to include all the Craftsman/ king Seeley pedestal tools.

This thread is the result of a question I was asked some time ago about a Drill Press comparison chart that FrankLee had built and had on his thread Prior to Upgrade (PTU). In the process of gathering information to make this chart I learned a good bit more about these drill presses, and I figured why not share all that knowledge so others don’t have to go find it like I had to do.

This information comes from the vast array of catalogs and scanned documents available on Vintage Machinery. The Craftsman page of Vintage machinery is the go-to source for pictures, catalogs, owner’s manuals and historical data about Craftsman. Here is a link to the Craftsman page:

Sears | Craftsman - History | VintageMachinery.org

I really have no idea how this thread will progress, and I do not want FrankLee’s thread to lose its importance here on GJ. Afterall, it was FrankLee and his Craftsman Drill Press thread that led me to GJ.

Here is the link to Frank’s thread:

Craftsman Drill Press

Chuck Speed Calculator Links to Drill Press Pages in Craftsman Catalogs Spindle Pulleys - Another bearing option for worn pulley shafts MSA Round Wire Rings Tilt Table & Taper Pins Vari-Slo Belt Replacements Vari-Slo Diagnosis 1 Vari-Slo Diagnosis 2 Chuck Pin Spanner

www.garagejournal.com

With everything I have stated above, I invite all of you to contribute to this thread. If you want to continue to post on Frank’s thread, that is perfectly fine with me. I will continue to add to Frank’s thread, and I will manage this thread to the best of my abilities and as time allows.



History

To understand what we refer to as the Classic Craftsman Drill Press you should have some knowledge of how it came to be.

NOTE: due to a lack of sources, I have had to make some assumptions.

Sears was founded by R.W. Sears in 1887. Sears sold the company in 1889 but in 1893 he formed a new company called the Sears, Roebuck & Co. The Craftsman brand was trademarked on May 20th, 1927.

Craftsman is a band name and Sears contracted with a variety of manufactures to produce tools and equipment for the Craftsman brand. The Classic Drill Press we will be discussing came to be from several generations of a very different drill press; however, the drill press that most likely led to the classic drill press was not even a Craftsman brand drill press.

Before Craftsman there was Companion.

This is an image from the 1933 Craftsman and Companion Power Tools Catalog. In previous catalogs the Companion brand can be seen with the long C in it but the long C was transferred to the Craftsman brand in this catalog and this is the first catalog we see an additional drill press that is associated with the Craftsman brand name.

1933-1941 Craftsman Walker Turner/ Atlas Era Drill Press

I believe both of these drill presses were manufactured by Walker Turner given the many similarities; however, the Craftsman branded drill press was an improvement over the Companion drill press in several ways. The Craftsman drill press introduced ball bearings compared to the bronze-bushed bearings in the Companion. The motor was relocated in line with the quill and the addition of a Jacob’s brand keyed chuck expanded the capabilities of the Craftsman drill press. Without FrankLee, I am not sure of all the model numbers associated with these early Craftsman Drill Presses but here are some pics of a 1933 model SD-80.

Also in 1933, Walker Turner applied for patent D91,094. This patent was for a drill press head casting that we see in many of the WT designs.

In 1934 Atlas began manufacturing Drill presses and Lathes for Sears and the Craftsman brand. In 1935 the Craftsman and Companion brands were merged, and the drill press lineup was expanded to provide drill presses for a wider variety of industries and consumers. Craftsman introduced the Craftsman Companion Economy Drill Press most likely produced by Walker Turner.

Craftsman also introduced the All-Purpose Drill Press which was an evolution of the Companion drill press and utilized the bronze-bushing bearing design and most likely produced by Walker Turner.

Craftsman continued to improve the Walker Turner drill press design; however, WT also began to look for other contracts. In 1935 Walker Turner applied for Patent 2,072,646. this patent would not be approved until 1937 but it would become the iconic Walker Turner Drill Press and also sold as a Rockwell brand drill press.

Craftsman renamed their top line drill press to the Master Craftsman High Speed Heavy Duty Drill Press. This 15” press was produced by Atlas and is the 101 series. This is the generally referred to the first model of the more recognizable 103 series classic craftsman drill press.

For the first time this drill press was offered in a bench top version and floor standing version. One of the major improvements was the introduction of the four-ball bearing design that would carry over into the classic design and set the standard for almost all drill presses in the future.

Additional improvements such as the tilting table, precision milled spindle and quill and the ability to invert the head to convert the drill press into a shaper, demonstrated the innovation that Atlas brought to the Craftsman lineup. Atlas would eventually become the Clausing Corporation and go on to manufacture some of the best industrial drill presses ever produced. But for now, Atlas greatly improved the quality of drill presses in the Craftsman brand.

It was also in 1935 that the Atlas Press Company applied for US Patent: 2,073,704.

This patent was for the intermediate pully system we would come to called the Slow-Speed attachment and would not be approved until 1946. Atlas produced these slow speed pulleys for the Craftsman 101.03xxx models (also made by Atlas) and eventually the classic drill presses.

In this 1936 catalog you can see the Slow Speed Attachment being offered for $3.95. Today, originals go for over $300.00 on ebay.

Also, in 1936 we see the introduction of the milled table and base surface as well as the slotting. Additionally, the head lock and table lock were reengineered to incorporate the clamping lock. Lastly, we see the change from a simple through rod quill feed to a hub with four handles. All of these changes will carry on to the classic drill press.

In 1937 we see the introduction of the splined spindle and the heavy duty quill lock (incorporating the same clamping lock system as the head and table). Both of these innovations will carry over to the classic drill press.

In 1938 we see the introduction of the belt drive cover and an indexable tilting table.

In 1939 we see the move to a table with diagonal slots, this will carry over to the classic drill press. The 1940 Craftsman Heavy Duty Drill Press is exactly the same as the 1939 model.

1941-1946 Craftsman Atas/ Dunlap Era

In 1941 we see the introduction of Dunlap in the Craftsman tool line. The 12” formerly Walker Turner Craftsman and Companion drill presses are moved to Dunlap production. The standard and heavy duty line will also be moved to Dunlap; however, not completely.

In 1941 Atlas applied for several patents related to drill presses. Patent 2,260,635 related to the table/ head lift system you can see in the 1941 catalog.

Atlas patents 2,262,512 and 2,287,391 relate to the splined spindle and how it interfaces with the spindle pulley. We first see this innovation in Craftsman drill presses in 1937 and it dramatically increased accuracy and eliminated quill roll.

In 1942 Dunlap redesigned the entry level 12” drill press (its actually 12 ¼”), and we get our first Mohawk drill press. This series is still using bronze bearings, but we do see a lot of the previously identified improvements such as the splined spindle, angle slotted table, and clamping lock handles. This drill press was available in the following configurations:

103.2376 without motor

103.2377 with 1/3 HP motor

The 12 ¾” Craftsman ball bearing press remains virtually unchanged and was likely still being produced by Atlas.

