"Resto-mod" antique tools?

[PDBreske]

There is a movement toward what's called "resto-modding" old cars that allows people to restore classics while updating the running gear and electronics to modern standards, giving the owners the safety and convenience of a new car while retaining the visual appeal of the original vehicle.

How many people here think that doing the same thing to an antique tool is a great idea or a travesty? I ask because I found an old Craftsman drill press on craigslist and retrofitted some free treadmill parts to it, creating what is now a very useful tool in my own garage. While I think the beauty and strength of the cast iron parts are unmatched by anything under a thousand dollars made today, I'm not crazy about moving belts from pulley to pulley just to change the spindle speed. Now I just rotate a dial and can vary the speed easily and quickly.

What do you think? Have you done something like this? Describe your modifications!

[By the way, I'm new here. Hello!]

 

[Negen]

Pictures please and thank you. I think it is an OK idea.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Stuart in MN]

I don't see anything wrong with modifications, it's not like Craftsman drill presses are rare and extremely valuable. As far as that goes, the modifications can often be done in such a way that they fit with the original design. Post some pictures, we'd like to see it.

 

[PDBreske]

I don't want to clutter this thread with photos of my drill press build, but I'll share one just to add to the discussion.

 

[PDBreske]

Aside from the magnet and sensor for the digital tachometer, everything can be removed with no permanent changes to the DP. I still have the original motor, although when I acquired the DP the motor housing had been a home for many pesky insects.

 

[larryq]

Aside from the magnet and sensor for the digital tachometer, everything can be removed with no permanent changes to the DP. I still have the original motor, although when I acquired the DP the motor housing had been a home for many pesky insects.

Nice. Now that's one way to get a variable-speed drill! What speed range do you manage with that, and what exactly is it?

 

[PDBreske]

The permanent magnet DC (PMDC) motor and speed control is from a treadmill I got for free at a garage sale. I just scavenged the parts and watched a few youtube videos. The digital tach and aircraft-style switch are from Amazon, as is the plastic housing for those parts. I built the bracket to hold the housing from the steel treadmill parts, cut down to make angle iron. Oh, and I replaced the worn-out original chuck with a Shop Fox from Amazon. Total runout is about 1/64th inch.

On the largest spindle pulley, the speed range is approx. 375-1965 RPM. On the second pulley, the range is about 490-2620 RPM. I usually leave it on the second pulley. I don't need the higher speed range, but the belt seems to run smoother on the smaller pulley.

 

[Coloradical]

I like the idea and love what you did.

 

[bugnut]

I like it and think repurposing rather than junking good steel is well worthwhile. Retrofitting of equipment has been happening for years, especially manual to cnc. Very nice drill press.

 

[Techna]

I love the idea. Love it especially when care and thought are applied to the project as was seemingly done with your drill press.

By the way, photos aren’t clutter when they’re on topic. Even slightly skirting the periphery of the topic with classy pictures is fine (I think)and the glimpse of your vintage desk lamp in the photomakes me think that you’ve got more going on that I like to see...

 

[McFarmer]

Excellent.

 

[PDBreske]

I love the idea. Love it especially when care and thought are applied to the project as was seemingly done with your drill press.

By the way, photos aren’t clutter when they’re on topic. Even slightly skirting the periphery of the topic with classy pictures is fine (I think)and the glimpse of your vintage desk lamp in the photomakes me think that you’ve got more going on that I like to see...

Actually, that's not "vintage" at all. It started life as a magnifier lamp, but the LED ring that surrounded the magnifier failed (ugh, don't get me started on proprietary LED mounts), so I replaced the entire head with a lamp head from a cheaper desk lamp. The arms from the magnifier are the hard-to-source silent joints that are typically used in studio environments when they need a quiet arm to hold microphones, but your average articulating desk lamp uses exposed springs that make all kinds of noise when they are adjusted. The new head is just a standard lamp shade and socket that accepts any medium-base bulb. In this case, I use a 60-watt-equivalent LED.

 

[ndnchf]

I guess you could call this a resto-mod.

When I restored my Walker Turner WT900 drill press five or six years ago I upgraded from a 1/2 hp single phase motor to a 3/4hp 3 phase, 220v motor. It is run by a TECO FM50 VFD that uses single phase 120v input. I can plug it into any standard house outlet and have full variable speed with a bigger motor. Does this make it a hot-rod resto-mod?

 

[PDBreske]

I guess you could call this a resto-mod.

When I restored my Walker Turner WT900 drill press five or six years ago I upgraded from a 1/2 hp single phase motor to a 3/4hp 3 phase, 220v motor. It is run by a TECO FM50 VFD that uses single phase 120v input. I can plug it into any standard house outlet and have full variable speed with a bigger motor. Does this make it a hot-rod resto-mod?

