Craftsman 150 Drill Press - Just got it! :)

[Davefr]

Haven't even powered it up yet. Later this morning I'll see how it goes.
Not sure why there are two speed controls. Maybe because the one on the motor is so difficult to reach while working?

I'd be curious how do you go about setting up the belts/pulley ratios with that variable speed motor?

Can you leave the belt/pulley ratio 1:1 and let the motor do all the speeds?

Or do you need the mechanical advantage of various pulley ratios to give the motor the required torque vs. speed?

The idea of a DP with a simple "turn the knob" speed control is intriguing. I know some guys have used 3 phase motors and a VFD and others have retrofitted used exercise machine motors. I'd be interested if there's a simple bolt on VS 120V motor for a DP that eliminates the need for belt changes. (full torque at low speeds seems like it would be an issue).

 

[Cable_Hogue]

I'd be curious how do you go about setting up the belts/pulley ratios with that variable speed motor?

Can you leave the belt/pulley ratio 1:1 and let the motor do all the speeds?

Or do you need the mechanical advantage of various pulley ratios to give the motor the required torque vs. speed?

The idea of a DP with a simple "turn the knob" speed control is intriguing. I know some guys have used 3 phase motors and a VFD and others have retrofitted used exercise machine motors. I'd be interested if there's a simple bolt on VS 120V motor for a DP that eliminates the need for belt changes. (full torque at low speeds seems like it would be an issue).

Honestly, I am leaning toward a stock motor for this one. I may end up listing this motor on ebay. I don't do any production work and think I will need a relatively small speed range to get done what I need.

 

[Cable_Hogue]

Yes, with a few exceptions, you should be able to swap almost any part between 100s and 150s.

Thanks again for the info Frank. Very helpful.

 

[CNGsaves]

Honestly, I am leaning toward a stock motor for this one. I may end up listing this motor on ebay. I don't do any production work and think I will need a relatively small speed range to get done what I need.

Dude, you score a RARE variable speed option classic Craftsman drill press . .
. . . . .
. . . . . . AND . . . . now you're talking about dumbing it down ???

Heck, just offer to trade with GJer who has plain jane unit if that's what you want.

Why would you take a Corvette 427 side oiler and want to put 350 in it ???

 

[kc-steve]

The motor I think isn't original, but it is a craftsman. Don't know much about it.
It has a speed control on the side of the press, but also on the bottom of the motor?

Just a wild guess, but the aftermarket rheostat was likely installed because the original on the motor quit working. Rheostats were never bullet-proof because they have to take a lot of current. But it could be fixed.

Nice find.

Steve

 

[Outlawmws]

I've been looking at knife grinders and a few guys fabricated their own with treadmill motor setups. One of them mentioned there was a speed sensor that needs to be in some kind of proximity with the motor. You might want to look at that if you want the variable speed. Also, it's hard to drill while your walking. (sorry about that).

SNIP

You really don't need the speed sensor, unless you are trying to reuse ALL he Treadmill electronics, which won't do you any good anyway. (MPH does not have a relationship to RPM that is usable...)

you need the motor, one card, and possibly a choke, (if used with that particular motor setup)

Here is my write-up on my DP conversion to a Treadmill motor:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159224

 

[Outlawmws]

I'd be curious how do you go about setting up the belts/pulley ratios with that variable speed motor?

Can you leave the belt/pulley ratio 1:1 and let the motor do all the speeds?

Or do you need the mechanical advantage of various pulley ratios to give the motor the required torque vs. speed?

The idea of a DP with a simple "turn the knob" speed control is intriguing. I know some guys have used 3 phase motors and a VFD and others have retrofitted used exercise machine motors. I'd be interested if there's a simple bolt on VS 120V motor for a DP that eliminates the need for belt changes. (full torque at low speeds seems like it would be an issue).

Generally you want to slow the quill down with the pulleys, and keep the motor RPM's up. the higher the motor speed the less loading and heat buildup you will get. (Less load on the motor, AND higher fan speed for more cooling)

 

[Cable_Hogue]

Dude, you score a RARE variable speed option classic Craftsman drill press . .
. . . . .
. . . . . . AND . . . . now you're talking about dumbing it down ???

Heck, just offer to trade with GJer who has plain jane unit if that's what you want.

Why would you take a Corvette 427 side oiler and want to put 350 in it ???

I get your point, but I never was a muscle car kind of guy. I've fired a 44 mag and it's fun, but my 40 gets the job done.

It's partly about need, and partly about restoring to original.
Frank is right. I think the motor will pay for my press and even my wife will be thrilled with that.

...now how to find an original motor.... I've got the old Westinghouse of the DP 100. Might do for now. Seems to run well.

 

[bluebolt]

I'd be curious how do you go about setting up the belts/pulley ratios with that variable speed motor?

Can you leave the belt/pulley ratio 1:1 and let the motor do all the speeds?

Or do you need the mechanical advantage of various pulley ratios to give the motor the required torque vs. speed?

