How much would you pay for this?

[Matasickle]

I could always use a drill press in the garage.

What do you think I should spend on this Companion drill press I found on Craigslist:

 

[LSU]

Looks like it has a vise on the bench press which is nice to have.

I'm not sure how powerful the motor is or if you're going to have to replace the belt drive but . . .

I think you can buy a new Delta bench top in the $100 range.

This drill press would be a nice visual addition to a shop so I'd give that some value.

If it all works and all it needs is a little clean up, I'd go $50-75.

Let us know the outcome.

 

[Everett]

I would give 25 , becuse there so plentyful around here and harbor freight really sells so cheap now, were my ex wife got mine new for $59 in 1996, i still have it, muti speed 3 step pully on motor , the other on the chuck, wasnt rusted at all , till i put in storage, now the shaft that holds the motor head is rusty as well as the table, i got the vise from same place, i dont know if i can sandblast with walnuts too clean up, if not o well going in the junk and get a new one, still works like new, but i want a new one anyway with a keyless chuck.

 

[Matasickle]

I'm thinking I might be able to pick it up for $20.

 

[ndnchf]

If you can get it for $20 - grab it. I'd go 50-75 if it runs good. Companion tools where sold by Sears Roebuck & co. prior to 1941. They were their lower priced line of tools. They were typically made by either Walker-Turner or King Seeley, both of which are quality makers. I'm fond of old American tools. If I found that locally, I'd snag it and replace my little DP of celestial origin.

 

[Matasickle]

Yeah, I'm just waiting to hear back from the guy.
Fingers crossed!

 

[Outlawmws]

Check to see how loose the spindle might be in the Quill (And the Quill in the housing) before getting too excited. I believe the Companion DPs used bushings, not bearings.

If the spindle is sloppy its certainly fixable, how much to fix would also depend on any wear on the spindle.

 

[Matasickle]

Check to see how loose the spindle might be in the Quill (And the Quill in the housing) before getting too excited. I believe the Companion DPs used bushings, not bearings.

If the spindle is sloppy its certainly fixable, how much to fix would also depend on any wear on the spindle.

I am not going to lie..
I have no idea what you just said.

Learn me!

 

[Outlawmws]

The quill goes up and down the spindle rotates inside the quill.

A sloppy Quill to housing fit can affect location accuracy and/or cause a hole to be angled .

Worn spindle bearings affect the runabout of the drill in use, could cause out of round or oversize holes in addition to the above.

If all you are doing is wood work, or rough metal fab, it generally takes a lot before it matters much.

 

[Matasickle]

Awesome. Thanks for the explanation!
Yes, I do not foresee myself doing any precise work in the near future.
So this will fit the bill.
What can I do to check.. Just jiggle the spindle to see if there is any play?

 

[davesnothere]

Give $11

 

[Matasickle]

Give $11

I will give that a try..
And if he doesn't bite, I might try to sweeten the deal by also offering some bellybutton lint.

 

[rlb1953]

Is it really only 3 speeds? Is it missing a pulley on the motor?

 

[ndnchf]

It appears to have a newer motor. The motor shafts were probably different diameters and the original 3 step pulley wouldn't fit, so they used a single belt pulley. This effectively makes it a single speed DP. You might be able to slide the motor pulley up and down a little to use other positions, but the belt will not be aligned properly and will wear quickly. Ask the seller if he still has the original motor and pulley. The motor may be fixable.

 

[slopecarver]

Given it's current condition it needs about $50 in parts to make it function like it is supposed to and then it would only be worth a max of $50 anyways. Offer to take it off of his hands for free and promise to give it the attention it deserves in a good home where it can be repaired? Do check the spindle play.

 

[Outlawmws]

$20 is more than fair, you can part it for far more than that if necessary.

for your purposes, yes, just see how much, if any, wiggle there is. "Feel" can tell you a lot if you pay attention. For the quill, drop it down a little first and try it there, again near mid point and again near full extension, for the spindle, lock the quill, (screw on the left, low on the frame) and then give it a try.

Motor pulley isn't a big deal; stepped pulleys are readily available at hardware stores.

