Rockwell Drill Press Restoration

[Edward Ramirez]

I just bought this Rockwell Drill Press for $150.00 from a local scrapyard. $50 more than I wanted to pay for it. Other than the surface rust, it's in good shape and runs pretty smooth. I plan to rewire it and wire brush the entire thing and repaint it. I plan on painting it the typical machine grey. I may throw some red in there somewhere.

This is my first attempt in restoration so I may not go all the way and take the whole thing apart but I'll do my best.

 

[Outlawmws]

That one appears to have the low speed set of pulleys, and the table looks to be in good shape with minimal divots, so if he spindle and quill are in good shape you should have a nice press when done!

 

[WWIIjeep]

That's a 1960s to early 1970s Delta/Rockwell "6 Plus 6" model 15" drill press, one of the best 15" drill presses ever made by anybody anywhere.

6 speeds and 6 inch quill travel (hence the 6 Plus 6 name).

Delta was still selling that model up until a few years ago (discontinued now) with a sticker price over $2000.00, so for $150.00, you got a screaming deal.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Nice find. I also think the 6+6 drill press is one of the best small drill presses out these. With the rust removed it will serve you quite well.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

That's a 1960s to early 1970s Delta/Rockwell "6 Plus 6" model 15" drill press, one of the best 15" drill presses ever made by anybody anywhere.

6 speeds and 6 inch quill travel (hence the 6 Plus 6 name).

Delta was still selling that model up until a few years ago (discontinued now) with a sticker price over $2000.00, so for $150.00, you got a screaming deal.

Nice find. I also think the 6+6 drill press is one of the best small drill presses out these. With the rust removed it will serve you quite well.

Thanks guys! I honestly did not know exactly what I was buying. I just bought it because it was fairly complete and running well. The only thing I looked at carefully before buying were the pulleys. I just made sure they weren't warped, chipped or broken. When I saw it turned on I knew I had to have it. He started at $200 but he was okay with $150 if I loaded it my self.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

I have most of the machine broken down. The head and the base are seized to the column. I currently have the base and partial column submerged in my electrolysis tank. Hopefully it'll free the rust holding it together loose. I'm open to any suggestions. I tried WD-40 Rust Penetrant and let it sit for at least 4 hours with additional sprayings every 1/2 hour but nothing came of it.

 

[nine4gmc]

That looks just like my 15-665, check the tag on the side by the handle. You can also date the machine by the serial number, I'll try and find the link. I agree, you got a screaming deal, mine was $80 and came with the production crank table BUT, my machine was in way worse condition with the chuck being booger welded on the spindle....

Good score!

 

[Edward Ramirez]

That looks just like my 15-665, check the tag on the side by the handle. You can also date the machine by the serial number, I'll try and find the link. I agree, you got a screaming deal, mine was $80 and came with the production crank table BUT, my machine was in way worse condition with the chuck being booger welded on the spindle....

Good score!

Thanks 94, the serial# is 1491714.

 

[schor]

The electrolysis should work. I've been successful with just 3in1 penetrant (I like it better than wd40) and rotating the base on the column.

BTW, nice press, you will really like it once your done. And then onto the mods like a table lift. Here's one I am still in the process of refining. It will eventually be mounted in a yet to be designed table.

Quick vid here

 

[Edward Ramirez]

While waiting for the electrolysis to do it's job I went ahead and polished some hardware on the wire wheel. Here are a couple of before and afters.

 

[nine4gmc]

Nice job on that table lift, can't wait to see it in a table!

 

[nine4gmc]

Thanks 94, the serial# is 1491714.

1969

http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/DeltaSerialNumbers.ashx

 

[Edward Ramirez]

And some more little bits...

 

[schor]

And some more little bits...

I am thinking this is going to be a nice restore. Keep the pics coming.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

1969

http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/DeltaSerialNumbers.ashx

Thanks for checking that for me. Doesn't make it as old as my Delta 17" which was around 1939 - 1940.

 

[nine4gmc]

My bench model 15-017 was made in 1968 and has the old style front pulley guard but my floor model 15-665 was made in 1980 and has the same full belt guard as yours.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

The electrolysis should work. I've been successful with just 3in1 penetrant (I like it better than wd40) and rotating the base on the column.