The idea of a DP with a simple "turn the knob" speed control is intriguing. I know some guys have used 3 phase motors and a VFD and others have retrofitted used exercise machine motors. I'd be interested if there's a simple bolt on VS 120V motor for a DP that eliminates the need for belt changes. (full torque at low speeds seems like it would be an issue).

From experience put the pulleys on the slowest speed setting possible. That gives a quill speed from about 200 rpm to 2000 rpm.

 

[bluebolt]

I'd be curious how do you go about setting up the belts/pulley ratios with that variable speed motor?

Can you leave the belt/pulley ratio 1:1 and let the motor do all the speeds?

Or do you need the mechanical advantage of various pulley ratios to give the motor the required torque vs. speed?

The idea of a DP with a simple "turn the knob" speed control is intriguing. I know some guys have used 3 phase motors and a VFD and others have retrofitted used exercise machine motors. I'd be interested if there's a simple bolt on VS 120V motor for a DP that eliminates the need for belt changes. (full torque at low speeds seems like it would be an issue).

From experience put the pulleys on the slowest speed setting possible. That gives a quill speed from about 200 rpm to 2000 rpm.

 

[Outlawmws]

I get your point, but I never was a muscle car kind of guy. I've fired a 44 mag and it's fun, but my 40 gets the job done.

It's partly about need, and partly about restoring to original.
Frank is right. I think the motor will pay for my press and even my wife will be thrilled with that.

...now how to find an original motor.... I've got the old Westinghouse of the DP 100. Might do for now. Seems to run well.

Cable, is the Westinghouse a 1725 RPM motor? you don't want a 3450 on a DP...

 

[Davefr]

Generally you want to slow the quill down with the pulleys, and keep the motor RPM's up. the higher the motor speed the less loading and heat buildup you will get. (Less load on the motor, AND higher fan speed for more cooling)

Thanks Outlaw and Bluebolt,

The thought of a DC motor w/speed control for a DP has always intrigued me.

However it sounds like belt changes would not be eliminated. If you gear down the pulleys and run the motor at it's higher end speed to get to around 200 RPM then you loose the ability to speed up the DP significantly with the speed control. (since the motor is close to it's max. RPM)

...and if you gear up the pulleys to get to the high RPM range (1000's) then you can't simply dial down to the very low RPM's (100's)without loosing torque and heating up the motor. In other words it would be impractical to go from 200 to 3000 with only the speed control? (15X range)

It sounds like you'd still need to make some pulley changes, just not as many of them? And you'd get the benefit of speeds in between what you could get with belt/pulley changes alone?

 

[Cable_Hogue]

Cable, is the Westinghouse a 1725 RPM motor? you don't want a 3450 on a DP...

I think so, but I'll have to check on that.

In the mean time, does this look like a good replacement motor?

 

[Outlawmws]

Dave, for practical purposes, they are largely eliminated. the OP's motor has a max speed of 5000 RPM. how often does a drill need very high speeds? Generally only for very small drills and very soft easily cut materials. I've yet to need to do a belt change since converting to the TM motor.

Cable, that 1/2 HP for general use should be fine. I had a 3/4 HP on my old DP (compared to the stock 1/2) only because I used to use metal cutting hole saws routinely. I needed slower speeds and even with the gearing down of the pulleys, the 1/2 was anemic for the drag involved on anything above maybe an inch. 3-4" and I could stall the motor. An extra 1/4 HP solved that.

 

[Cable_Hogue]

This is a pic of the Westinghouse badge, and also a pic of the shaft on the craftsman variable speed. That 5/8ths or 9/16ths?

 

[kc-steve]

That Westinghouse is 1/3HP.

Steve

 

[Outlawmws]

5/8's

 

[Cable_Hogue]

5/8's

Did they vary or is this standard?

 

[Cable_Hogue]

With all the interest in the 150 press I'm surprised I haven't been able to find an age chart by serial number. Is it out there?

 

[Outlawmws]

For that size motor (1/4 to 1 HP), 1/2 and 5/8 is the standard generally. Once in a blue moon you will seem a different size shaft but not often. most I've seen different were modified for some reason.

The definite exception is the treadmill motors which most I've seen are a metric shaft size. The one I used is Std 5/8's however.

 

[Outlawmws]

With all the interest in the 150 press I'm surprised I haven't been able to find an age chart by serial number. Is it out there?

Not that I have seen. You can narrow things a bit with published features and details from the catalogs, but probably not less than 1/2 decade or so.

 

[bluebolt]

Just a wild guess, but the aftermarket rheostat was likely installed because the original on the motor quit working. Rheostats were never bullet-proof because they have to take a lot of current. But it could be fixed.

Nice find.

Steve

Maybe, maybe not. From experience peering upside down at the speed control on the motor with a flashlight isn't that easy and I can get behind my drill press. I would love to have that remote!

 

[bluebolt]

With all the interest in the 150 press I'm surprised I haven't been able to find an age chart by serial number. Is it out there?

Yours appears to be power bronze which makes it late 1950's I believe.