However, a new Craftsman Heavy Duty Drill Press from Dunlap also comes in the iconic 13 ¼” Mohawk look. This Mohawk is packed with most of the improvements and innovation we have seen up to this point. Additionally, the tilting table is now mounted on a horizontal column to improve rigidity and accuracy. Lastly, a new hinged motor mount ensures easier belt changes. Both of These innovations will carry over to the classic drill.

This 13 ¼” Mohawk was available in two configurations:

103.2382 without motor

103.2383 with 1/3 HP motor

Lastly, in the 1942 line up is the renamed Craftsman Industrial Drill Press offered in bench top and floor models and continued to be the only 15” size offered by Craftsman at the time. This drill press was still being produced by Atlas during the Dunlap transition. The 15” Craftsman Industrial Drill Press was available in six configurations:

103.2407 Bench top without motor

103.2388 Bench top with 1/3 HP motor

103.2392 Floor model without motor

103.2393 Floor model with ½ HP motor

103.2423 Floor model with head lift without motor

103.2424 Floor model with head lift with ½ HP motor

From 1942 through 1946 there is almost no source material for this time period. due to the War and that most of these manufacturers were also defense contractors, it is highly likely that an emphasis was placed on the War effort and the consumer market received less attention.

1946 – 1964 Craftsman Dunlap/ King Seeley Era

The Classic Craftsman Drill Press

As far back as 1932 the Central Specialty Corporation manufactured machinery and accessories for Sears under the Craftsman brand name. In 1944 the King Seeley Corporation acquired the Central Specialty Corporation and assumed some of the Craftsman contacts.

Sometime between 1946 and 1947 King Seeley redesigned the Craftsman Drill Press line. In 1947 King Seeley applied for two patents.

Patent number 2,614,007 was eventually approved in 1952. This patent was for the King Seeley redesign of the drill press headstock and specifically the spindle pulley assembly. Previous innovations such as the splined spindle and dual ball bearing “floating” spindle were incorporated. King Seeley added the side mounting machine screws that secured the spindle assembly into the headstock as well as added a spindle lock collar with a coned set screw to limit upward travel of the quill.

Patent number 2,613,556 was also approved in 1952 and was for the externally calibrated torsion quill return spring as well as a redesigned hub and pinion and how its gears engage with the quill to provide a smooth quill feed.

Some of earliest information about the new drill press line that I could find was an owner’s manual dated October 1946 and the 1947 Sears Christmas catalog. On this page you can see four “New designs, features and quality…available with motors”. This is the third generation of the Craftsman drill press and is the version we refer to as the Classic Craftsman Drill Press. We will see some additional design changes of the next two decades but the overall appearance will remain this iconic art deco look.

From Left to right, (A) Craftsman 12 ¼” Bronze Bearing Drill Press. Note the lack of a decorative engine turned head wrap panel. This drill press was available in two configurations:

103.2310 without motor

103.2311 with 1/3 HP 1750 RPM split phase motor

(B) Craftsman 13 ½” Ball Bearing Drill Press, available now with 4 sets of bearings and the newly redesigned “Floating Drive” spindle assembly and Jacobs brand no. 33 taper keyed chuck. This drill press was available in two configurations:

103.2364 without motor

103.2366 with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

(C) Craftsman 15” Heavy Duty Ball Bearing Drill Press, available with all the previously mentioned innovations and in a bench top and floor model. There were four available configurations:

103.2313 Bench top without motor

103.2330 Bench top with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

103.2314 Floor model without motor

103.2331 Floor model with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

We see a renaming of these drill presses in the 1948 Craftsman tool catalog. On these two pages we see the new Craftsman King Seeley lineup.

On this page we have the newly renamed Craftsman “100” Heavy Duty Drill Press available in both the bench top and floor model. Although, these drill presses were often incorrectly identified as 15” drill presses, based on the 7 ¾” depth of throat, they are both 15 ½” drill presses. Both the bench top and floor model came with all the same features including the tilting table. This 15.5” 100 drill press was available in four configurations:

103.2314 Floor model without motor

103.2331 Floor model with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

103.2313 Bench top without motor

103.2330 Bench top with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

On this page we have the Craftsman 13 ½” “100” Drill Press. This 100 drill press has all the same features of the 15.5” 100s but in a 13 ½” size. This drill press was available in two configurations:

103.2364 without motor

103.2366 with ½ HP 1750 RPM CS motor

We also have the Craftsman 12 ¼” “80” Bronze Bearing Drill Press. Again, this size drill press does not have the decorative engine turned headstock panel and it was available in four configurations:

Both of the configurations from the 1947 Christmas catalog and two additional configurations with the Jacobs chuck.

103.2310 without motor

103.2311 with 1/3 HP 1750 RPM split phase motor

103.2362 with No. 33 tapered Jacobs brand key chuck and no motor

103.2363 with No. 33 tapered Jacobs brand key chuck and 1/3 HP 1750 RPM split phase motor

Lastly, we have the lesser-known Craftsman 9” “40” Low Priced Drill Press. This model comes with bronze bearings and is an evolution of the original champion drill press. I do not know who was actually manufacturing these drill presses in 1948. This drill press was available in two configurations:

103.2172 without motor

103.2166 with ¼ HP 1750 RPM split phase motor

Well, this has covered from 1933 through 1948 and the introduction of the Classic Craftsman 100 series Drill Presses. I will continue this thread starting 1949 and I hope to end with the final American made Emerson Era drill presses before Emerson started manufacturing in Asia.



I hope that some of yall find this informative and I look forward to your comments.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[Hoorn]

Fantastic, informative start to what will be a grand thread. I never tire of learning any new tidbit about this great machine.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Solid write up 11B. I obviously have a bit of interest in the subject. I'll have more comments once I get settled. I'll leave the pics as thumbnails so as not to blow up the page. Feel free to insert any of them into the proper place in your thread.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

A couple of interesting things on the oldies. The early WT700 has two versions out there. The first two pics are my machine. "Craftsman" is angled and the head has squared off mounting sockets cast in. This machine also has a very over-designed motor mount. The third pic (not my machine) has the logo horizontal, rounded mount sockets and a simpler motor mount. I know where one of the second types is but have yet to wrest it from the owners hands. Strange that there's two versions, each requiring a different casting, for this very short time span it was available.

 

[softailgarage]

Excellent post. I too have rebuilt 5, the first was a Mohawk style (1941), then a couple 100's and a couple 150's, the 150's being my favorite. It took me 3 years before I found a 150, they're still hard to find today, even harder in the desert. Frank Lee put a lot of work into those post's, I'm hoping that info hasn't been lost.

 

[JZiggy]

I love everything about this thread. Nice work, great to see these details compiled!