BTW, nice press, you will really like it once your done. And then onto the mods like a table lift. Here's one I am still in the process of refining. It will eventually be mounted in a yet to be designed table.

Quick vid here

That is some nice ingenuity. I may have to copy that for my Delta 17"

 

[67carl]

Did you get all those parts that clean with just a wire wheel? Was the wheel on a grinder or...?

 

[Outlawmws]

What does the underside of the column look like where the post seats? I'd guess there is a bolt or two on a clamp gripping the post.

Were there gall marks on the post near the head?

 

[nine4gmc]

I have most of the machine broken down. The head and the base are seized to the column. I currently have the base and partial column submerged in my electrolysis tank. Hopefully it'll free the rust holding it together loose. I'm open to any suggestions. I tried WD-40 Rust Penetrant and let it sit for at least 4 hours with additional sprayings every 1/2 hour but nothing came of it.

Oh yeah, as far as breaking the parts down, this dp kicked my *** like no other. I soaked the head and base in everything I had in a spray can for a whole day, nothing loose, soaked it in transmission fluid and acetone a whole day then I finally got them to come apart by locking the head and standing on the base sideways, back and forth from the head to the base for literally hours, I was beat by the time I got it broke down...

 

[Edward Ramirez]

Did you get all those parts that clean with just a wire wheel? Was the wheel on a grinder or...?

67carl, I used a bench grinder with a wire wheel. I soaked all the small parts in mineral spirits the night before. I usually soak any metal in mineral spirits in an effort to keep dust levels down as much as possible.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

What does the underside of the column look like where the post seats? I'd guess there is a bolt or two on a clamp gripping the post.

Were there gall marks on the post near the head?

Outlaw, The underside of the base is really pitted with rust. There isn't gall marks anywhere on the column that I could see. The u-clamp has been removed and polished up. The column is really seized to the head and the base. This drill press was used near the bay area where I'm sure a lot of salt air/water got to it over time. There's a badge on it near the Rockwell logo that it came from a small town called Texas City which is an industrial town near the bay of Galveston.

 

[exmaxima1]

BTW, nice press, you will really like it once your done. And then onto the mods like a table lift. Here's one I am still in the process of refining. It will eventually be mounted in a yet to be designed table.

It's very similar to the lift I put on my Wilton drill press several years ago. It looks like you need to include a way to swing the table, but other than that you are good to go. Good Luck!

 

[Alexbn921]

Good luck with the restore. Did you loosen the two Allen bolts on the base? It's a big project to tear one of these old boys apart. On mine the head unit was pretty well stuck. I used PB blaster and a 2lb soft sand hammer.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

I'm a little behind since I've been working in Salt Lake City over the past 3 weeks and trying to catch up on the weekends. While I was out of town I left some pieces in the e-tank.

The first batch was the head, the work table, the column clamp that holds the head up and the column clamp that holds the work table:

Before:

 

[Edward Ramirez]

Here are the same parts after a week in the e-tank:

After:

 

[Edward Ramirez]

*The work table picture has had a little wire wheel/cup work on it. It doesn't come out of the e-tank that clean.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

Here they are after a little wire wheel attention then they were etched primed:

 

[Edward Ramirez]

As for the base and the column...I left them soaking for 2 weeks straight.
Here's the base right out of the e-tank, no rinsing, brushing, nothing...

Please note, I had to persuade the column to come out with a piece of 2x4 and a bfh (4lbs).

The rust that's still on the bottom is due to air gaps. I re-dunk the base on it's side for another week.

 

[nine4gmc]

Looking good!

 

[Edward Ramirez]

While the base was soaking I began work on the column. I put together a little roller contraption and attached the heavy duty drill to the end.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

About an hour and a half later I got.....

 

[7th Kahuna]

Looking good!

 

[Edward Ramirez]

Finally, here's the base out of the tank. Not how only 3/4 of the base was submerged in water. Instead of flipping it over and waiting a week I just put a the wire cup to the rust so that I could get to prime it and set it aside.