 

[Cable_Hogue]

Yours appears to be power bronze which makes it late 1950's I believe.

Thanks Bluebolt. You are right about the remote. Both work fine. It's just to allow easier reach.

I put the whole works up on ebay. I'm going back to stock as much as possible on this 150.

 

[Cable_Hogue]

I got this press cleaned up a bit finally and mostly apart.

Can anyone help me out with finding someone who can chemically remote the paint? Is there someone in town that might do this, like a powder coat service or something?

Also, I got the bearings and need to find someone who can press them in.
Transmission shop? Where should I start looking?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Steinmetz]

Just a wild guess, but the aftermarket rheostat was likely installed because the original on the motor quit working. Rheostats were never bullet-proof because they have to take a lot of current. But it could be fixed.

Nice find.

Steve

That's not a rheostat in the conventional sense. It is a potentiometer that is used to control the firing angle (through an RC circuit) to an SCR. The output is then used to control the motor. The SCR handles the heavy motor current.

 

[Outlawmws]

I got this press cleaned up a bit finally and mostly apart.

Can anyone help me out with finding someone who can chemically remote the paint? Is there someone in town that might do this, like a powder coat service or something?

Also, I got the bearings and need to find someone who can press them in.
Transmission shop? Where should I start looking?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Look up rust removal by electrolysis. generally it will also remove most if not all paint.

you can do it in a 5 gallon bucket using scrap steel/rebar and a battery charger.

 

[Cable_Hogue]

Look up rust removal by electrolysis. generally it will also remove most if not all paint.

you can do it in a 5 gallon bucket using scrap steel/rebar and a battery charger.

Awesome! Will go check it out.

 

[uniballer]

I got mine from a friend who hauls junk. Some surface rust but no drill holes on the plate. Paid 75, but wish I could find the center pulley set for less than a hundred.

View media item 47889

 

[Cable_Hogue]

I got mine from a friend who hauls junk. Some surface rust but no drill holes on the plate. Paid 75, but wish I could find the center pulley set for less than a hundred.

View media item 47889

THat looks pretty much like the 150 I found. I also got a 100 and not sure which head I will use on my restore. The 100 has a better motor plate (cast iron) and I'm surely going to use that.

The table on mine is soaking in electrolysis right now. We'll see how it comes out.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Yours appears to be power bronze which makes it late 1950's I believe.

If I remember my history correctly, powder bronze makes it 1958 or later, the crown logo makes it 1960 or later, 103.xxxxx model number makes it 1963 or earlier. Someone may wish to correct me but I think that's right.

Cable_Hogue, you found yourself a very nice drill press.

 

[PWRstroke_smoke]

very nice drill press, mine was the gold/bronze color before i blasted it and re painted
103.24530 SN

 

[Outlawmws]

If I remember my history correctly, powder bronze makes it 1958 or later, the crown logo makes it 1960 or later, 103.xxxxx model number makes it 1963 or earlier. Someone may wish to correct me but I think that's right.

Cable_Hogue, you found yourself a very nice drill press.

Model No. prefix's had nothing to do with dates, other than as when the particular MFG had contracts with Sears.

101 was Atlas (pre King Sealy), and 103 is KS for example.

Both made multiple different tools for Sears, under different marketing names (Craftsman Dunlap Companion, Sears, etc...).

 

[bluebolt]

If I remember my history correctly, powder bronze makes it 1958 or later, the crown logo makes it 1960 or later, 103.xxxxx model number makes it 1963 or earlier. Someone may wish to correct me but I think that's right.

Cable_Hogue, you found yourself a very nice drill press.

Crown logo was definitely out by 1959 and maybe 1958. Finding a 1958 catalog is hard! All 150's are Crown logo.

 

[Outlawmws]

1956 was Model 100 w oval logo

1959 was Model 150 with crown (in the catalogs)

Missing 57, and 58 catalogs, so no clue when the switch was made on logo or model No. and if they changed together.

 

[jakemac]

According to the catalogs -
1957 = Models 80 & 100 - Heritage Logo (pages 30 and 31 from the 1957 catalog)
1958 = Model 150 - Crown Top Logo (page 21 from the 1958 catalog)

 

[BDAZSVT]

I have 2 of these. I bought the first as a good drill press. I bought the second purely for the center pulley. One was black the other gold. The black one had the center pulley. The gold one has a quill lock the black does not.

 

[Outlawmws]

Jake, did you get the full CD set from the guy on Eprey? That is he only source I know of with all of them.

BDA, logos? Does the table tilt on the black one? 100's had tilting tables, the 150's not.

Also, what column size?

 

[kawtoy]

I bought one last year that came with the original owners manuals. I scanned them all and I will post them tomorrow. They are wonderful DPs.

 

[nine4gmc]

According to the catalogs -
1957 = Models 80 & 100 - Heritage Logo (pages 30 and 31 from the 1957 catalog)
1958 = Model 150 - Crown Top Logo (page 21 from the 1958 catalog)

Good stuff Jake!! Thanks for posting!!