THE WALKER-TURNER THREAD - Post your Walker-Turner pics

[Maui]

Here's a Walker-Turner drill press that I just finished restoring earlier today. It runs smooth and quiet.

 

[Hoorn]

@Maui gorgeous color choice, and that W-T light switch looks like it has 10 coats of silky black, nicely done. Table looks mis-hit free from what I can see, and always love seeing a safety collar.
Thanks for showing off that beauty.

 

[shoot summ]

I'm late to posting in this thread, my name is Steve, and I have a Walker Turner addiction...

It started in the late '80's when I picked up a 16" band saw on the CI stand with gearbox at a garage sale for $125 for my Dad. He spent weeks removing the coats of paint on that thing and getting it back into working order. After he passed in 2016 I brought it to my shop and tuned it up a bit, needed new tires and a new blade. I smile every time I use that saw knowing how much Dad used it, it is great for cutting metal and wood.

I was cruising FB marketplace one day and found an old Craftsman jointer(102.05600) for cheap, with the motor but no stand. Did a little research and discovered it was actually made by WT which started a chain of events. Actually found another one on a business trip as well so I had spare parts. After cruising vintage machinery I determined what I really wanted was a WT P907 on the CI base.

FB Marketplace served one up to me one day about 4 hours away. The seller's FIL had passed, it was his, I told him my story and what I wanted to do, he held it for me until I could take a day off to pick it up. I picked it up and brought it home, disassembled it with the rest of the jointers, and life took a lot of turns for the next 4 years, I did pick up a later WT jointer one day for cheap though to add to the collection.

A couple of months ago I decided it was time and prepped and took all of the P907 parts to be powder coated, used a couple of spare parts to replace some that were damaged or broken. I've started the reassembly, left myself a bit of a jigsaw puzzle but I am getting it all squared away. Turns out FBM blessed me again with a P908 I think(round badge) WITH the blade guard, $50, talked the buyer into holding it for me until I could make yet another 4 hour drive(on the way to Son's house). Picked that up last weekend, and have added all of the parts to the collection. The blade guard is complete and will be headed to power coating this week.

I do have one couple of questions. The first regarding what I will call the "friction discs" on the pivots of the fence. They are terribly brittle, out of all of the machines I have parts for, I only have one disc intact. Has anyone found a suitable replacement, or just made your own? And the blade guard has the arm part in the pic below, what is it for?

Beyond that, if you need jointer parts let me know, I seem to have inadvertently amassed a good collection...

 

[shoot summ]

I figured out the answer to the question on the arm on the blade guard, it is for thin strips it appears.

 

[Hoorn]

@shoot summ that jointer is spectacular, a true eye-catching restoration. Love that pristine 1939 badge and that extremely hard to find W-T cast iron belt cover. Here is that beauty in the 1939 catalog.

 

[shoot summ]

@shoot summ that jointer is spectacular, a true eye-catching restoration. Love that pristine 1939 badge and that extremely hard to find W-T cast iron belt cover. Here is that beauty in the 1939 catalog.

Thank you!

Not knowing what it was from, I suspect a school or business I cleaned up and re-installed the brass inventory tag too.

The badge on the base is pretty good, but has some paint chips, the badge on the jointer cleaned up really well.

 

[bogelas]

I just got this BN935 and I'm planning to do some restoration. Aside from needing new tires it functions perfectly as-is. The motor looks fantastic. The knobs look like they were originally painted a cream color. Was this how they shipped originally or were they bare metal?

 

[Hoorn]

@bogelas beautiful example of a 1939 bandsaw. Those were never shipped bare metal. The versions I have seen in my workshop with original paint were mid-40s and had the same baked on enamel that was on the body, on the handles.

It does appear as if the band saw has been repainted at some point, perhaps the knobs were painted cream at that time. Nice closed cast iron stand, and your motor is magnificent. The badge alone is virtually pristine.

 

[bogelas]

@bogelas beautiful example of a 1939 bandsaw. Those were never shipped bare metal. The versions I have seen in my workshop with original paint were mid-40s and had the same baked on enamel that was on the body, on the handles.

It does appear as if the band saw has been repainted at some point, perhaps the knobs were painted cream at that time. Nice closed cast iron stand, and your motor is magnificent. The badge alone is virtually pristine.

The wheel adjusting bracket in the blade tensioning assembly looks homemade to me. It didn't move as though the spring was doing anything so I took it apart.

 

[Hoorn]

@bogelas that is a notorious issue with Walker Turner band saws. I would estimate as high as 50% or more of the band saws in use, particularly the 14 inch, have some form of modification to the upper wheel guide assembly. That threaded portion is diecast and supports the weight of the upper wheel under load.

I have seen some modifications that were better than the original and I have seen some other modifications that were slapped together. The one you have does look a bit rough but if it works, I would consider keeping it until something better comes along.

Here is a link from a few pages back with the band saw that I am almost done with referencing that exact issue that you now face.