 

[Cruzan80]

Couple of other things I would revise.

The Companion Dunlap swap was happening between 39-41 overall. The earlier Companion and Dunlap's were made by Atlas, and then the manufacturing company swapped for the Mohawk.

The Craftsman Mohawk was produced in two different headstock styles (.0303/.0304 and the revised .0305). Someone did a writeup of the differences (n64fan?). Based on the numbers reported, I strongly suspect the .0305 was the 1943-1946 model, and the .0303/.0304 was the earlier one. By 1943, war restrictions in the catalogs meant the .0305 was listed without a motor, and you had to produce documentation to receive one. I know people have reported Atlas and Craftsman badged drills they say are from wartime. The catalogs are unclear, but it seems as though Sears considered the Atlas top-of-the-line via pricing, with the Mohawks a close second. Somewhere I have the picture I found of the .0304 advertised (I know I have posted it here before).

One difference with the Mohawk is a 2.5" column, as opposed to the more standard 2.75" ones. This means (afaik) there is no MSA pulley available for it, and collars are very hard to find.

VM has the 1943 tool catalog, and I have found a few catalogs during wartime. I would have to look to see if drill presses are mentioned.

The earliest date I have seen for the new "100" series is Jan 1947 (based off of accompanying motor band). I know I have a 4/47 floor model.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

The 12.75 machine with the oddball pulley cover is 100 percent Atlas made. No clue why they opted to change the pulley cover. This machine pops up in several wartime propaganda pictures. It can also be found with gray paint and a Heritage badge on the left hand side instead of the Long C badge on the head. The catalog drawing is a pretty poor representation of the actual machine.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

The two pre-war "bottle capper" DPs. The one in the background is the earlier of the two and, as far as I know, only branded Companion. The one in the foreground can be found in both Companion and Dunlap. I believe both of them to have been manufactured by Central Specialty. Both were only available with the mule drive pulley system.

 

[subroc]

This thread is lookin' good. Great info

 

[JoCoSawdust]

As 11B mentioned, those first two DPs he posted were made by Walker Turner. Prior to breaking out their store brand names, Sears was selling the WT "Driver Line" of power tools. The wierdo Companion badged DP is a really interesting piece. It actually has Walker Turner cast into the zamak head of the machine. That's right, the head of this drill press is made of pot metal. Another interesting touch is the brass oil cup caps. Makes for a classy little machine. 11B, if you'd like to use any of these pics to transfer up into your posts about the timeline, feel free to do so then, if you're able, delete my posts. I don't know if the cyborgs will let you do that or not, if not, I'll try deleting my posts once the pics/info is transferred. It'll make for a lot smoother flow of information.

 

[11b30b4]

Hoorn, thank you.

JoCoSawdust, thank you and you have an awesome collection.

Cruzan80, outstanding information. Thank you and I will look for some of this stuff in future posts. As for the MSA being available for the mohawk, I did come across three different versions of the MSA in one of the catalogs, if I can find it again, I will post a pic. I believe each version was for different presses.

As for the 100s, there are three or more owner’s manuals on VW with actual dates on cover. Two for October 1946 and one for July 1946 so some of the 100s were manufactured in 1946. I do not know if they were sold in 46 or if this was simply a tooling up for 47.

Subroc, thank you.

JoCoSawdust, you are fine with posting the pics, no need to delete them even if I relocate some of them to the timeline.

Update,

So, I have been kind of busy at work this week. After some of the comments from the initial post, I realized I needed to develop a spreadsheet of all the drill presses Craftsman sold from 1933 through 1982. after 1982 most if not all the drill presses were imported.

I will continue the timeline part of the post in the coming weeks, but I needed to get these model numbers down and understand how the production progressed over the 49-year window we are looking at.

My Excel-fu is not black belt level so I have no idea how to export a spreadsheet into one big poster and this thing is big. I took a bunch of screen shots and merged them together to produce a post, but it won’t have the functionality I wanted. I had hoped to make a spreadsheet that you search for a model number without the prefix and find the years it was produced. For now, you will need to just zoom and scroll around this thing to locate the information you want.

All this information was found in two sources, all the Craftsman tool catalogs on VM; however, there are several years that are missing (1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1958, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1980, and 1984). Additionally, there are several catalogs that span over a two-year period (ex. 1959-1960 (Also the first year we see the “Power-Bronze Finish” offered)).

The second source is the Sears seasonal catalogs and wish books found on Christmas.musetechnical.com. This collection starts in 1940 and is missing several years as well (1943 and 1944). Additionally, some of the years do not have any tools in them or a very limited offering of hand tools and no larger shop tools.

Frank has suggested a few other sources such as google books, but I have not had the time to research these other sources.

So, I have uploaded the pdf of this spreadsheet on VM but its in the approval process so I can not link it yet. I will try to attach a jpg of it here, but it may not work.

Anyway, more to come and thank for the interest.

 

[Cruzan80]

11b, please do not take any of what I said as criticism. This is a huge undertaking, and good on you for starting to compile it.

My thoughts on the MSA for the Mohawk was simply based off of them only being available for a limited time, and not seeing it under the accessories for that particular machine. There may we'll be a different MSA that would fit, sold at a different time, but I don't know of a "factory period" option being sold specifically for it.

Great catch with the dates on the manuals. My information is coming only from date codes on the motors, believed to be original to the machines. The war was over by '45, so over a year seems like a big break. Maybe the motors sold during the war and right after were not King Seeley "100"s?

I do know some members have the Craftsman CDs that were being sold at one point with more manuals than generally public ally available. Not sure who has them or what years though.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

I believe this may be the listing for the two different MSA pulleys. This is from the 48 catalog, covering both the pre and post-war machines.

 

[Cruzan80]

Thanks for that, JoCo. Helps confirm my theory, as it uses a 2.5" OD column for the Mohawk. That, and it isn't pictured as either the newer (100 series on left) or older (Atlas camel-sway on right). Just measured a .0303 relative to a 150 column I have around, and it is 2 3/16, compared to 2 5/16 for the 150 (quick and dirty with a tape measure). So figure nominally a 2 1/4" ID column, since they are calling the 100/150 a 2 3/8.

 

[exmaxima1]

Interesting to see Craftsman drill presses with Bronze Bearings. I thought that only the Dunlop versions have the sleeve bearings, such as this local one for sale.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

From what I can tell from wandering through the catalogs is that often times, when Sears would "upgrade" a Craftsman branded machine, the new version would get the Craftsman brand while the outdated version would get the economy brand of Companion or Dunlap. Didn't happen every time Sears made a change but it's not uncommon. This Craftsman 80 is the exact same machine as the one in your pictures exmaxima. While Sears used the term "bronze bearing" I think "bushing" would be a much more accurate term.

