Craftsman Drill Press

[sheltonfilms]

Question for FrankLee and all. Last night I bought a 103.23130. Its in good condition but the spring return is not working. I reviewed the spring adjustment section you have here and it still won't return after tightening. How do I check and replace the spring? What else could be the problem? Any guidance anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Do you feel tension as you turn the adjustment knob on the left side?

If so quill and feed pinion may just need to be oiled. There is an oil port on the right side where the feed pinion goes into the headstock.


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[FrankLee]

Question for FrankLee and all. Last night I bought a 103.23130. Its in good condition but the spring return is not working. I reviewed the spring adjustment section you have here and it still won't return after tightening. How do I check and replace the spring? What else could be the problem? Any guidance anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Do you feel tension as you turn the adjustment knob on the left side?

If so quill and feed pinion may just need to be oiled. There is an oil port on the right side where the feed pinion goes into the headstock.

Welcome Steve!

If you do feel tension when turning the knob, the problem could also be the quill lock is sticking. Check this post.

Remove the quill lock components and try the feed return again. Clean and reinstall. Please report back with your results. Pictures may help too.

 

[Steve F.]

Thank you. I do feel tension and it tightens up after a few turns. I will check quill, quill lock and oil as advised and report back. Thanks again.

 

[Steve F.]

Gentlemen: I removed, checked and cleaned the quill lock and oiled the port on the right side. I also removed and checked the spring adjustment knob. The shaft still lowers slowly with resistence and will not go up without equal force on the wheel. No auto return at all. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Should I take apart further? If yes, what and how. Thank you again.

 

[Steve F.]

Also, shaft is still difficult to move up and down with both the spring adjustment knob and quill lock removed.

 

[Steve F.]

Follow up question. When I said I removed the quill lock it was only the handle, bolt and nut. Are there two other larger parts to the quill lock inside the opening for the quill lock? If yes, these might be stuck. Please advise. Thanks again.

 

[Outlawmws]

I believe there is a wedge to put pressure on the quill under the lock screw parts, Those could be stuck. Also inspect the quill for dings and raised spots.

 

[FrankLee]

Follow up question. When I said I removed the quill lock it was only the handle, bolt and nut. Are there two other larger parts to the quill lock inside the opening for the quill lock? If yes, these might be stuck. Please advise. Thanks again.

Yes,
There are two styles of cylinders, cast and steel. The cast cylinders with separate nut are softer and often deform which can also contribute to sticking. It sounds like you have the cast version. If you ever get the opportunity to swap them with the steel version, do it.

The quill lock cylinders should move freely. These often get stuck with age, factory grease and dirt. Remove them, clean them, and clean their inside bore of the head frame. Lightly lube and reinstall. I think your problem will be solved.

 

[Steve F.]

Whats the best way to them out? I sprayed them with penetrating lubricant. Can I resort to hammering them out?

 

[Steve F.]

Also - I saw pictures of the quill lock on the thread but I can't find them. Can you send me a link and where can I get a set of the steel cylinders you mentioned?

 

[Outlawmws]

Use a narrow long punch, (a wood dowel should do it) and tap them out from the far side.

 

[Outlawmws]

The ones you have cleaned up should be fine. all the ones I've seen are hardened steel.

 

[Steve F.]

UPDATE: After torching each side for one minute they came out with a few hammer shots. Now I have the whole shaft out. What next?

 

[FrankLee]

If you have both lock cylinders out, re-test the feed return.

 

[FrankLee]

Also - I saw pictures of the quill lock on the thread but I can't find them. Can you send me a link and where can I get a set of the steel cylinders you mentioned?

Here's the link
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5443008#post5443008

To replace the lock cylinders, you'll need to find a donor machine, find a set on ebay or fabricate a new set.

 

[Steve F.]

Thanks so much Frank. Will do. What type of grease should I be using on all the gears?

 

[FrankLee]

Thanks so much Frank. Will do. What type of grease should I be using on all the gears?

I use Super Lube synthetic after completely disassembling the entire head frame and cleaning off all original factory grease and dirt.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pics of the old locks? Cleaned and greased, they are probably fine.

 

[paulm12]

a few pictures of my 103.23640. I painted the main housing , the table and base. I still need to sand down the table and base top surfaces (I purposely over-sprayed to prevent any rust). I replaced all bearings, and cleaned up the rest of the metal. I had to replace the original motor, it had some bad wiring, and was under-powered. The motor pulley was cracked so for now I have a single pulley on the replacement motor. Also disassembled and cleaned the chuck. I need to get a smaller v-belt too, until I get a new 4-step for the motor. Finally I need to decide where/how to route the on/off switch. The last pic is original condition and paint. I have a bit of runout that I am trouble-shooting, I forgot to measure that before starting the tear down.

Big thanks to FrankLee for all the info here.
.

