Craftsman 150 drill press head unit disassembly (pic heavy).
- Thread starter evintho
- Start date
jakemac
Well-known member
Keep an eye on ebay. That model gets parted out every now and then. Set up a search and "follow" it to get email notifications whenever your search parameters are met.
Cope
Well-known member
Never break the Neutral, always the Line.
Hi all,
First time poster here. Was referred to this post from a thread on Woodnet.
I've got a Craftsman 150 DP that I bought off of CL a couple of years back. It's in great shape, virtually unused in no need of rehab.
This is what it looked like when I bought it:
Some time back, I replaced the 1/2 horse single phase motor with a 3/4 horse 3 phase motor driven by a Teco TENV VFD. The motor was a 1200 rpm so it was already slow(ish) speed and I used the old multistep pulley so I could get good low speed torque.
I bought a cast iron motor mount from an older DP as I thought the formed sheetmetal plate on mine wasn't up to the task. I mounted the VFD in a plastic box from the Borg with a power switch. I bought a pot for remote speed control and toggle everything from a footswitch I bought off of E-Bay eons ago.
I don't have any photos of the DP (I'm not at home), but this is the VFD and the controls
My next task is to add a counterweight to the table on this DP. The table has always been a pain, but I've developed some lower back issues and lifting this table would only exacerbate those.
Anyway, I've bought some old window sash weights off of e-bay to use as counterweights. They are small enough to go inside the center column to be out of the way. I will use those, some cable and a pulley to offset the weight of the table.
I'll post photos of the exploits as they develop.
Thanks to all who posted good info
Chris
First time poster here. Was referred to this post from a thread on Woodnet.
I've got a Craftsman 150 DP that I bought off of CL a couple of years back. It's in great shape, virtually unused in no need of rehab.
This is what it looked like when I bought it:
Some time back, I replaced the 1/2 horse single phase motor with a 3/4 horse 3 phase motor driven by a Teco TENV VFD. The motor was a 1200 rpm so it was already slow(ish) speed and I used the old multistep pulley so I could get good low speed torque.
I bought a cast iron motor mount from an older DP as I thought the formed sheetmetal plate on mine wasn't up to the task. I mounted the VFD in a plastic box from the Borg with a power switch. I bought a pot for remote speed control and toggle everything from a footswitch I bought off of E-Bay eons ago.
I don't have any photos of the DP (I'm not at home), but this is the VFD and the controls
My next task is to add a counterweight to the table on this DP. The table has always been a pain, but I've developed some lower back issues and lifting this table would only exacerbate those.
Anyway, I've bought some old window sash weights off of e-bay to use as counterweights. They are small enough to go inside the center column to be out of the way. I will use those, some cable and a pulley to offset the weight of the table.
I'll post photos of the exploits as they develop.
Thanks to all who posted good info
Chris
bubinga
Well-known member
yeah, l remember you from over there. (woodnet)
I have that DP in a bench top, and that VFD on my wood lathe, Is that one a 110 input also?(the VFD)?
Yeah, that table is heavy on my benchtop. But l don't have to lift it far, so l deal with it.
I have a treadmill motor on my 150 now.
I have that DP in a bench top, and that VFD on my wood lathe, Is that one a 110 input also?(the VFD)?
Yeah, that table is heavy on my benchtop. But l don't have to lift it far, so l deal with it.
I have a treadmill motor on my 150 now.
Yes, the VFD is 120VAC input. It works great. I was really surprised how much slow speed torque it has. I chucked up the largest Forstner bit that I have (2"?) set the VFD for 30 hz and it just cut right on through without a care.
cheers
chris
bubinga
Well-known member
yeah, l never noticed any torque loss on the wood lathe, but it's nice, as l still have my reeves drive and the VFD.
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67CarGuy
Well-known member
Thanks for putting this together! I'm in the same boat, newly acquired via CL 150, floor version. Just getting started with my own tear down, and this is a great resource!
Does anyone know where to find those large bases? Mine is considerably smaller, especially behind the pole. I realize the Bay is probably the fastest, but I wasn't sure if anyone was making something close to that these days... Although as has been previously said, they don't make 'em like they used to.
Thanks again!
Does anyone know where to find those large bases? Mine is considerably smaller, especially behind the pole. I realize the Bay is probably the fastest, but I wasn't sure if anyone was making something close to that these days... Although as has been previously said, they don't make 'em like they used to.