 

[11b30b4]

Cruzan80, no worries brother. Nothing you have said has been a criticism as far as I can tell, and I have already stated that I am not a subject matter expert on the CM drill press so I freely acknowledge there is a ton of stuff that I do not know and I am sure there is a good bit that I am not fully versed on.

I would very much like to get a copy of this CID or perhaps someone could load an image of it on a share google drive or something.

JoCoSawdust, that is the advertisement I was referencing. Thank you for posting it. So MSA’s for 2 3/8” and 2” column. When I found that add, I was surprised because I thought there were only two different MSAs the tall Atlas version and the Craftsman version.

Exmaxima1, I agree with JoCoSawdust’s theory about the rebranding. It appears the bronze bearing is old tech from as far back as 1933 since the 1933 Companion Drill Press used them.

while the ball bearings date back to ancient times, Philip Vaughan received a patent for a ball bearing in 1794 and improvements such as the use of metal and self-aligning came about in the late 1800s. The Bronze bushing bearing still has its uses and the self-lubricating effect of bronze adds to its continued use as does the simple design and manufacture.

Although, once we saw a wide use of modern day precision ball bearings, I do not know why Craftsman/ Dunlap and other manufacturers continued to use the bronze bearing.


Ok so here is the pdf version of the Craftsman Drill Press models 1933-1982.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/25984.pdf

More to come, thanks for the interest.

 

[TexTJ209]

Great thread! But you've forgotten the heaviest duty drill press Sears ever sold, the mighty Junior line! Made by Central Specialty and marketed towards children, I think this one first appeared around 41-42 in the catalogues.


Edit: just saw you did include it in your chart, nice! Fantastic work.

 

[11b30b4]

Tex, that rugged, built to withstand a direct nuclear 2KT blast, machine is on the spread sheet previously posted. I just did not want to draw attention to it fearing that everyone on GJ would sell off their 100 and 150 series just for a chance to locate one of these magical works of art.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

That beast was actually the most difficult one for me to find.

 

[11b30b4]

JoCoSawdust, I would assume it was. You don’t really see those popping up that often.

Before I get to the update, did you know you can turn your drill press upside down?

On this page from the 1950 catalog, you can see that you can invert the head and place it on the column below the table. With the Shaper Fence Attachment, you can use the 100 and 150 series drill press to turn it into a shaper. Other attachments let you mill and sand, but this is an interesting use of the drill press.

Update

Continuing with:

1946 – 1964 Craftsman Dunlap/ King Seeley Era

1946-1957 Craftsman 100 Series Drill Press

The Classic Craftsman Drill Press

From 1949 through 1950 there was no significant differences between the 15 ½” 100 series Drill Presses. One of the significant accessories offered in 1950 was the Production Table. This was only offered as an additional accessory and not preinstalled. However, in 1951 we see a minor change in the floor base. King Seeley added a center hole between the two slots in the table on the floor base.

In 1952 we see a change to the Jacobs Safe-Lock Chuck. This chuck uses a threaded collar that locks the chuck to the taper of the spindle via a thrust collar. Until this point there was a thread protector collar that protected the threaded thrust collar on the spindle but now the chuck and the thread protector are connected with a snap ring and this ensured the chuck would not fall off the spindle due to horizontal force.

Also, in 1952, Craftsman offered the Drill Press Head only for sale. Buyers could purchase the head with the safe-lock Jacobs chuck or without the chuck. Another oddity I found was the Craftsman brand name on the side of the floor base and bench base. This may have been in the artwork only because I have never noticed this on an actual drill press, but I may have overlooked it.

In 1953 we see another significant accessory being offered, the Pulley and Belt cover was made of cast aluminum and was not offered installed, rather as an accessory only.

Note: both the 1952 and 1953 models were sold without engine turned decorative head panels.

There were no significant changes to the 100 series in 1954; however, 1955 Craftsman offered two combination packages. Each package included the drill press along with the ½ HP 1750 RPM Ball Bearing CS Motor and the Vari-Slo Speed Control. The Floor model combo was 103.2304 and the benchtop combo was model 103.2337.

Also, in 1955 we see the change from chrome lock handles with set screws to the one-piece lock handle. This change may have happened across a year or two because many of the owner’s manuals have sections noting the change in parts.

From 1946 through 1955 the model numbers remained the same for the 100 series Drill Presses:

Bench Top Press Only 103.2313

Bench Top W/ Motor 103.2330

Floor Model Press Only 103.2314

Floor Model W/ Motor 103.2331

And in 1955 we did the addition of the combination models; however, in 1956 we see a model number change in the 100 series.

Bench Top Press Only Was 103.2313 Changed to 103.2481

Bench Top W/ Motor Was 103.2330 Changed to 103.2478

Floor Model Press Only Was 103.2314 Changed to 103.2482

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 103.2331 Changed to 103.2221

The two combination model numbers also changed.

Bench Top Combo Was 103.2337 Changed to 103.2169

Floor Model Combo Was 103.2304 Changed to 103.2290

It is unclear of the model number data plate on the drill press reflected the combination mode number or if the combination model number was only used for ordering purposes.

This is a screen capture from my previously posted spread sheet of the model numbers and years offered.

Also, in 1956 we see a few significant design changes. Both the floor and bench top model are offered only with non-tilting tables. The tilting table was now only offered as an accessory. Also, we see a significant change to the height of the column. From 1946 through 1955 the overall height of the floor model was 68 ¾” and the Bench Top was 36 3/8”. In 1956 the height of the floor model was reduced to 65 ¼” and the bench top was reduced to 36”. These two changes most likely are the reason for the model number changes.

Also, in 1956 we can see from this owner’s manual page that although the lock handles have been changed to the one-piece design, the quill lock is still a two-part design with a chrome handle.

In 1957 we see another model number change; however, the change is only reflected in the models with motors and craftsman drop the combination offers. Otherwise, there is no significant changes to the 1957 100 series, and this is the last year the 100 series was offered.

Bench Top Press Only Was 103.2481 Remains 103.2481

Bench Top W/ Motor Was 103.2478 Changed to 103.24815

Floor Model Press Only Was 103.2482 Remains 103.2482

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 103.2221 Changed to 103.24826

1958-1964 Craftsman 150 Series Drill Press

In 1958 we see the 150 series replace the 100 series.

The 150 series was an evolution of the 100 series. Some of the significant changes include the change to the quick adjusting micro-feed stop, the change to the floating motor mount, and the change from an engine turned decorative head panel to a painted decorative head panel with 150 on the sides and the Craftsman Crown Logo is incorporated into the panel. On the 100 series the Craftsman Heritage Logo was a separate panel.