 

[bubinga]

a few pictures of my 103.23640. I painted the main housing , the table and base. I still need to sand down the table and base top surfaces (I purposely over-sprayed to prevent any rust). I replaced all bearings, and cleaned up the rest of the metal. I had to replace the original motor, it had some bad wiring, and was under-powered. The motor pulley was cracked so for now I have a single pulley on the replacement motor. Also disassembled and cleaned the chuck. I need to get a smaller v-belt too, until I get a new 4-step for the motor. Finally I need to decide where/how to route the on/off switch. The last pic is original condition and paint. I have a bit of runout that I am trouble-shooting, I forgot to measure that before starting the tear down.

Big thanks to FrankLee for all the info here.
.

very Nice Job!

 

[FrankLee]

a few pictures of my 103.23640. I painted the main housing , the table and base. I still need to sand down the table and base top surfaces (I purposely over-sprayed to prevent any rust). I replaced all bearings, and cleaned up the rest of the metal. I had to replace the original motor, it had some bad wiring, and was under-powered. The motor pulley was cracked so for now I have a single pulley on the replacement motor. Also disassembled and cleaned the chuck. I need to get a smaller v-belt too, until I get a new 4-step for the motor. Finally I need to decide where/how to route the on/off switch. The last pic is original condition and paint. I have a bit of runout that I am trouble-shooting, I forgot to measure that before starting the tear down.

Big thanks to FrankLee for all the info here.
.

Beautiful work, Paul!

What are you getting on the run-out measurement?

 

[bubinga]

a few pictures of my 103.23640. I painted the main housing , the table and base. I still need to sand down the table and base top surfaces (I purposely over-sprayed to prevent any rust). I replaced all bearings, and cleaned up the rest of the metal. I had to replace the original motor, it had some bad wiring, and was under-powered. The motor pulley was cracked so for now I have a single pulley on the replacement motor. Also disassembled and cleaned the chuck. I need to get a smaller v-belt too, until I get a new 4-step for the motor. Finally I need to decide where/how to route the on/off switch. The last pic is original condition and paint. I have a bit of runout that I am trouble-shooting, I forgot to measure that before starting the tear down.

Big thanks to FrankLee for all the info here.
.

very Nice Job!

Beautiful work, Paul!

What are you getting on the run-out measurement?

Again..........very Nice Job!
Looks like mine sorta, mine is a 150 though.
paulm12 Is yours a 100 0r an 80?

 

[paulm12]

thanks guys. I think my model is the 80, I need to re-read FrankLee's info on this. The largest run-out measurement is around 0.008", but it varies. Above the chuck on the spindle it is around 0.003". The 0.008" measurement is on the spindle taper without the chuck. It is even much more with the chuck on.

Update: I took off the chuck and then the spindle, and clamped the spindle assembly on the bench. The measurements confirmed at 0.003" right above the threads for the chuck collar,, and 0.009" at bottom of spindle taper.
.

 

[FrankLee]

thanks guys. I think my model is the 80, I need to re-read FrankLee's info on this. The largest run-out measurement is around 0.008", but it varies. Above the chuck on the spindle it is around 0.003". The 0.008" measurement is on the spindle taper without the chuck. It is even much more with the chuck on.

Update: I took off the chuck and then the spindle, and clamped the spindle assembly on the bench. The measurements confirmed at 0.003" right above the threads for the chuck collar,, and 0.009" at bottom of spindle taper.
.

I was able to successfully improve a very obvious runout on one machine. This machine was a part-out, so I didn't have much to lose in an attempting to correct it.

Your situation is tough call. IIRC, you are using this drill press for mostly wood. IMO, 0.009 is acceptable for wood boring. You may eventually want to find a replacement.

You may also want to attempt a repair. When I did mine, I kept the chuck installed, but it was equipped with the safety collar. I used a block of wood and a BFH and struck the chuck body. I knew it wouldn't fall off after being struck. YMMV.

 

[FrankLee]

Thanks so much Frank. Will do. What type of grease should I be using on all the gears?

Steve, what progress are you making on your machine?

 

[FrankLee]

paulm12 Is yours a 100 0r an 80?

The answer is Yes.

His machine appears to be an early model. If it was a 1949 or earlier model, a 13½" dp is a Craftsman 100. If it was a 1950 or later model, a 13½" dp is a Craftsman 80.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4325791&post4325791

The date code on the motor could circumstantially confirm the age.

 

[paulm12]

thanks FrankLee. I have the spindle off and will start tinkering. And yes, this will be a wood use machine, so runout is not as critical. But, like many people on here, "good enough" is not good enough. We'll see how it goes. Worse case I break something and go find some replacement parts.

 

[Indexmill]

Trying to straighten a spindle, especially with a BFH, is a very tough challenge. The probability of success is low. You could very well make it worse.

Best way is with a vee block setup on a hydraulic press with a dial indicator. Even this way is a tough nut.

Indexmill.

 

[paulm12]

to be clear, I am not planning on straightening the spindle, I just want to find out better where the out-of-round starts.