 

[Outlawmws]

Given it's current condition it needs about $50 in parts to make it function like it is supposed to and then it would only be worth a max of $50 anyways. Offer to take it off of his hands for free and promise to give it the attention it deserves in a good home where it can be repaired? Do check the spindle play.

$50 where?

We know it needs a step pulley ($12-15), and that's all. (Assuming the buyer doesn't have one in a box in the garage. I probably have 5-6 kicking around...)

It appears to come with a DP vise, what would that bring separately?

Until it's inspected, all else is speculation

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

I play with older tools a lot myself. Personally, I would max out in the $35 range, just because it's a "no-name" vintage tool. The feed handle has been replaced with what looks like part of a screw driver, and the missing step pulley is a negative. The problem with step pulleys is that you not only kind of what the match in diameter, but in stack height. Sometimes, you can not exactly match them. Granted, it's a minor thing, and I hardly ever change speed on my Walker Turner. (Though, I can't wait to finish my Rockwell VS drill!)

IMHO, I would hold out for a nicer Craftsman or better name brand bench top in the $50 to $75 range. Lot's of nice Delta's and Craftsmans out there.

As for quill slop, unless it's real bad, it's not a big deal... it will probably be tighter than some junk today. (I can say this after buying two new Craftsman ones that had so much slop it was not funny. One 12" press had the laser, with the laser on. I could move the bit 1/2" (1/4" per side of the line) and this was BRAND NEW...

 

[Outlawmws]

Companion was hardly a "no name tool" back in the day, it was simply another Sears brand of the day, (re-trotted out a few decades later) Probably still atlas built, but (as I mentioned earlier) with bronze bushings instead of ball bearings on the spindle.

On the "Screwdriver" I was misled also at first, but if you look closer, it's more likely that the plastic grip was pressed onto the original handle.

Pulley clusters aren't that hard to match up and with EPrey, an original used one is not out of the question if a new one does not match up.

He already thinks he can get it for $20, so I don't think that is an issue either.

 

[Outlawmws]

that may actually be a better DP that I anticipated. Circa 1940 and maybe earlier, so at least 72 years old. WITH ball bearings in the spindle, so if they are south you should be able to replace.

Some pics and data from the Catalog:

 

[Hank McMauser]

I'd offer him $24.75...print off & show him the ad,ask him if he price matches.

 

[slopecarver]

Ok maybe less than 50, but he would need to find a matching pulley otherwise why change it. He'd also need to make a handle but the screwdriver handle has character

 

[Matasickle]

Contacted the owner.
Will be picking up for $20 as soon as he has a free moment.
Thanks for that catalog pic. That's awesome!

 

[ndnchf]

Congrats! Let us know how it looks after your detailed inspection. If it could talk, the stories it could tell.....

 

[Matasickle]

Congrats! Let us know how it looks after your detailed inspection. If it could talk, the stories it could tell.....

I know, I'm really excited about it.
Maybe I can source some information on how to restore it nicely.
Thanks to everyone for their input!

 

[Outlawmws]

Much of your restore info is the drill press itself; that one looks to be relatively un-mucked with, other than the motor/pulley. Original paint, Most of the stickers intact, etc...

 

[Major Ramifications]

Congrats! Let us know how it looks after your detailed inspection. If it could talk, the stories it could tell.....

What's it going to say, "I made a hole, I made another hole, I made another hole"?

But seriously, it's a cool old DP with character.

 

[Matasickle]

What's it going to say, "I made a hole, I made another hole, I made another hole"?

But seriously, it's a cool old DP with character.

 

[Marmaduke]

That drill press and the add make it pretty cool to have even if you don't use it.

 

[ndnchf]

It might say "I helped build a flathead Ford hotrod from uncle Homer's wrecked Model A coupe back in 1938". Or "Neil Armstrong used me to build model rockets back in 1955" or maybe it lived a mundane life and will only say "I drilled a hole, then another hole, then another..."

But it is fun to speculate ;-)

 

[Matasickle]

Good news and bad news..
Good new is I got it for $5.
Bad news is that while he was demonstrating to me that it works the motor started smoking

It is model # 101 03521

I am trying to find more info on this model.

