My 103.23640 Craftsman Drill Press Restoration

[chrispyny]

I meant to post this here back in April of this year when this project was completed but time and the summer got away from me. After seeing some other recent postings of Craftsman Drill Press restorations, it promted me to sit down and finally post this.

This early spring i started to get an itch for a drill press. My father having retired from the Watervliet Aresenal as a machinist, instilled in me the value of American made tooling.

I started searching for a drill press on Clist and came across a gentleman selling TWO Craftsman Drill Presses. The subject of this thread, a 103.23640, circa 1946. benchtop model with 1/3 hp Dunlap motor, and a 1947 floor model with 1/2 hp Crafstman branded motor. Story goes that a gentleman bought both presses new in 46 and 47. He passed away 15 years later and it wasn't until not long ago that they were sold to the second owner. I purchased them from him when he was selling off most everything in his garage. Fire sale or something.
I bought both for $130 a piece. I could not stand leaving with one and not the other. So this early spring, i spent a few weeks, a few hours a night after work restoring the benchtop model.
I have a nice Quincy compressor and cyclone sand blaster which helped strip the machine of all its layers of paint. I replaced all bearings with japanese quality bearings, took every single bolt and nut apart, polished, sanded, painted, cleaned, until it was brand new.
Thankfully no parts were missing on this machine. I also stripped the entire motor down to its bearings. They were almost frozen solid from the grease seizing up, but after washing them out in the parts washer, and repacking with synthetic grease, they were smooth as BUTTER. Every nook and cranny was cleaned and repainted. I rewired the motor with a three wire lead and grounded the chassis of the motor in the event of a short. i also replaced the old rubber grommet with a new one. I'll spare the remainder of the little stuff.
I welded up 2 tiny little holes with my Mig welder ( not the best but close ) . Put in a new cogged belt, painted it with Rustoleum Light Machine Gray enamel. LOVE the color. It has a light, almost mint look to it. The ID plate is missing in the final pic. I had it but had to paint it a Rustoleum Hammertone black, as the details in the tag were long gone.

Anyway, here she is from beginning to end with a link to my vintage machinery post as well.
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=19206

Alas, i decided to keep the stronger, more robust floor model with a 1/2 hp motor and slow speed pulley, so i sold this press on clist to an extremely satisfied Doctor who was putting together a small shop at his house. He was so happy with the work i did, he texted me a second time when he got home after looking it over again!

Now, the 1947 floor model.

This will be my fall project. It should take less time since i have done it all before. Did you all know how much quality japanese bearings cost now a days? DANG!

 

[nine4gmc]

The bench DP is a Model 80 and the floor standing is a Model 100. Great job on the bench model, can't wait to see the floor model finished.

 

[jransom]

Great job. I love these posts of people breathing new life into these old American machines. Really nice job! How did you polish up the column?

 

[nine4gmc]

Great info Frank, I never knew a two handle 100 existed!

 

[Shiftless]

Beautiful work! Drooling.

 

[356vintage]

Nice restoration.

 

[chrispyny]

Great job. I love these posts of people breathing new life into these old American machines. Really nice job! How did you polish up the column?

Elbow grease and a parts washer with a brown scotchbright pad.

My dad has a lablonde lathe with a steady rest. I'll be spinning the column for the floor model in the lathe. Trying to wrestle with a 5-6' column is a lot harder than one thats 30" tall.

I have seen some of these restorations where guys make the column almost shine. I'm going to try to use progressively finer scotch pads and sand paper to come close myself.

 

[Warped5]

Another member here did the same 'lathe' method with a column from a benchtop model. Only he did it with a floor-standing drill press. Looked very good.

I did mine by hand with sand/emery paper ... 80/150/400/1000/2000 grits .... looks pretty good.

Don't forget to apply some paste wax to the column after you're done.

 

[Terry D]

I meant to post this here back in April of this year when this project was completed but time and the summer got away from me. After seeing some other recent postings of Craftsman Drill Press restorations, it promted me to sit down and finally post this.

This early spring i started to get an itch for a drill press. My father having retired from the Watervliet Aresenal as a machinist, instilled in me the value of American made tooling.

I started searching for a drill press on Clist and came across a gentleman selling TWO Craftsman Drill Presses. The subject of this thread, a 103.23640, circa 1946. benchtop model with 1/3 hp Dunlap motor, and a 1947 floor model with 1/2 hp Crafstman branded motor. Story goes that a gentleman bought both presses new in 46 and 47. He passed away 15 years later and it wasn't until not long ago that they were sold to the second owner. I purchased them from him when he was selling off most everything in his garage. Fire sale or something.
I bought both for $130 a piece. I could not stand leaving with one and not the other. So this early spring, i spent a few weeks, a few hours a night after work restoring the benchtop model.
I have a nice Quincy compressor and cyclone sand blaster which helped strip the machine of all its layers of paint. I replaced all bearings with japanese quality bearings, took every single bolt and nut apart, polished, sanded, painted, cleaned, until it was brand new.
Thankfully no parts were missing on this machine. I also stripped the entire motor down to its bearings. They were almost frozen solid from the grease seizing up, but after washing them out in the parts washer, and repacking with synthetic grease, they were smooth as BUTTER. Every nook and cranny was cleaned and repainted. I rewired the motor with a three wire lead and grounded the chassis of the motor in the event of a short. i also replaced the old rubber grommet with a new one. I'll spare the remainder of the little stuff.
I welded up 2 tiny little holes with my Mig welder ( not the best but close ) . Put in a new cogged belt, painted it with Rustoleum Light Machine Gray enamel. LOVE the color. It has a light, almost mint look to it. The ID plate is missing in the final pic. I had it but had to paint it a Rustoleum Hammertone black, as the details in the tag were long gone.