Thanks.

 

[454ragtop]

Trying to straighten a spindle, especially with a BFH, is a very tough challenge. The probability of success is low. You could very well make it worse.

Best way is with a vee block setup on a hydraulic press with a dial indicator. Even this way is a tough nut.

Indexmill.

As Henry Ford would say "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're probably right." I've straightened many drill press spindles with a BFH, not really difficult, just need to go slow, light hits to see how much it takes to move it, increasing force as necessary. Check with a DTI to see where you are at as you go.

 

[FrankLee]

Trying to straighten a spindle, especially with a BFH, is a very tough challenge. The probability of success is low. You could very well make it worse.

Best way is with a vee block setup on a hydraulic press with a dial indicator. Even this way is a tough nut.

Indexmill.

I dunno. I'm 1 for 1, so my success rate is 100%.

As Henry Ford would say "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're probably right." I've straightened many drill press spindles with a BFH, not really difficult, just need to go slow, light hits to see how much it takes to move it, increasing force as necessary. Check with a DTI to see where you are at as you go.

Yep. It's not difficult and it does take a few strikes of increasing force to see progress on an indicator.

 

[Indexmill]

As Henry Ford would say "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're probably right." I've straightened many drill press spindles with a BFH, not really difficult, just need to go slow, light hits to see how much it takes to move it, increasing force as necessary. Check with a DTI to see where you are at as you go.

Ok then. Nevermind.

 

[paulm12]

so I cleaned up the spindle taper a bit with 0000 steel wool. Its at ~ 0.008 at the end of the taper, and 0.005" at the top of the taper. I am still noticing some slight scratches in the spindle taper, even after using the steel wool. Can I go more aggressive on the steel wool?

Also, with the chuck on, the out-of-round is way off, around 0.025". The same with the chuck 180 rotated. I assume that is the chuck not seating properly. I may take the chuck apart again, and reassemble. Not sure if that can be the cause.

Thanks.

 

[FrankLee]

so I cleaned up the spindle taper a bit with 0000 steel wool. Its at ~ 0.008 at the end of the taper, and 0.005" at the top of the taper. I am still noticing some slight scratches in the spindle taper, even after using the steel wool. Can I go more aggressive on the steel wool?

Also, with the chuck on, the out-of-round is way off, around 0.025". The same with the chuck 180 rotated. I assume that is the chuck not seating properly. I may take the chuck apart again, and reassemble. Not sure if that can be the cause.

Thanks.

If you can feel that the scratches on the taper are raised, and they are parallel to the spindle, I would just smooth them with a small fine stone and not go around the entire taper.

If the scratches are circular around the taper, I would smooth that spot only around the taper.

What about the female taper in the chuck? Matching scratches?

When you rotated the chuck 180 degrees, did the high point also move 180?

I assume you measured run-out with a bit chucked? How do the bit contacts look on the jaws? Sometimes they get worn. Try a measurement on the chuck body below the key holes. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6507328#post6507328

 

[paulm12]

thanks Frank. The chuck measurements are similar to the bit. I did not isolate the location of the high point, just the delta when turning the assembly. There is some pitting inside the chuck taper, but no obvious scratches. The jaws looked clean.

I'll keep tinkering. And looking for another chuck to try out and compare.

 

[FrankLee]

dp#48

I brought home dp#48 today, a late Emerson Craftsman 150 bench top model 113.24501. It came from an estate sale on day 2, so the price was right where I like it to be.

It's greasy and grimy, but the original paint looks very good so far. It's missing the rapid adjust feed stop assembly and the motor mount clip is broken. The table has a few errant holes, but I've had much worse.

​

It came with a 1/2 hp, 1740 rpm Delco motor with a Congress cone pulley The pulley does not match the Craftsman spindle pulley profile.

But WTF is up with that electrical ***********?

​

 

[FrankLee]

At the same estate sale as above, I was able to rescue this Woodward Machine Co machine lamp from the scrap heap of a machine in the right photo. Those lamps can go for crazy money on ebay.

​

 

[paulm12]

FrankLee: nice find. And that is some inventive wiring !! Maybe that is why the sticker says (I think) "Don Sparks".
.

 

[sheltonfilms]

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

Congress cone pulley? You talking about the adjustable ones that change the sheave spacing to make it a variable size pulley?

I’ve got a couple of Congress ones like that.


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[FrankLee]

Re: The Classic Craftsman 100/150 Drill Press

FrankLee: nice find. And that is some inventive wiring !! Maybe that is why the sticker says (I think) "Don Sparks".
.

LoL! Yes, Don Sparks. I didn't make that connection.
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Congress cone pulley? You talking about the adjustable ones that change the sheave spacing to make it a variable size pulley?

I’ve got a couple of Congress ones like that.

It's a 4-step cone pulley, model SCA44 and roughly 2", 2½", 3¼" & 4" steps.

I also have a couple of those adjustable pulleys and never had an opportunity to use one.