 

[Outlawmws]

101 prefix indicates Atlas built. The Companions were apparently a smaller scale DP, with the shallower throat distance, but still a better built DP than the small imports.

You should be fine with a 1/2 HP motor, for that DP.

I see you also got the DP vise. Good deal. So a motor, and 3-4 step pulley, and the $5 you paid him (the DP vise is worth more than that..) and you should be good to go!

ps: how does the spindle/Quill assy feel? Tight?

 

[Matasickle]

101 prefix indicates Atlas built. The Companions were apparently a smaller scale DP, with the shallower throat distance, but still a better built DP than the small imports.

You should be fine with a 1/2 HP motor, for that DP.

I see you also got the DP vise. Good deal. So a motor, and 3-4 step pulley, and the $5 you paid him (the DP vise is worth more than that..) and you should be good to go!

Where should I start looking for a 1/2 HP motor and step pulleys?

 

[Outlawmws]

Step pulleys can be had at almost any decent hardware store, but do measure the spindle pulley height. A small amount out won't hurt much, but a lot you want to avoid.

Pretty sure the stick pulley/motor would be 1/2", so something to consider if you wind up on Eprey for the pulley.

A motor could also be bought there, but will be pricey. How is your local CL? lots of 1750 RPM motors out there usually.

 

[lwlobo]

I love the fact that they sold them with or without the motor back in the day.

Meanng a decent portion of potental users had enough sense to be able to source their own motor and pulley or already have one laying around or enought time and skill to move the motor between their DP, table saw, lathe, etc. Practical and thrifty, those WWII and depression era folks.

Also, realize Companion was the budget brand of the time, I wonder how many Central Machinery drill presses will still be around in 2080?

 

[Matasickle]

Step pulleys can be had at almost any decent hardware store, but do measure the spindle pulley height. A small amount out won't hurt much, but a lot you want to avoid.

Pretty sure the stick pulley/motor would be 1/2", so something to consider if you wind up on Eprey for the pulley.

A motor could also be bought there, but will be pricey. How is your local CL? lots of 1750 RPM motors out there usually.

Found these on CL:
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/tls/2718575802.html

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/tls/2739256649.html

 

[Outlawmws]

Stay away from any 3 ph motors (some in second ad), you don't need that headache. If new as advertised, those are decent deals. You can probably find a motor cheaper if used, but make sure it actually runs, and you can simulate a load a load on it using a 2x4 or similar on the shaft.

1/2 or 1/3 HP will work, getting anything larger (Heavier) may overbalance the DP and make it tippy to the back.

 

[bad_idea]

Does the motor spin without the pulley on it? I bought a 1940s C-man drill press couple years ago. Similiar story - Guy fires it up and the motor starts to smoke, got it for much cheaper than he was asking. Took it home, pulled the belt off and the motor spun smoothly. The belt was very stiff from sitting, I replaced the belt and used the drill press routinely for a couple years.

For what you plan on using it for, congrats on a cool find. I found the classic C-man didn't fit my needs. It needed new bearings and it also didn't spin slow enough for the metal work I wanted to do.

Also, looking at the pic the belt is VERY out of alignment. Perhaps that has something to do with the smoking? Either way, don't give up on the motor just because it smokes once. I got a good couple years of use out of mine after it smoked once.

 

[Matasickle]

Does the motor spin without the pulley on it? I bought a 1940s C-man drill press couple years ago. Similiar story - Guy fires it up and the motor starts to smoke, got it for much cheaper than he was asking. Took it home, pulled the belt off and the motor spun smoothly. The belt was very stiff from sitting, I replaced the belt and used the drill press routinely for a couple years.

For what you plan on using it for, congrats on a cool find. I found the classic C-man didn't fit my needs. It needed new bearings and it also didn't spin slow enough for the metal work I wanted to do.

Also, looking at the pic the belt is VERY out of alignment. Perhaps that has something to do with the smoking? Either way, don't give up on the motor just because it smokes once. I got a good couple years of use out of mine after it smoked once.

I'm going to play around with.
I hope that's the issue!

 

[bad_idea]

make sure to post up your findings, I am curious. If it does work fine are you going to drive back out to the guy's house and give him the other $15?