The model numbers also changed:

Bench Top Press Only Was 103.2481 Changed to 103.2452

Bench Top W/ Motor Was 103.24815 Changed to 103.24525

Floor Model Press Only Was 103.2482 Changed to 103.2453

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 103.24826 Changed to 103.24535

From 1958 through 1960 we do not see any significant design changes in the 150 Drill Press; however, in 1960 we see a design change to the floor base casting. The new floor base has the same table and mounting points; however, the mounting points are not as recessed as the previous version and the craftsman band logo is no longer pictured on the side of the floor base. Another change is the table. Although the table is basically the same there is now a hole in the table near the column for chuck key storage.

In the 1959-1960 Craftsman power Tool Catalog we see mention of some tools being offered in Power Bronze but there is no mention of this in any of the drill press descriptions. It is assumed that the 150 was offered in Power Bronze sometime around 1960.

In 1961 we see a minor model number change that affects the models with motors.

Bench Top Press Only Was 103.2452 Remains 103.2452

Bench Top W/ Motor Was 103.24525 Changed to 103.24524

Floor Model Press Only Was 103.2453 Remains 103.2453

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 103.24535 Changed to 103.24534

From 1961 through 1963 the 150 series is relatively the same model and in 1964 we see a design change in the quill feed return spring. All the previous versions had a chrome external adjustment knob, but the new change captured the end of the torsion spring internally. Tension was adjusted by pulling on the feed hub. Notice the lack of an external adjustment knob on this page from a 1964 owner’s manual.

How do we know this page is from a 1964 owner’s manual? Because n 1964 we see another model number change.

Bench Top Press Only Was 103.2452 Changed to 103.2450

Bench Top W/ Motor Was 103.24524 Changed to 103.24505

Floor Model Press Only Was 103.2453 Changed to 103.2451

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 103.24534 Changed to 103.24515

Also, in 1964, all of King Seeley’s design patents, tooling, and parts stock were bought by Emerson Electric Co. of Paris, TN; Emerson then took over production of machines for Sears. Some Drill Presses made in 1964 maintained the 103 prefixes, they are assumed to be manufactured by King Seeley; however it is also in 1964 we see the change to a 113 prefix and these are the last 150s made between 1964 and 1966. The 113 prefix machines were made by Emerson with King Seeley tooling. We can now refer to these 113 150 machines as the Emerson Gen 1 machines.

From 1964 through 1966 we see no significant changes to the 150 series Drill Press and 1966 is the final year that Craftsman offered the Classic Craftsman 150 Drill Press.


1964 – 1984 Craftsman Emerson Era

As previously stated, the last two years of the Classic Craftsman 150 Drill Press were produced by Emerson. We will now look at the next phase of the evolution of the Craftsman Drill Press with what is referred to as the Craftsman Emerson Drill Press. There are several evolutions of these drill presses and I hope to cover all of them in the coming weeks.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[TexTJ209]

One minor addition, around 52/53 the drill presses were sold without the decorative head bands. I believe FrankLee's thread mentioned he thought it was due to war rationing from the Korean war. You can see they are not present in your 52 catalog pic, and they also aren't there in the 53 catalog, but returned in 54.

Absolutely wonderful work though, I've already learned a ton. Thank you for all the work you're putting into this!

 

[11b30b4]

Tex, outstanding catch.
You are correct that in both 1952 and 53 there was no decorative engine turned head panels on the 100 series drill presses. Here are two screen grabs from each catalog.

 

[TexTJ209]

Tex, outstanding catch.
You are correct that in both 1952 and 53 there was no decorative engine turned head panels on the 100 series drill presses. Here are two screen grabs from each catalog.

Main reason I know that is that I have a '52 model ha, no shiny band for me.

 

[11b30b4]

Tex, you could always fabricate your own. There are two methods for this. One is easy, cut a piece of aluminum the proper size then apply some engine turned vinyl like this:

Amazon.com: Engine Turn Film Vinyl Sheet Roll Simple Curve Wrap - 24" x 24" Engine Turn : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Engine Turn Film Vinyl Sheet Roll Simple Curve Wrap - 24" x 24" Engine Turn : Everything Else

www.amazon.com

The second method is the hard method. Cut aluminum to proper size and chuck up a wood dowel and turn the aluminum yourself like this guy:

Corrected 9-9-2021 Yes another correction....

1964 – 1984 Craftsman Emerson Era

This screen capture of my spread sheet shows the Emerson models and years of production excluding the 3/8", 8", and 13" drill presses.

1964-1966 Craftsman Emerson Generation 1 Drill Press (final 150 machines)

As previously mentioned, the first generation of Emerson Drill Presses were the final three years of 150 machines produced (1964-1966). These machines were basically the same thing as the 1964 version of the King Seeley machines but with a 113 prefix. The model numbers remained the same aside from the prefix. It is unclear when in 1964 Emerson took over production.

Bench Top Press Only 113.2450

Bench Top W/ Motor 113.24505

Floor Model Press Only 113.2451

Floor Model W/ Motor 113.24515

1967-1969 Craftsman Emerson Generation 2 Drill Press

In 1967, production on the 150 series was halted and Emerson produced the second generation of their drill press. This Emerson drill press differed from the 150 series primarily in appearance. The head was skeletonized as was the table and this provided for some additional features; however, many of the internal parts are interchangeable even after such a significant face lift.

Many of the patented and innovative designs remained in this new line. The floating spindle pulley assembly with 2- ball bearings, the same internally captured torsion coil feed return spring, the splined spindle, the spindle suspended inside the quill by 2- ball bearings, the safe-lock No. 33 Jacob’s taper chuck, both the motor and the spindle pulleys and even the quick adjustment feed stop are all included in this new model.

This is a chart I made comparing the final models of the 150 series (1966) with the new Emerson Gen 2 series (1967).

As you can see in this chart the biggest change between the 150 series and the Emerson series is the gain in travel. This is due to the skeletonized 2-piece head design and the redesigned table, although it comes with a cost. The Emerson series (due to less bulk and weight) is less stable and has a greater tendency to vibrate. Also notice the Gen2 machines utilized the same floor base as the previous 150 machines.

Further, some of the internal parts were lengthened such as the quill and spindle but could possibly be modified to fit in 150 and 100 series machines. Here is a chart that Frank Lee built that outlines many of the relevant measurements for anyone looking to cannibalize a later model Emerson for a 150 or 100 series.

Besides increased travel distance, the Emerson line included a new “control panel”. The control panel had a switch wired into it and provided a place to plug in your motor. There was also a light to illuminate the work surface (gen 2 machines only had one switch to operate the motor and the light). The Emerson came with a column collar and the table provided for an accessory tilting table. Lastly, the Emerson included a belt and pulley cover and a completely redesigned motor mount that hinged on the side and used a telescoping rod to adjust belt tension.

