Help ID Vintage Craftsman Drill Press

[bbbarracuda]

This drill press is for sale on a local auction site. can anyone give me any info or help with the age or value?
I especially like the the rope and old window weights. (I assume to pull the drill back to resting position)
Obviously has been modified, but does it look like it could be returned to original and used?
Thanks

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Unless you can pick that up for sub-50 bucks for parts, run away from that thing as fast as you can. To get that back to original condition, you'll have more money invested than the machine is worth. Those can still be found intact pretty easily if you keep your eyes peeled.

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

Very cool drill press.! Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

It is a very cool drill press. A very cool drill press that needs quite a bit of work to be returned to its original glory if that's what the OP is looking for. At a minimum, it needs the ratcheting style of return spring assembly. That's a spring, a case, a cover and a pawl. Those parts can easily add up to 50 bucks or more. There's holes drilled in the pulley cover. Of course the machine will work perfectly fine with the holes there but for a complete refurb, a different pulley cover is called for. Chalk up another 20 bucks or more.

My response was not intended to reflect anything derogatory about the machine itself. I own four similar machines. I've dealt with enough old machinery that I know that buying a machine that's missing parts can rapidly turn into a money pit. This machine is common enough that with patience, a complete machine can be found at a decent price.

 

[bbbarracuda]

Thanks for all the info. Can anyone tell me about when this was made? And any links to pics of a complete example?
So far its up to a $2.00 bid. I think the rope mod is scaring people away.
Also, what might the purpose of the arms bolted to pulley cover be? Just to hold the rope pulley? Or is there a history of these needing the extra bracing?

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Attached is the owners manual for that machine.

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/572.pdf

I'd place that machine as early to mid 1940s based on the rectangular switch plate. Early models of this Atlas-made machine had oval plates. The machine had two different return spring assemblies on it over the years. Early ones didn't have the ratcheting pawl design. Base on the switch plate cover, I'd say that machine should have the ratcheting pawl version.

I also see that one of the feed handle knobs has been replaced with a wooden one.

The arms bolted to the pulley cover are just to hold the pulley for the window weight rig. The cover does just that, covers the pulley. There's no history of a problem with these that require any additional bracing.

The belle of the ball in that set up is the spindle cap (the chrome piece on top of the pulley cover). Those things are missing a good percentage of the time.

Here's a pic of one of my machines showing the ratcheting return spring assembly I'm talking about. This machine has an optional pulley cover on it but the machine itself is the same rig.



Here's an almost completed refurb on the earlier version. This shows the oval switch plate but not the non-ratcheting return spring assembly. The middle pulley was an option.

 

[bbbarracuda]

Thanks JoCosawdust
That answers my questions
I’ll keep my eyes on it. Doesn’t sound like I can get hurt if the price stays cheap enough.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Can you run it to see if there are other problems? When ever I see something that hacked I usually avoid it unless it is a cheap part donor. That model had tolerance issues with the spindle pulley drive on a couple that I used to own so it is not my favorite design.

 

[bbbarracuda]

About what does the bench top version of this weigh?
Can a broken down old guy with bad knees move it by myself?
Thanks

 

[lafester]

I would remove the motor, then the head before moving myself. Two is much better.

 

[RTM]

When I moved my cheap Asian made one, I cranked the table down, then swung it out the back, and put my shoulder under the head and lifted with my knees. Motor and all. Shipping weight is listed at 127# now. I doubt I would attempt that nowadays.

 

[bbbarracuda]

well, I got it bought for $22.00 I think I did ok It is model 101.03622
It works smooth and quiet. I did remove the weights and pulleys (which worked surprisingly well.)
Now for the questions.
What am I missing for the return springs? Was the shaft originally threaded and smoothed down so the PO could attach his pully system?
Thanks

 

[JoCoSawdust]

22 bucks is a good starting point for that machine. That shaft was originally smooth, nothing threads to it. You're missing the complete return spring assembly which is the spring, the housing and the housing cap. Look at the owners manual I posted up thread. You've got a post cap at the top of the column. If you find a return spring assembly missing the cap, that post cap is the exact same part and is interchangeable. The knob of your ratcheting pawl is broken off. You're more likely to find a complete ratcheting pawl than you are finding the the knob. Keep your eyes peeled on eBay. These machines are regularly parted out. The parts you need can be from a Craftsman or an Atlas branded machine.

Attached is a link to a tear down of a similar machine. It shows everything you're missing. There's tons of threads and videos pertaining to this type of machine. They're very abundant on the second hand market and can be found in a lot of shops.

Good luck and keep us posted. Feel free to reach out with questions.

 

[bbbarracuda]

Thanks
That video answers a lot. I see he has a whole series from teardown to rebuild.
I'm sure I will have plenty of questions as I go along.

 

[bbbarracuda]

I was able to get a return spring, housing, cap, and pawl.
But, while trying to get it together I broke the end of the spring off. I see what I did wrong and won't make the same mistake again.
I see lots of replacement springs on eBay, are they any good or am I best to wait and find an original?
If new is there a particular one anyone has used successfully?
Thanks

 

[Doc2031]

Folks,

Having a time finding which thread to post this in, now that FrankLee's post is closed. Given the title of this one, it looks like the best place. Apologies for some modest "spamming" of another thread.

Hoping to pick your brains, confirm what I suspect. Inherited my grandfather's drill press some years ago. I'm moving soon, considering selling or gifting the DP, but I'm investigating it. Seems to me that it's a 1933 Craftsman High Speed. No plate with model number, but the design of the pulley guard, the bar-style lever (obviously missing) rather than the quad, and the design of table and base table all point to the 1933 High Speed. The drill press is also 36 1/2" in height with the spindle at its highest point.

The press works just fine. Motor was obviously replaced, and there's some damage to the table as well as the column. Don't know how that happened -- I swear it was like that when I got it. My grandfather is old enough to have bought a High Speed when it was new, and as a machinist, he'd have wanted to invest in good tools.

Any help/idea would be greatly appreciated!

Doc

 

[bubinga]

@the OP Did you ever complete this, or is there another thread?"

 

[bbbarracuda]

Sorry it took so long to get back to this thread.
I got a new belt, return spring, pawl and cap from ebay. I cleaned up the drill press and lubed everything. It works great now. I haven't done any cosmetic work to it. I kind of like the look of 70 or 80 years of use.
I don't have any current pics, but I can take some if anyone wants.

 

[bubinga]

Sorry it took so long to get back to this thread.
I got a new belt, return spring, pawl and cap from ebay. I cleaned up the drill press and lubed everything. It works great now. I haven't done any cosmetic work to it. I kind of like the look of 70 or 80 years of use.
I don't have any current pics, but I can take some if anyone wants.

Sure, we'd like to see them.

 

[bubinga]

Sorry it took so long to get back to this thread.
I got a new belt, return spring, pawl and cap from ebay. I cleaned up the drill press and lubed everything. It works great now. I know you said, I haven't done any cosmetic work to it. I kind of like the look of 70 or 80 years of use.
I don't have any current pics, but I can take some if anyone wants.

But l always wondered how it would work out on those marred up tables, if a guy took a slightly over-size nice sheet of aluminum, and JB welded it down to the drill press table and filed it nice and even with the perimeter of the old table. Nice and straight l mean. and nice and neat on the rounded corners.