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70's Rockwell 15" drill press resto

devrep

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Joined
Sep 28, 2021
Messages
43
got this for 70 bucks on marketplace. woman said the motor was bad and the return spring was broken. motor is super smooth, was just mounted crooked and in a bind. nothing wrong with the return spring, just everything was all gunked up with dried out old oil. all I had to buy was a new V-belt and I made a new internal wire harness for the switch as the old wire was flaking. I used some wire I had saved from another project. painted it with oil enamel with hardener added (also left over from another project). shot it with my Iwata gravity gun.

PXL_20230612_000245465.jpgPXL_20230612_000947678.jpgPXL_20230612_000249884.jpgPXL_20240214_152543157.MP.jpgPXL_20240219_164709097.MP.jpgPXL_20240219_164736769.PORTRAIT.jpgPXL_20240219_165116088.MP.jpgPXL_20240219_165612584.MP.jpgPXL_20240219_170918370.MP.jpg
 
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devrep

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Sep 28, 2021
Messages
43
thanks. some of these old 70's Rockwell's with the space shuttle (peace sign) logo get a bad rap. having taken this one apart, it is a quality piece of equipment. not as nice as my 1946 17" DP600, but well made.
 

Davefr

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Jan 7, 2010
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Beautiful restoration. It would be an excellent candidate for a VFD.
 

Kaline74

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Nov 10, 2016
Messages
72
Beautiful restoration! I have the same drill press and am considering doing a similar restoration once other, bigger projects are out of the way. What shade of gray did you use? Mine is a green gray color, but it may have been repainted.

IMG_7801.jpeg

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devrep

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Sep 28, 2021
Messages
43
you should do it! I used Rustoleum Smoke Gray. I'm not a Rustoleum fan but adding the hardener turned it into an amazing product. here's my secret formula for spraying out of a cup gun.

8 ounces oil enamel
1/2 ounce hardener
1 ounce Penetrol



 

SusKatCas

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Joined
Oct 22, 2021
Messages
83
You done good! Love the table with NO arc of shame.
Yeah, always nice to see one in unmolested state.

My ancient Buffalo Fan drill press has a single divot in the table. My own fault. It hurts my eyes every time I see it. I've considered brazing it up or camouflaging it with gray epoxy, but just leave it open to remind myself not to be an idiot.

Cheers, Alan
 
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devrep

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Sep 28, 2021
Messages
43
I suspect most table damage is done on commercial drills by workers who frankly DGAF. it doesn't take much planning to keep from drilling into your machine. here's the table on my 1946 Delta 17". before and after I worked it over. this was 5 years ago.
IMG_20190330_113700.jpgIMG_20190401_175139.jpg
 

WAS Jr

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Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Messages
275
I have that same drill press, a Rockwell 15-81, and that switch cover
Your gunna have to get a better switch cover, it`s driving me bat **** crazy...

is how it came from the factory. It’s a one owner (me) that my wife bought for me as a first Christmast present from the JC Penney catalog In late 1980.

Still have the same drill press (with a few upgrades), and the same wife.
bill s
 
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devrep

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Sep 28, 2021
Messages
43
ended up selling it on Marketplace for 550.00. was going to give it to my son but it didn't seem to interest him.
 
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