The Emerson generation 2 machines were produced from 1967 through 1969 with no significant changes. Here are the model numbers for these Gen 2 machines:

Bench Top Press Only 113.2454

Bench Top W/ Motor 113.24541

Floor Model Press Only 113.2456

Floor Model W/ Motor 113.24561

1970 – 1972 Craftsman Emerson Generation 3 Drill Press

In 1970 we see the Emerson Gen 3 Drill Press. This drill press is another redesign and a return to a one-piece cast iron head that was fully enclosed. This resulted with a reduction in travel (again due to the beefier head) to something like we had in the 150 series.

The largest change in this 3rd generation is the pulley and belt system. The 100, 150 and Emerson Gen 1 and gen 2 series used a 5” 4-step pulley system with a ½” x 45” v-belt; however, the Emerson Gen 3 utilized a 6” 8-step pulley system with a 3/16” x 45” v-belt. This change virtually eliminated the need for speed accessories such as the Vari-Slo Speed Control and/ or the Slow-Speed Attachment. This change resulted in 8 speeds ranging from 380 RPM though 8550 RPM and did not require the repositioning of the motor pulley. Other significant changes for the Gen 3 included the switch from a ball bearing motor to a sleeve-bearing motor and a redesigned rectangular floor base. Lastly, a second switch was added to the control panel to power the tool light separately from the motor.

Emerson Gen 3 production was from 1970 through 1972; however, in 1971 Craftsman introduced the Emersion Commercial Drill Press. There were no significant changes with the Gen 3 during this 3-year run. The Gen 3 was available in both bench top and floor models with and without motors, here are the model numbers:

Bench Top Press Only 113.2458

Bench Top W/ Motor 113.24581

Floor Model Press Only 113.2459

Floor Model W/ Motor 113.24591

1971-1972 Craftsman Emerson Generation 3 (Commercial) Drill Press

As previously mentioned, in 1971 Craftsman offered a beefier Emerson Gen 3 drill press running concurrent with the standard Gen 3 but targeted at the commercial market. Although, this 3rd Generation Commercial (Gen 3-C) looked similar to the standard Gen 3, it differed in several areas.

These changes included an increase in the quill diameter from 1 5/8” to 1 7/8”. The table was upgraded to a larger 14 x 14 ½” T-Slot table with coolant troughs and an increased diameter of the spindle from 5/8” to ¾”. The head casting was also beefed up to accommodate the changes and provide for additional tolerance adjustments. The Pinion included a backlash take up and the ball bearings were changed to double row bearings. The head was split and a take up adjustment was installed to compensate for wear. Lastly, the depth gauge graduations were change from 1/16” to 1/32”.

The Emerson Gen 3-C was offered for two years from 1971 through 1972 with no significant changes. The drill press was offered only as a floor model with or without a motor in the following model numbers:

Floor Model Press Only 113.2463

Floor Model W/ Motor 113.24631

1973 – 1983 Craftsman Emerson Generation 4 Drill Press

In 1973 Craftsman offered the fourth generation of the Emerson Drill Presses. The 4th Generation Emerson Presses were only available in floor models with or without motors. The largest changes in this generation from the Gen 3 are reflected in the table design. On the Gen 3, the table was milled as one flat surface across the top from the column to the end of the table. On Gen 4 tables these had a raised boss surface for the table and the remainder of the casting was set 3/16” lower than the milled surface. The table had a reinforced subframe on the bottom of the table. Lastly the table size was reduced from 10 x 12 ½” to 10 x 12”.

The Gen 4 Emerson drill presses were available from 1973 through 1983. These were the last Craftsman Drill Presses produced in the United States. Sometime in the mid 80s Emerson moved production to Asia. The model numbers for the Gen 4 changed three times during its production although, the models did not see any significant design changes. Minor changes included in 1977 a raised boss on the table for the column was added and in. From 1973 through 1983 the various information and logo panels on the head and belt cover changed in appearance and information.

1973-1977

Floor Model Press Only 113.2137

Floor Model W/ Motor 113.21371

In 1978 the model numbers changed as follows:

Floor Model Press Only Was 113.2137 Remained 113.2137

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 113.21371 Changed to 113.21376

And again in 1981 the model numbers change one last time until end of production in 1983:

Floor Model Press Only Was 113.2137 Remained 113.2137

Floor Model W/ Motor Was 113.21376 Changed to 113.21378

1975 – 1983 Craftsman Emerson Generation 4 (Commercial) Drill Press

In 1975 Craftsman offered the Gen 4 Commercial version available only in a floor model with or without a motor. Again, this Gen 4 was only different from the Gen 3 Commercial cosmetically. The Commercial version ran concurrent with the standard Gen 4 from 1975 through 1983.

The Gen4-c models were:

1975-1977

Commercial Floor Model Press Only 113.2461

Commercial Floor Model W/ Motor 113.24613

In 1978 the model numbers changed as follows:

Commercial Floor Model Press Only Was 113.2461 Changed to 113.2452

Commercial Floor Model W/ Motor Was 113.24613 Changed to 113.24521

And again in 1981 the model numbers change one last time until end of production in 1983:

Commercial Floor Model Press Only Was 113.2452 Remained 113.2452

Commercial Floor Model W/ Motor Was 113.24521 Changed to 113.24522

1984 Only Craftsman Emerson Generation 5 Drill Press

I we were expecting any of this information to make sense then we should have lowered our expectations...

After a long search, I have determined that a retailer is required by law to disclose if a product is imported or the country of origin. I determined this based on the 16 CFR, 19 CFR, 1930 Tariff Act, and the NAFTA. Although there are some exceptions, as it applies to this thread and to the best of my knowledge, Craftsman is required to state if an item is imported.

Based on this assumption, there was a one year run of Emerson Gen 4 drill presses before production was moved to Asia.

Craftsman changed their drill press line up with newly designed models ranging in size from 8" through a 17" commercial drill press. The pathetic 3/8" portable drill press was still available in 1984 as well.

The Gen5 15" drill press resembled the Gen4 but received an upgraded 12" x 12" tilting (to 45 degrees) table and included a coolant trough. The table also received a lift system. The floor base was redesigned and has the very noticeable tubular column rest. Lastly, the feed knobs changed colors from black to red and the belt cover was hinged on the left side.

A similar version of this Gen 5 came in a 13" package. Both the 15" and 13" were only available in floor models with motors.

Further, the all too familiar 8" drill press was also made in the US for this one year.

Gen5 production was 1984 only and the model number was:

15" Floor model with motor 21385

1984 Only Craftsman Emerson Generation 5 Commercial Drill Press

Also introduced in 1984 was the 17" commercial Gen5 drill press. Aside from the size, this model differed from the previous generation with a redesigned 14" x 14" T-slotted table and a table lift system. again the floor base was also redesigned and included the tubular column collar.

The 1984 Gen5 commercial drill press was only available in a floor model with motor.

17" Floor model with motor 21387

An odd ball to the final years of American production was in 1977 when Craftsman offered a unique 32” Radial drill press. I am not sure who actually made this drill press. This press was offered only as a bench top version without a motor. The Radial Drill Press was offered from 1977 through 1984 and had a model number of 113.2397.