Very clean. I like it.

Does it give you a direct reading on the spindle RPM? Or do you have to interpolate the numbers on the readout?

 

[ndnchf]

Very clean. I like it.

Does it give you a direct reading on the spindle RPM? Or do you have to interpolate the numbers on the readout?

No, it shows HZ. But I made up a HZ to spindle speed table I have hanging on the wall next to it. So I can just look at the table for the speed I want, then set it to the appropriate HZ.

 

[ndnchf]

To convert HZ to spindle RPM you have to know the spindle RPM at a nominal motor RPM.

If the motor is rated at 1725 RPM at 60 hz and the spindle is spinning at 500 RPM at 60 hz, then here is the math:

500 spindle rpm / 60 = 8.33 spindle RPM per hz.

90 hz *8.33 = 749.7 (750) spindle RPM.

50 hz * 8.33 = 416.5 (415) spindle RPM.

 

[rsanter]

I have done that to several older tools
Add on a VFD, install a larger motor, newer style blade or chuck...etc

If you own an old car do you still use bias ply tires? Odds are no if you plan to drive it regularly

 

[Stuart in MN]

No, it shows HZ. But I made up a HZ to spindle speed table I have hanging on the wall next to it. So I can just look at the table for the speed I want, then set it to the appropriate HZ.

Not sure on the Teco, but with some VFDs you can go into the settings and adjust them so it does the calculations to convert HZ to spindle speed for the display. It may be worth a read through the owner's manual.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I don't want to clutter this thread with photos of my drill press build, but I'll share one just to add to the discussion.

I looked up your website...you do some pretty nice photography work. It appears you mainly deal with black and white and not color?

 

[Farmer J.]

I don't want to clutter this thread with photos of my drill press build, but I'll share one just to add to the discussion.

We like photos.
Looks great, and works better than ever before. I say 'go for it'!

 

[PDBreske]

I looked up your website...you do some pretty nice photography work. It appears you mainly deal with black and white and not color?

I do some color for real estate and other photos where a buyer needs to know exactly what they’re buying, but all my artistic work is B&W.

Clyde Butcher, another south Florida photographer, said, “Color is a reproduction of real life; black and white is an interpretation of real life. Thus, black and white is art.”

 

[RatFinkleton]

I have recently started a thread documenting my table saw resto mod. For me and my tools I think "resto mod" is the way to go. I like the price, look, use of quality materials, solid construction, and easy maintenance of vintage tools. I however dislike sacrificing some safety features and the creature comforts that come with newer tools. It takes a little more ingenuity, but in the end I feel like I get all of the benefits without sacrificing usability. That's just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions

 

[OccupantRJ]

I restomod most everything I rebuild for myself. I make machines the way I want them, not necessarily how they were produced.

 

[RodneyW]

There are some machines (like pre-1900 with original paint) that shouldn't be modified or even overly restored but most machines' value is in the use you get from them, not in collector or historical value.
Variable speed on a drill press is a very nice upgrade and is easy to convert back to a stock configuration if you ever want to.

 

[PDBreske]

I think it's about adding functionality that just didn't exist when these old tools were produced. Functionality that exists in new tools, but is better when paired with the build quality and long life of a classic.

 

[PhantomEB]

I don’t got time to focus on painting up any of my tools, they too new for the most part.

But if I do, then count on me painting them matte black.

Hope my next shop is big enough to install a small oven for powder coating. That being said I would love to get my parts washer tank done up.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I think it's about adding functionality that just didn't exist when these old tools were produced. Functionality that exists in new tools, but is better when paired with the build quality and long life of a classic.

Exactly how I feel about it.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I'm in the process of modifying my old Delta drill press. I had the original repulsion induction motor stashed away in the attic but it didn't make the cut when I moved so I think it ultimately got recycled. I now have a new 6 pole 3ph Hitachi 1hp motor mounted and will power it with something similar to the TECO FM50 VFD installed in a proper box with remote wires controls. I bought the motor for $20 from an industrial surplus warehouse and I've tested it with a VFD that I had mounted on another project. Previously I had only a 1/6hp Delta offshore benchtop press that worked on for smaller projects but left alot to be desired.

 

[BFBOB]

I'm all for it. It's your tool, do as you will, whether it makes it more useful to you or just look better.
I did both on a '70s Rockwell/Delta radial drill press. I added a quick change center pulley to get the lower speeds, and then changed the plastic belt guard for an older ('40s?) cast iron unit just because I liked the Alien head look.