Post in thread 'THE WALKER-TURNER THREAD - Post your Walker-Turner pics' https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-your-walker-turner-pics.498736/post-10119386

 

[Hoorn]

@bogelas does the home-made upper wheel adjustment bracket allow you to mount the idle shaft bracket (78) or to raise and lower it via the raising/lower screw.

 

[bogelas]

@bogelas does the home-made upper wheel adjustment bracket allow you to mount the idle shaft bracket (78) or to raise and lower it via the raising/lower screw.

Yes, part 78 is there and the tension adjustment and tracking adjustment screws both work. The tension adjustment wasn't smooth though. There is no bearing or bushing to smooth out the sliding of the adjustment bracket.

 

[Hoorn]

@bogelas based on that, it sounds like it will at least run decent and perform.
I'd still look on eBay for a replacement bracket for insurance.

 

[bogelas]

@bogelas based on that, it sounds like it will at least run decent and perform.
I'd still look on eBay for a replacement bracket for insurance.

I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Ebay. Can I use the Carter Cobra Coil for a replacement spring?

 

[Hoorn]

Doubtful. I believe they are too narrow and tall in comparison to the W-T upper wheel assembly spring. Here is an image of the spring prior to assembly, it's in the yellow bin.

 

[bogelas]

Doubtful. I believe they are too narrow and tall in comparison to the W-T upper wheel assembly spring. Here is an image of the spring prior to assembly, it's in the yellow bin.

I have the original spring out so I know the Cobra Coil looks about twice as tall. I thought taller springs could be used. I hadn't compared the ID

 

[shoot summ]

FB Marketplace is not my friend, this gem showed up a bit ago, $125, it's about 3 hours away though. The stand and the switch are worth the $125 IMO.

 

[Hoorn]

Very nice late 1930s example, at a fair price. Only issues seem to be the missing blade guard assembly and an aftermarket motor.

 

[shoot summ]

Very nice late 1930s example, at a fair price. Only issues seem to be the missing blade guard assembly and an aftermarket motor.

The fence adjustment knob is missing as well as the scale for it.

Not sure about the bed adjustment cranks, all of the ones I have dealt with are round wheels. Might have been a later model change, I haven't researched them that closely.

I'm picking up the guard I found from the powder coater today...

 

[Sawmill7]

Just finished this one for a friend.

 

[shoot summ]

Got the parts to the jointer blade guard back from powder coat yesterday. Masking was pretty good, as always had a few holes that had PC in them that had to be addressed. The real fun was putting the "clock springs" back into their holders. Holy smokes, if I had realized what an effort that was going to be I would have left them alone. First one was the easiest, finally put a zip tie around it, I could wind and tighten the zip tie, got it to start into the holder and worked it from there, about 20 minutes. Second one was a total PITA. The outer leg stuck out from the spring body, no matter what I did it was a 1/4" from the rest of the spring so I couldn't get it started into the holder. I finally gently bent it back down, still had to work it to get it into the holder, time on this one was 45 minutes.

I'll get a pic later when I am out in the shop.

I've also been working on making sure the cutter head is plumb to the tables, it is now. Working on getting the tables coplaner, that is taking some additional effort.

 

[CudaChick1968]

"Got the parts to the jointer blade guard back from powder coat yesterday. Masking was pretty good, as always had a few holes that had PC in them that had to be addressed. ..."

Geez, it sounds like you need someone who cares. I'd love an opportunity to earn your business.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/custom-powder-coating-leannas-powder-****.502335/

 

[shoot summ]

Geez, it sounds like you need someone who cares. I'd love an opportunity to earn your business.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/custom-powder-coating-leannas-powder-****.502335/

They do pretty well, I could probably communicate better on what needs to be kept free as well. Your work is a completely different league, I always enjoy seeing what you've done.

 

[Hoorn]

+1 on that. I went on cuda chick's Instagram and saw total badassery. @CudaChick1968 top tier work!

 

[CudaChick1968]

+1 on that. I went on cuda chick's Instagram and saw total badassery. @CudaChick1968 top tier work!

Oh wow, thanks for that! I haven't been on there in quite awhile -- it pulls me in like a time vampire lol -- so that stuff is pretty old.

Thank you too for the lovely compliment @shoot summ! With the caliber of talent on this board it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if my entire customer base was GJ Members. Keep up the great work!

 

[shoot summ]

This beauty showed up on marketplace for $300, 4 hours away, I should have snagged it. The "ships wheel" is still all intact.

One thing I've noticed is that most of these are manual movement of the table versus crank. I use the crank on my old cheap import a lot, is it a big deal on these old machines?

 

[bmwrd0]

I have a bench top W-T press, and I do miss the crank. That said, it isn't too hard for me to raise the table when I need too. I put a screw jack underneath it and away she goes!

That said, the press you are showing is in great condition, and would make a lovely addition to most shops, not mine as it is only 11'x13'. You can always add a crank later, as they do show up from time to time. And that one has the slow speed pully system, worth its weight in gold!

 

[shoot summ]

I have a bench top W-T press, and I do miss the crank. That said, it isn't too hard for me to raise the table when I need too. I put a screw jack underneath it and away she goes!