All the drill presses listed in 1985 onwards clearly state they are imported so this should conclude the largest portion of information. Feel free to add more or identify any error or omissions.

I will be updating the drill press spread sheet to reflect this information.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[11b30b4]

Shazam! well I will need to do a bit of clean-up on model numbers for the transition between King Seeley and Emerson.

This is a pic from an owner’s manual from 1964-1966. Note the model numbers have a 103 prefix.

Now look at this page from another owner’s manual from the same time frame. Note the 113 prefix.

Well that is going to take some time to get straight…
Further, this explains why FrankLee called that skeletonized monstrosity a Gen 2 Emerson. I will need to go back and update all the Emerson Stuff so yall hang in there. I will let you know once the corrections have been made.

 

[Hoorn]

11b, I want to toss this out there. You reference that in the 1959-60 catalog we saw the first mention of power bronze, but not with the drill presses.
Here is the motor of my (presumed also 1958 or possibly 1959) 1958 Craftsman 150. It is dated August 1958 and it is power bronze. The drill press it came on was power bronze. The model number is 103.24530. This model is not reflected in those that you referenced but I assume it is the 103.2453. Perhaps Craftsman, for five digit continuity, added a zero behind the three.



Several months after owning my 150 I located a power bronze 100. I restored that one also and it is now my daily driver as I preferred the engine turned band and heritage logo over the 150 band. The motor is dated June 1958, and it too is a 103.24530.
I've attached the pictures prior to the restoration to show the original paint.







Obviously in a year where there is changeover there will be some use of old stock tags/bands/etc. but it may be safe to assume that 1958, at some point, was the change over year from the blue gray to power bronze.

On a side note, I've always wanted to track down in the wild a power bronze bullet style motor with the engine turned band as I feel those are very uncommon.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

I agree that 58 was the first appearance of Power Bronze paint. I've got a '58 grinder that's Power Bronze. There's many instances of the catalogs being behind what was going on on the ground (the change to Crown logos on toolboxes comes to mind), which is perfectly understandable. In regards to the Craftsman name on the side of the floor model bases, I'd venture that's purely artistic license. Those illustrators got a little hog wild sometimes.

Great write up 11B.

 

[11b30b4]

Hoorn and JoCoSawdust, I agree that it extremely likely the power bronze was introduced in 1958 or even in 57. I was unable to find any mention of it for any of the tools in any of the catalogs until the 59-60 catalogs. I may have overlooked it in an earlier catalog, but I am fairly sure I did not ever see it mentioned for any of the drill presses. Since most of the catalogs include illustrations and not pictures until the late 60s its hard to tell from them if something is a different color.

Now about that whole Emersion generation thing. I have come to agree with FrankLee on this and will be editing the Emersion information to reflect this. Moving forward, Gen 1 will the Emerson made 150 machines and then Gen 2 will be the skeleton, etc… Those changes to come later this coming week. Thank you all for your contributions and continued interest.

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

I'm kinda kicking myself... I just sold a Craftsman 150 series (looks real similar to the opening photo but its green not gold) that needed a full resto. I am in no position to do it correctly and needed the space so I let it go. Plus I need a table top version. Since then I got a early 60s Craftsman bandsaw that is in pristine shape and the drill press would look great next to it. (So the hunt begins....)

 

[11b30b4]

Thirdyfivepickup, sounds like you will be part of the club soon. Like most other tools here on GJ, the Drill Press is addictive. Just saying…

On that subject, I picked up DP #6 this past weekend, more on that in a separate thread.


OK, everyone I have reworked/ corrected and updated the Emerson era information, Enjoy.

 

[TexTJ209]

Hoorn and JoCoSawdust, I agree that it extremely likely the power bronze was introduced in 1958 or even in 57. I was unable to find any mention of it for any of the tools in any of the catalogs until the 59-60 catalogs. I may have overlooked it in an earlier catalog, but I am fairly sure I did not ever see it mentioned for any of the drill presses. Since most of the catalogs include illustrations and not pictures until the late 60s its hard to tell from them if something is a different color.

Now about that whole Emersion generation thing. I have come to agree with FrankLee on this and will be editing the Emersion information to reflect this. Moving forward, Gen 1 will the Emerson made 150 machines and then Gen 2 will be the skeleton, etc… Those changes to come later this coming week. Thank you all for your contributions and continued interest.

The cast iron (non-tube frame) 103. wood lathe was last featured in the 1957 catalogs, and exists in Power Bronze, so I'd lean towards it being a 57 change at least. Entirely possible it rolled out across tools in waves rather than an immediate switch though...that classic Sears tool section photo shows power bronze and regular gray presses side by side.

Edit to add: Since I've been going down the rabbit hole on this, the 103.22500 sander was introduced in 1956 and came in gray as well as power bronze. I'd imagine a new tool would have gotten the latest paint, so power bronze was definitely 1957 or later.

1957 was also the 30 year anniversary of Craftsman, which might have been the occasion for the Power Bronze switch.

 

[11b30b4]

TexTJ209, I believe I have heard that the power bronze was to commemorate the 30th anniversary somewhere else so you are likely correct in your assumption. Keep in mind that all the research I have done is primarily done with the catalogs. Most of the catalogs only feature illustrations and not actual photos until the 1960s and most of the illustrations are not in color.

Given all of this, I looked for the power bronze color to be mentioned in the description or specifications of the drill presses. Although, I found power bronze mentioned in table saws and other tools, I never observed it being mentioned for any of the drill presses.

While we are talking about Craftsman anniversary’s, does anyone know the when the crown logo was introduced and why?

Lastly, I may be further updating the Emerson information. I am not seeing an “Import” listed in the drill press all the way through the 1990s which may mean they were still produced in the US. I spoke with FrankLee and we both feel the Emerson drill press with the tubular collar on the floor base is most likely an import.

Also, I have some information about band saws coming this week.

Anyway, stay tuned.

 

[Hoorn]

Regarding the power bronze anniversary theory, I too had read that somewhere and assumed it was true. I asked about it on FrankLee's CDP thread and he linked this following post by JoCoSawdust who provided a convincing argument against it. The conversation came about regarding questions of when power bronze was introduced (just as we are doing now) and JoCo also produced this 1956 late model power bronze grinder:

Frank. I was mistaken about the date on this grinder. It's a 56, not a 53. Given the fact that it was produced late (October) in that model year, it doesn't necessarily debunk the 30th Anniversary theory. I've learned from researching tool boxes that when a significant change appears in a catalog, that change usually hit the ground late in the year prior. This grinder may be an example of that.

I don't discount the 30th Anniversay theory, I just question it since there is no, to my knowledge, verification of that being the case for the Power Bronze paint schemes. We do know that Power Bronze was used past 1957 as evidenced by the number of machines wearing Crown logo that are painted Power Bronze. The logo change from Heritage to Crown occurred in toolboxes sometime late in 1958, I can only assume the logo change on machines occured pretty much around the same time.