Anyway, here she is from beginning to end with a link to my vintage machinery post as well.
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=19206

Alas, i decided to keep the stronger, more robust floor model with a 1/2 hp motor and slow speed pulley, so i sold this press on clist to an extremely satisfied Doctor who was putting together a small shop at his house. He was so happy with the work i did, he texted me a second time when he got home after looking it over again!

Now, the 1947 floor model.

This will be my fall project. It should take less time since i have done it all before. Did you all know how much quality japanese bearings cost now a days? DANG!

Do know the length of the column on the floor model, was thinking of converting my bench model to one

 

[CalsXS2]

Do know the length of the column on the floor model, was thinking of converting my bench model to one

Edited to read my 1954 model 100 has a 67" column.

 

[nine4gmc]

Terry, do you have a Model 80 or Model 100? Either way, if you convert it you will have a tiny base and a machine that is real top heavy so be careful and maybe put a tie to the wall behind it to keep it from falling on anyone.

 

[JZiggy]

If the bench model uses the smaller tube (2" OD I think, rather than 2.75") I would be leery of converting it. The tube would be too flexible at a 6' length.

 

[CalsXS2]

Cal... are you certain your 100 is a 1954 model?

I believe the columns were reduced to 62" from 67" in the 1956 model year. I came to that conclusion because prior to 1956, the catalogs listed the overall height of the floor model as 68-3/4". The 1956 and up catalogs listed the overall height as 65-1/4".

I'm only basing the 1954 by what the guys over at OWWM said. They based that on the 12 54 on the left side of "model" in the pic below.

So you thinkin they are wrong??

 

[nine4gmc]

The motor could have been manufacturer at a different date than the machine. Motors were optional back then, I'm not sure when they became common for each machine.


Sent from my iThingy using Tapatalk

 

[CalsXS2]

Here's the tag.

Hey. Is anybody redoing those?

 

[CalsXS2]

OK. 103.23141 translates into catalog number 2314. That is a floor model and was sold without a motor between 1948 (maybe before) and 1954. I'm not sure what the last digit means.

That really blows my column-height theory. I guess the catalogs could be wrong.

So would it be logical to assume since that model was sold between 48-54, and the motor is dated 54, wouldn't that make that a 54 unit.

I guess it could have been made sooner, might have sat around until 54 then got that motor. Actually it would have been later because the motor was made 12/54.

Man I'm confusing myself,,,,lol.

 

[CalsXS2]

Well Frank. I hope you're happy. I'm removing myself from the board. And it's all your fault,,,,,lol.

Seriously though. I have made a huge mistake. And in the interest of battling misinformation that we often run into on the internet I want to correct it and beg for forgiveness.

I have 3 different columns. Two Deltas and 1 Craftsman. And I know I kept them separated so I would know which was which. I guess the mice in my garage moved them. Damn them furry little bastards.

Well. if you won't believe that. I'm going to play the chemo brain card,,,,lol.

So assuming my drill press is indeed a 1954 model, which we will clarify that in a minute, the column is indeed 67". I apologize for the mistake. I will go back and edit my previous statement.

Like you Frank, it was bugging me about the info in the catalogs. So I gathered up my columns. At first I couldn't tell what was what. Then I turned them upside down. "VIOLA". There was the hole I drilled through the column of the Delta to get the broken off set screw out of the base. And there was the witness marks on the Craftsman from the set screw from the Vari-Slo.

So by looking at the catalogs, can you guys confirm what looks like a difference in the chuck locking collars. Mine is grooved like in the 54 catalog. Where to me it looks smooth in the 56 catalog. Am I right.

So do we all agree that mine is a 1954 model 100 with a 67" column,,,lol.

Here's my 67" Craftsman column on the left with Vari-Slo witness marks. And my 63" Delta column on the right.

 

[Terry D]

It is a model 100, some where around a 1947. I found a base from a floor model which is much wider. The post seems harder to find, there are bench model ones but not the longer one for the floor model

 

[Terry D]

If the bench model uses the smaller tube (2" OD I think, rather than 2.75") I would be leery of converting it. The tube would be too flexible at a 6' length.

They both have the same diameter tube