1930s Walker Turner DP w ship's wheel!

[Hoorn]

Grabbed this EARLY this morning. Wanted to share as the ships wheel is not all that common. Came with the spindle cover and safety collar. Runs very well for a pre-40s drill press.







I got it cheap so I can't complain. It does have some minor "issues", though they're all non mechanical. It's been repainted, missing original feed stop nuts, non original Driver Line motor, table has a couple dings and although I love the vintage GE plate cover, should have had an original WT power switch.

 

[crguy]

Good catch! Put an intermediate pulley in the drive to slow it down for metal drilling and it will make a good shop drill press.

 

[Tarnished]

Nice looking complete WT. Should clean up nicely. Rare find with the Wheel. Why do you say non original Drive Line motor?

 

[Hoorn]

@Tarnished this DP came with a "Northeast Motor", and not a Driver Line series. Walker Turner offered an extensive line of motors badged as "The Driver Line" in the 1930s to compliment their Driver Line machines. These motors were made by Kingston-Conley for W/T and were distinctive by their small feet and crinkle black finish on the end caps. (Kingston-Conley was bought by Hoover in 1945) Had this drill press been bought with the motor it would have most likely come with a 1/4 HP "deluxe" or the 1/3 HP "deluxe". I've had 5 previous Walker Turner drill presses and four had a driver line motor, one had a Kingston-Conley.

I am aware that W/T, like most all other companies at the time sold machines without the motor and you had to buy that separately. This could have been purchased without a motor as the buyer had one or found one cheaper, or it did come with a motor and it conked out at some point and was replaced with this Northeast motor. I've had many small capacitor or repulsion induction motors come through my workshop and I had yet to run across a Northeast motor, and had never even heard of this company. I see on the label it was a division of Delco which itself was a division at that time of General Motors.



There is very little information available regarding this subsidiary of Delco. Searching the internet, I see some vintage "Northeast" desk fans made while they were under the Delco umbrella, but not much else.

 

[Jayman17]

Wow that’s a nice DP, I have never seen one with a ship’s wheel. Can you say STOUT?

Jay

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[Hoorn]

@Ricky Joe thank you for that generous offer brother. I have Driver motors and WT switches. Appreciate you reaching out with that

 

[Maui]

I have the floor standing version of that DP. It is a stout machine.

 

[Tarnished]

Hoorn: Thanks for the motor info. I have rebuilt a couple of the 1/2hp badged Drive Line motors and at least 1 badged Kingston-Conley. Have also seen a couple of the Hoovers, but I have not seen the Northeast Motors.
As stated by this time you're likely to find just about any cheap motor mounted on the DP's. If you can find one with at least a "period correct" motor then you are ahead of the game. I'' try to post a couple pics of my WT when I get a chance.

 

[devrep]

that is a very cool machine.