The biggest hole in the 30th Anniversary theory that I see is that I can find zero mention of it in any literature that I have access to. I would expect a tagline of "Celebrating 30 years of Craftsman Tools" or something of that nature out of Sears. Instead, the color just shows up without fanfare, hangs around for a few years, then quietly goes away.

I think there's plenty of anectdotal evidence to support the theory but no proof. That's what keeps me scratching my head. One of those many Craftsman things we'll probably never know with certainty.

 

[TexTJ209]

Regarding the power bronze anniversary theory, I too had read that somewhere and assumed it was true. I asked about it on FrankLee's CDP thread and he linked this following post by JoCoSawdust who provided a convincing argument against it. The conversation came about regarding questions of when power bronze was introduced (just as we are doing now) and JoCo also produced this 1956 late model power bronze grinder:

Frank. I was mistaken about the date on this grinder. It's a 56, not a 53. Given the fact that it was produced late (October) in that model year, it doesn't necessarily debunk the 30th Anniversary theory. I've learned from researching tool boxes that when a significant change appears in a catalog, that change usually hit the ground late in the year prior. This grinder may be an example of that.

I don't discount the 30th Anniversay theory, I just question it since there is no, to my knowledge, verification of that being the case for the Power Bronze paint schemes. We do know that Power Bronze was used past 1957 as evidenced by the number of machines wearing Crown logo that are painted Power Bronze. The logo change from Heritage to Crown occurred in toolboxes sometime late in 1958, I can only assume the logo change on machines occured pretty much around the same time.

The biggest hole in the 30th Anniversary theory that I see is that I can find zero mention of it in any literature that I have access to. I would expect a tagline of "Celebrating 30 years of Craftsman Tools" or something of that nature out of Sears. Instead, the color just shows up without fanfare, hangs around for a few years, then quietly goes away.

I think there's plenty of anectdotal evidence to support the theory but no proof. That's what keeps me scratching my head. One of those many Craftsman things we'll probably never know with certainty.

Excellent post! I definitely wish we could find some sort of advertising, etc. relating to the Power Bronze change, but even with the Craftsman Catalog DVD put together by David Maher I've got absolutely nothing.

I've also come to suspect the tool "year models" were handled like car year models, in that the "new 1957 models" in the catalogs probably hit stores late in 56, which would correlate perfectly with that grinder.

 

[11b30b4]

Hoorn, good find. So, the mystery of the power bronze continues and may never be completely solved.

OK, well I have been working on another project or an extension of this project for a bit now.

After a long search, I have determined that a retailer is required by law to disclose if a product is imported or the country of origin. I determined this based on the 16 CFR, 19 CFR, 1930 Tariff Act, and the NAFTA. Although there are some exceptions, as it applies to this thread and to the best of my knowledge, Craftsman is required to state if an item is imported.

Given this information I have complied a spreadsheet of model numbers and years of production for all Band Saws and Hack Saws Made in the USA from 1933 through 1998.

This is similar to my compiled spreadsheet of Drill Presses. It is my hope that some people will find this information useful in determining when their tools were made. Keep in mind that a particular saw may have been made in the US for several years then production was moved overseas. Once a product is listed as imported in a catalog, I drop it from the list.

For example, the 10” band saw model 24451 was listed in the 1984 catalog and is on the spreadsheet for 1984 only. This band saw was still being produced several years after 1984 with the same model number but listed it as “imported” so it was not included on the spreadsheet.

If you have anything to contribute or observe something that needs correction, please let me know.

I will be hosting these snapshots of the spreadsheets as I build them on my workshop and build links thread. There is a hotlink to it in my signature. Since GJ only allows picture uploads, these are jpg extractions of PDFs so the quality is nothing to be excited about. If you desire an actual excel spreadsheet, you can message me with your email address, and I will send it to you. Further, I suppose I will at some point figure out how to convert this to a google spreadsheet then publish that link for better sharing.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[TexTJ209]

This is supposed to be a 1956/1957ish photo of a Sears tool department, few curious things relevant to this slightly off-topic discussion.

Dewalt RAS - Listed as new in 1957 catalog, gone by 1959 catalog as Craftsman sold their Emerson made versions at this point.
Craftsman 9" saw (right south of the RAS) - also listed as new in 1957, but pretty uncommon to see in gray as it was typically power bronze.

Couple of power bronze model 100s, but unfortunately the prices don't correlate to the catalog prices as I'm sure they varied by region and store/catalog. Not sure of any other way to accurately date them beyond the great info in this thread.

Alien head planer in the back, also gray. This was sold in Power Bronze too.

The power tool benches pictured in gray also came in power bronze at some point.

I think there's a 1/4hp bench grinder (no guards) like the one pictured way in the back that actually is Power Bronze as well.

So possibly this was early into the Power Bronze transition?



All conjecture, obviously. I was kinda hoping there would be a "Celebrating 30 years!" ad hiding somewhere but no luck. If there's anything I've learned from my effort to date the Heritage badges, there wasn't necessarily any clear rhyme or reason to changes sometimes.

This does possibly provide another nail in the coffin for the Power Bronze anniversary theory though...if it was truly for a one year anniversary celebration event, why would the color change not all happen at once? Especially on the items that were introduced in 1957(that 9" saw, in particular). It seems more like it was introduced on a few major tools, then as it was deemed popular/successful was rolled out to other items.


Anyways, I don't think we'll figure it out in this thread and I don't want to hijack it further.

 

[Hoorn]

Gents, in an effort to bookend the power bronze conversation as to when the PB color gave way for the dark gray, here are two pages from the 1963 Craftsman catalog where the color power bronze is specifically mentioned.



Note the table saw is referenced specifically as being power bronze.



Grinders at bottom of the page are referenced as having a bronze color housing.

I think we are all on the same page with late 1956 being the first year anything date stamped was introduced with power bronze, with late 1958 being the year that "most" of the tool color transition takes place. To date, nothing has been discovered in the 1964 catalog that references power bronze, but we all know that catalogs, are not always correct.

 

[ckadams00]

Oh man did you guys just hit my soft spot. I have been away from GJ for a couple of years due to a divorce and a job that has had me working most days but I am happy to be back. I had no idea Frank Lee was away from GJ as well, I really enjoyed everything I learned from him regarding rebuilding these presses - like some of you he was the one who got me hooked. I still have one cherry '150' in storage, I think at last count I had rebuilt 9 of these.

They were easy/frequent finds often for good prices when I lived in Chicago - out here in Seattle they are rare as hen's teeth.

Though you guys might want to see my driveway from Summer of 2018 when I had a whole herd of them being cleaned up at once!

Thank you 11b for starting this thread!