DP600 rockwell delta drill press...$$$

[rymshwa]

I am looking for my first drill press and came across an this beauty. Trying to find more information about it to determine what is a reasonable price to offer.


Here is the craigslist post (minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/d/minneapolis-restored-vintage-delta/6997485160.html):

I am selling my restored vintage delta Rockwell drill press. All bearings have been replaced (including in the motor), the switch has been modernized, belt has been replaced with a powerlink style belt, and the whole machine has been repainted. Comes with a genuine Jacobs chuck. Cash only. Please email, call or text with questions.

I IM the seller and got this additional info:

• 3/4 hp
• 120/240 single phase
• ctr of chuck to post is 8"
• overall height is 5.5'
• Model dp600
• sn 10-5767
• main shaft 5 step and motor 4 step

What year do you guys think this drill press was made? Is this a well know model, reliable, and desirable? What do you think is a reasonable offer?

Thanks

 

[zkling]

As the owner of one of those, if metal working is your goal, those tables are a pain for general work. Get something with a slotted or round table. Ideally gear headed.

 

[Rick_Br]

based on the vintage machinery data(link below) the serial number you gave predates 1941

http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/DeltaSerialNumbers.ashx

Rick

 

[EngineerNate]

Aside from the convenience of the table style, I've been told this series of 17" tables is one of the best Delta ever made. If the runout measures well I'd have no problem paying that asking price if the condition is as good in person as it looks in the pictures. You can always swap the table out with a small amount of effort.

I have one with the production style table. Since I mainly do small stuff that can be held in a vise I'm not expecting any usability issues once I get it up and running.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Whitworth]

I'd buy it in a heartbeat at the listed price, it looks like its restored nicely. But that's just me.
Table you can drill and tap for attaching a vise. Since its already got some holes in it, no big deal to drill more.
Has Morse taper spindle, not as desirable as a stub spindle, but again that may just be me.
You'll rarely find a drill press with as stout a column as that. Looks like cast iron belt guard, maybe 1930's?

 

[EngineerNate]

There's a few different people who make stub spindles for these if you don't want to search for an old one in good shape.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[JHuston]

I have three 17" Delta drill presses, but the one I use most is a 1952 17-210 ( DP600 is just a casting number; my model number translates into a slow speed floor model drill press with a MT2 spindle), and other than fitting mine with a later 17" table with T-slots, I've been more than pleased with the performance. The stub spindle is theoretically more accurate, but the MT2 spindle allows me to change chucks for different applications, or use a directly mounted drill for anything big.
You really can't go wrong with that drill press , but if you get it, use it before you start replacing parts that someone on the internet said were lacking- if you need more precision than an MT spindle can give, you might need a milling machine.
-James Huston

 

[slowtwitch73]

You can bolt an aluminum sacrificial table onto the original. Drill and tap it for milling hold downs. Trying to drill/tap more than just a few holes in the original table wont work. Too thin and lots of webbing underneath.
Parts don't slide around on the Al as easily and you can just drill through into the Al table without worry.

 

[zkling]

There's a few different people who make stub spindles for these if you don't want to search for an old one in good shape.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I have a spare stub (JT33) spindle i would be happy to trade someone for a MT spindle to run my tapping heads with.

 

[rymshwa]

Cool site to reference serial #'s! The seller thought it was from the 50-60's.

 

[rymshwa]

You can bolt an aluminum sacrificial table onto the original. Drill and tap it for milling hold downs. Trying to drill/tap more than just a few holes in the original table wont work. Too thin and lots of webbing underneath.
Parts don't slide around on the Al as easily and you can just drill through into the Al table without worry.

That is a great idea to bolt an aluminum sacrificial table onto the original. Any recommendations on what type of vice to attach and where to buy?

 

[rymshwa]

I have three 17" Delta drill presses, but the one I use most is a 1952 17-210 ( DP600 is just a casting number; my model number translates into a slow speed floor model drill press with a MT2 spindle), and other than fitting mine with a later 17" table with T-slots, I've been more than pleased with the performance. The stub spindle is theoretically more accurate, but the MT2 spindle allows me to change chucks for different applications, or use a directly mounted drill for anything big.
You really can't go wrong with that drill press , but if you get it, use it before you start replacing parts that someone on the internet said were lacking- if you need more precision than an MT spindle can give, you might need a milling machine.
-James Huston

I totally love the look of these vintage drill presses and a bonus that they are so robust. The only change I would do to it is add a more functional top and adjustable vice.

 

[slowtwitch73]

That is a great idea to bolt an aluminum sacrificial table onto the original. Any recommendations on what type of vice to attach and where to buy?

I'm partial to the older American stuff, but there are other good options. I generally don't attach the vise at all. If you have a good punch mark to go off of. In the pic I posted I had been drilling to an edge, so good chance of the part/vise moving as the bit would want to wander off the edge, so vise is clamped. If you have a mill clamping/holddown setup, you can clamp the vise down wherever/if you need. I use a small milling vise for the dp... nice and heavy.

 

[EngineerNate]

Mine came with an old school Bridgeport mill vise. Feels like it weighs about 50#. Should be plenty. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[exmaxima1]

You can bolt an aluminum sacrificial table onto the original. Drill and tap it for milling hold downs. Trying to drill/tap more than just a few holes in the original table wont work. Too thin and lots of webbing underneath.
Parts don't slide around on the Al as easily and you can just drill through into the Al table without worry.

+1
I added a large aluminum plate to my DP600 as the original table was essentially worthless to me