Thanks again!
GMSSupvr
New member
Speedinlemon: I just joined this group. I have a bench model of this drill press.
GREAT INFORMATION here!! Mine has an "added attraction" set of pulleys between the motor and the drill press. I'm not familiar with what it actually does. I would think it would increase the number of speeds that the drill would turn? Would that be the "variable speed adapter" you are talking about? THANKS.
Well, reading all this, I just had to have one, too. Picked up a rusty specimen last weekend. Hairline crack in the base; probably leave that alone. One of the handles had a chip out of the burgundy grip. Is that plastic? Micarta? And another was bent. Since the chrome was shot anyway, I tried a hack to straighten it: the threads are the same as the base lock screw. So I screwed it in with the bend down, and put some leverage under it. Good enough!
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bubinga
Well-known member
Good improv job on that.
some type of phenolic plastic I think.
they are a wonderful drill press.
I am looking for another one.
bubinga
Well-known member
bubinga
Well-known member
Ultra Dino but that pulley moving up and down are you sure those two screws that are in the headstock I believe they screw in I guess the outer race of the lower bearing that holds that assembly from going up and down where they slide it over the top of the bearing I'm not sure which now I think they go into the tighten up on the outer race. Because truthfully that grease may have fix the symptom but I don't think that pulley should be allowed to move up and down with a spindle I would check those two screws in the headstock. If I am wrong just tell me to quit posting on the internet at 4 in the morning LOL
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Hello all,
I just registered on this site and I am guessing it will be very helpful. I month or so back I inherited a Craftsman 150 stand up drill press. My friend of 50 plus years gave it to me and it had been his fathers, a WWII vet who got this after the war. His dad was my second dad and he was a jack of all trades. When he gave it to me, my friend and I took it apart and put it in my SUV in pieces. Since we live about 130 miles apart, I had to take it out of the SUV alone and it sat on the garage floor for all that time... When we broke it down, I had dropped the head on the garage floor, and one of the feed handles broke off and the other two became bent. Fortunately, the feed still worked when I got it back together (alone) (I am 70 years old)
I found a machine shop nearby where I live in Rockledge, Florida and it is being run by a semi Retired Michigan guy, a little younger than I. and he is repairing the feed handles and I drove the pin out of the hub so he could drill out the threaded portion that had broken off. Does any one have an idea of
how many turns I must do to the internal spring that is part of the feed handles. I imagine you must start at the top of the spindle, at its highest point and turn the inside spring with the round knob on the opposite side of the unit. I know the pin must go through the spring from the hub and through the hollow shaft. Anyone know? Your help would be appreciated.
Thank you, **** Gagnon, originally from N.H.
I just registered on this site and I am guessing it will be very helpful. I month or so back I inherited a Craftsman 150 stand up drill press. My friend of 50 plus years gave it to me and it had been his fathers, a WWII vet who got this after the war. His dad was my second dad and he was a jack of all trades. When he gave it to me, my friend and I took it apart and put it in my SUV in pieces. Since we live about 130 miles apart, I had to take it out of the SUV alone and it sat on the garage floor for all that time... When we broke it down, I had dropped the head on the garage floor, and one of the feed handles broke off and the other two became bent. Fortunately, the feed still worked when I got it back together (alone) (I am 70 years old)
I found a machine shop nearby where I live in Rockledge, Florida and it is being run by a semi Retired Michigan guy, a little younger than I. and he is repairing the feed handles and I drove the pin out of the hub so he could drill out the threaded portion that had broken off. Does any one have an idea of
how many turns I must do to the internal spring that is part of the feed handles. I imagine you must start at the top of the spindle, at its highest point and turn the inside spring with the round knob on the opposite side of the unit. I know the pin must go through the spring from the hub and through the hollow shaft. Anyone know? Your help would be appreciated.
Thank you, **** Gagnon, originally from N.H.
Hey, I just went out in the garage and figured it out on my own and I have it working again. I guess I do not have the 150 model, and the knob does not show on the left side of the machine...I just used that know and placed a bolt and nut on the handle side and it worked perfectly after about two and a half turns with the knob...
mcmlvif100
Well-known member
Probably the best thread in GJ for Craftsman drill presses is this one
Craftsman Drill Press
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227480&page=56
Frank Lee is an expert on these old Craftsman
.