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My Uncle's Duro Drill Press

threewood

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Yuma, AZ
Good afternoon all. This past Sunday, my cousin gave me his father's drill press and tool box. His father was a WW2 Navy vet and worked as a lineman, camera technician, and camera repairman. He worked at the White Sands where he was responsible for the camera work on the tests. He was my favorite uncle, which my cousin knew, so he knew I would want these.

My cousin didn't have room for the drill press. It was outside under a tarp. Surface rust but everything is still tight and smooth. I'll post more pics today as I have parts soaking in Evaporust.

It's a Duro with a 1/4 hp motor.
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Beerhippie

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Nice!

When was your uncle at White Sands?

My father worked as a test photographer there in the late '50-early '60s. I think I still have some 16 (35?) mm footage he took back then.
 
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threewood

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Yuma, AZ
Nice!

When was your uncle at White Sands?

My father worked as a test photographer there in the late '50-early '60s. I think I still have some 16 (35?) mm footage he took back then.
He would have been there from the 60's to 90's. He drove my dad around the base and up to the Trinity site one year. We spent a week out there every year visiting.
 
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threewood

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I installed new cords as well and added a ground bolt. Wired up a new switch. The motor just hums. No rotation. I have read about a centrifugal swith that is probably gummed up. How hard are these motors to get apart, and more importantly, back together?20250409_184308.jpg
 

Beerhippie

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There are four long bolts or threaded rods that go the length of the motor--looks like brass nuts on yours. Remove those and with some persuasion one or both of the end caps will come off. Making some temporary witness marks is a good idea to make it easy to get them lined up right when assembling.

While you have it apart, check the bearings/bushings. There should be no play side-to-side. Form the presence of oil ports on yours, I'm betting it's bushings.

The centrifugal starting switch should be at the back--opposite the output shaft--end. Give it a good wash-down with some electrical contact cleaner.

Be gentle, take pictures for reassembly, and have fun!
 

FrankLee

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I installed new cords as well and added a ground bolt. Wired up a new switch. The motor just hums. No rotation. I have read about a centrifugal swith that is probably gummed up. How hard are these motors to get apart, and more importantly, back together?
Your Powr-Kraft motor is split phase, so there is no capacitor. It has oil ports on both sides, so it has sleeve bearings... no ball bearings. There is no thermal/overload protection switch. There is no on/off switch. The motor is as basic as it gets and should be relatively easy to take apart.

Be very organized when dismantling. There are likely shim, fiber, rubber or thrust washers on each side. As said above, take many photos of the sequence of how parts are removed.

I recently overhauled a much different Powr-Kraft motor. However, your terminal bar is very similar to mine. I suspect the centrifugal switches may be identical.

20250409_184308.jpg IMG_6744.JPG


Before dismantling, there are a few things you can check first.
  1. If the motor ran before you added the new cord with ground, take the ground wire out if the equation and test. This can be done without removing the ground screw by adding a 2-prong adapter to the plug. This is not likely the problem, but I once had an issue after adding a ground to a motor.
  2. Turn on power and spin the pulley by hand. This will bypass the intended purpose of the cent switch/start windings.
    Do not let the motor hum for too long. It will overheat and potentially burn out.
  3. Check the continuity of the centrifugal switch. This can be done using a meter from the outside of the terminal bar. Check this post and several following. Ignore comments that don't apply. I also had a problem with the cent switch.

If it still does not start, you have nothing to lose by opening up the motor. Best case, you'll find the problem. Worst case, it is scrap, but a great learning experience.
 
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AA/FC

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Dec 9, 2010
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Very cool.

The back story is just as important as the tools, themselves..... maybe even more important than the tools.
 

RoninB4

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-The cleaning went very well and the DP is in terrific shape. Would suggest the files and taps all receive a thin coat of oil, even used motor oil would be good enough. Dip, allow to drip, and place in whatever closed container your choose. The files that are Swiss used to be of excellent quality, vintage taps from Greenfield were also top drawer. Avoid allowing the teeth of both files and taps to contact each other in storage. What nice things to have that your uncle handled on a regular basis.

Others that already posted are more qualified than I am to give electrical advice. Photos of disassembly are what I do too.
 
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threewood

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Yuma, AZ
Success!! Thank you for the help. The motor did start after I gave it a spin, so I unhooked it and took it apart. It came apart very easy. It was dirty and gummy. The spring loaded switch was sprayed down with carb cleaner and Deoxit. The plate in the base got the same treatment. I'm not sure how these work but they do.20250410_171659.jpg20250410_171709.jpg20250410_172753.jpg
 

FrankLee

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Success!! Thank you for the help. The motor did start after I gave it a spin, so I unhooked it and took it apart. It came apart very easy. It was dirty and gummy. The spring loaded switch was sprayed down with carb cleaner and Deoxit. The plate in the base got the same treatment. I'm not sure how these work but they do.
Turned right on. Sweet! I'm sure Uncle Barney is smiling. I took a video which is too large to upload, but here is the finished product.

Excellent! Nice work!
 

HoosierBuddy

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May 9, 2006
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Southern Indiana
Wow. That looks great.

Funny, I see those old bench top drill presses, and I think "That would be so cool to have a vintage drillpress to replace my Craftsman I bought new.

Of course, since I bought that Craftsman new 40 years ago....I guess I already have a vintage bench top DP. LOL.

Phil
 

Beerhippie

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I forgot to mention--and it's too late now--that the first thing I do with an old motor--or any piece of vintage electrical equipment or appliance--is to check for shorts to ground. Put one probe of you r ohmmeter on a bare metal part of the case and test both prongs of the plug for continuity.

It can save you from a shocking surprise.
 
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threewood

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Sep 9, 2014
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Yuma, AZ
Thank you all again. I'm not sure the last time this drill ran. As you can see in the first pic, I received it with no power cord or switch/switch cover. I wonder if these were pulled off because it wouldn't start and he was trying to fix it? How long ago, who knows. My cousin recalls his dad having this DP as far back as he can remember.
 
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