Absolutely.My drill press had a 11 56 stamped motor and it (motor) was power bronze, along with the press.
Im wondering if they did changes in the middle of the year.
Bro,
What is the date code on the motor plate? I can't make it out.
Frank, Cruz,
Have you guys seen motor bands that were painted bronze like this one? I've only seen the ones with the turned (sublimated?) stripes.
Yes, very recently.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8838605
There were fewer and fewer references to gray enamel machines in catalogs leading up to '58. I have no proof, but it's my belief that Power Bronze first appeared on machines in stores in 1956.
The first reference to Power Bronze paint was in the '59-'60 catalog for the 10" table saw. The last reference that I found was in the 1963 catalog for the belt driven grinders, shaper and 10" table saw
The paint color was not listed for all machines, so its difficult to pinpoint when Power Bronze was used on each machine.
Here are the drill press colors used throughout the 100/150 series and their approximate years:
- 1946-1956: light gray
- 1957-1963: power bronze
- 1964-1966: dark gray
Light gray and dark gray are not chronologically adjacent, so I don't think your machine is a crossover/transitional machine. IMO, that table was replaced.
Also, if the 1954 motor is original to the machine, the original table would have been a tilting table.
So the next rhetorical question is whether the replaced table and the cracked head casting are related to some traumatic event. Did this machine fall over and break the table and head?
The issue I see with the cracked column support is that more stress is being applied around and splaying open that support ring. The weakest/thinnest part of that ring is now at the front, 180 degrees from the crack.
Per my quote in my last post, those date ranges were for Power Bronze in general, not just drill presses.Can't argue with that... the table must have been damaged when these were still available from Sears. Since there is no evidence of tipping I suppose a head crash could have been the cause.
It is strange that if the dark grey was only 2 years why the bronze is harder to find.
Sure! Let us know what you need and we can help out.
Pardon the make-shift work area, still setting up shop but needed to knock out a few projects this weekend, but figured I would show the old beater off. Snagged it a couple weeks ago - they were asking $35 but haggled them down to $20 since "it's so old and probably not working very well these days." Didn't even have to clean it!![]()
Per my quote in my last post, those date ranges were for Power Bronze in general, not just drill presses.
Out of curiosity, what is the casting number on your table... 103 (K-S), or 113 (EEC)?
Yes! That is a gorgeous machine! The previous owner took very good care with it.
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That DP has been SO well maintained. Did the Palmgren come with it? And that's an early 100 too, great score.
It is a Craftsman branded vise perhaps manufactured by Palmgren. The Craftsman label was gone when I got it with DP#31. However, there is casting number 2754 on the base under the pivot pin. That is the Sears catalog number from the 1969 catalog and others.It's actually Frank's #98 (the post is pretty much entirely ficticious, dripping with jealousy of people who do actually run in to deals like that). Doesn't seem to have had too terribly hard of a life before he got it though.
Vise was worked in along with it - didn't see any manufacturer's markings on it other than country of origin; is this for sure a Palmgren?
It is a Craftsman branded vise perhaps manufactured by Palmgren. The Craftsman label was gone when I got it with DP#31. However, there is casting number 2754 on the base under the pivot pin. That is the Sears catalog number from the 1969 catalog and others.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6609861
Thank you Frank! My drafting skills are very rusty (had a class in middle school in 1985,) so pardon the crude drawings. I've also been playing around in CAD and mocked up the lower collar. If you can help me get dimensions for the call outs on the reference drawings I'm attaching, it would go a long way in helping me drafting up the 3d models. I'll happily make the 3d models available once complete to the forum for those interested in having them. -Jesse
Corona
I've also been wondering about adapting the RAS raising mechanisms... the saws with the crank in front under the tables. There are tons of RAS saws for sale cheap.This looks like you are on the right path! I would be interested in one of these for my setup if it can be done affordably. I have wondered if a sears table saw from near the era might be salvaged for the trunion rods and mechanisms to add to building some kind of a table lift. So far I only have my own saw for reference and haven't been able to look into it as yet.
This looks like you are on the right path! I would be interested in one of these for my setup if it can be done affordably. I have wondered if a sears table saw from near the era might be salvaged for the trunion rods and mechanisms to add to building some kind of a table lift. So far I only have my own saw for reference and haven't been able to look into it as yet.
I've also been wondering about adapting the RAS raising mechanisms... the saws with the crank in front under the tables. There are tons of RAS saws for sale cheap.

Yes, radial arm saw...Are you guys using RAS as in Radial Arm Saw? or something I am missing? When I spoke of a salvage saw to use I intended to mean Table Saw. Not that it matters too much. Just wanted try to keep up with you whippersnappers and your lingo! haha
Please continue.

Hmmm. Yeah, their website has changed. They are only a few miles from me, so I'll check them out next week.Frank
I just checked the link to Metro Restyling for machine turned vinyl. The link is dead. I did a search of their site to no result as well. Either they no longer have or carry the product or...
Anyway, have you or anyone that follows this thread found a suitable alternative? Or, am I on my own winging it with whatever I find that looks good on the web?
I saw another issue with a cracked head casting on owwm, so I thought I'd study this a bit more.I found this crack on the lower part of the head today. I don't think this is a big deal but wanted to run it by everyone here first.
I saw another issue with a cracked head casting on owwm, so I thought I'd study this a bit more.
Earlier, I thought a mending plate might work well, but after looking at a couple of my castings, the two halves of the head casting are rarely even with each other. One side is usually higher than the other. I think a plate attached to the column cross member could possibly twist and prevent the crack from drawing together.
Here's what I came up with... a piece of 1/4-20 threaded rod and two nuts. I drilled 3/8" from the rear plane and 1-1/8" from the bottom plane. A 5/16" threaded rod would also work.
It's not an elegant solution, but it should be effective.