That said, the press you are showing is in great condition, and would make a lovely addition to most shops, not mine as it is only 11'x13'. You can always add a crank later, as they do show up from time to time. And that one has the slow speed pully system, worth its weight in gold!

Yea, the only thing that one appeared to be missing was the belt guard, I should have snagged it, it was in Mountain Home, AR, which is about 4.5 hours from me. And I am trying to finish projects, not add new ones...

 

[Hoorn]

@shoot summ a real beautiful DP 900 you have there. Because of the badge, a pre 1939. To have the slow speed pulley and ships wheel on one drill press, with a fairly clean table no less, is not common.

Larger drill presses from the 1940s and beyond, usually 17-in and greater had a built-in table lift. Drill presses in the 14/15-in range typically did not have a table lift and it was an accessory. This was the case with Atlas, Walker-Turner, Delta, Craftsman, etc.

Here is the DP 900 drill press table lift (incorrectly mounted upside down):







Here it is in the 1941 WT catalog; note it has wheel crank in the illustration, it would stay this way up until the sale to Kearney-Trecker despite it being a ball crank:



I would add a Walker Turner table lift is pretty difficult to find. I have had one and it's lift capability was not adequate or smooth. I did not care for the way it was designed, too spindly and thin, therefore I sold it.

This is my 1958 Craftsman drill press with the Atlas made head and table lift which works very well:





Ironic that the drill presses of a by gone era were made so much better but lacked basic accessories such as a table lift or light. These had to be purchased separately.

 

[shoot summ]

It's a good thing I don't have a lot of space, this showed up, $250, only 2 hours away...

I'm still kicking myself for not getting that drill press.

 

[Hoorn]

Those W-T cast iron lathe bases don't pop up very often. Even more remarkable is the fact it still has the original locking wrench!

 

[shoot summ]

Those W-T cast iron lathe bases don't pop up very often. Even more remarkable is the fact it still has the original locking wrench!

Must be the week for them, this one is in CA, has both wrenches too!! It is $850....

I'd like to find the wrench for my jointer.

 

[shoot summ]

After a bit of work, I finally have the final assembly done on the jointer. I had pulled the jointer off the stand to make some adjustments, and get the beds coplaner. I noticed the base was a little wobbly so I pulled the 8 bolts and leveled it out before I tightened them. Also noticed a lot of saw dust was coming towards the feed end inside the jointer and down through the base so I made a deflector to attach to the dust chute to keep things going out the other side. Put it all back together, adjusted the height gauge to register zero, and set the fence to 90 degrees. It works great!! The helical head makes it so nice to use. The only thing left to do is adapt a dust collector port to the chute. I'm working on an idea where I use rare earth magnets to hold the fitting to the cast iron end.

 

[Rick_Br]

Recently brought this 20" WT drill press home. I found it 4-1/2 hours away/ It has the cast iron belt cover and a power feed. It has a few problems but all will be solvable I believe.





There was some question if I could actually get this home in a RAV4 - but it with easily with a bit of disassembly.



I have quite a few projects ahead of this so it may be a while before you see more.

Rick

 

[Bryan Burns]

Please help me with my drill press. I cannot get the quill spring to stay on the pin for any length of time. After getting the spring on the pin (using the larger hole) and winding the spring and tightening the cover, the spring jumps off with just a little movement of the quill. I'm not sure if the pin is original (it's threaded but has no slot in the head for turning) or how much the spring has been modified (note the two holes).
What would you do in this case? Is there an aftermarket solution?
I don't know the model number as it wasn't stamped but I'm showing a picture of the drill head.

 

[Sawmill7]

I think your spring needs a slot behind the hole so spring slips over hole then sits in slot which is diameter of stud smaller than head.like the picture

 

[Bryan Burns]

I think your spring needs a slot behind the hole so spring slips over hole then sits in slot which is diameter of stud smaller than head.like the picture

Thank you for the picture! Perhaps the spring had one but the tail end of spring broke off and the previous owner drilled the holes in the remaining end?

 

[Hoorn]

@Bryan Burns that is a very late model 1200 series that was manufactured after 1956 because of the Rockwell logo on the badge. There is a possibility that the hole might be too large.

After hooking the spring on the pin you should have the spring housing as close to the drill press head as possible. Rotate the housing counterclockwise while allowing the notches in the housing to skip over the boss. Once you've achieved the proper tension, place the nearest housing notch over the boss and insert the spring housing retention screw. Screw it down just tight enough so that the housing will not slip out of the boss and test the spindle return. If it feels right, tighten it down. If you continue having the spring slip off the pin - and it does look like an original pin, you may have to drill a smaller hole in that return spring and fabricate a t-slot. Sawmill has the right idea in that a t-slot is ideal and the way it came from Walker Turner. This is more than likely an aftermarket spring.

Here is an exploded view of your model for future reference:

 

[Sawmill7]

I had a friend come over and help me get a spring on one I fixed up for a friend
The spring was broken so redrilled correct hole diameter for head , then used die grinder to make slot. Wound spring on the press then slipped cast cover over it with slot slipping into cover. It was not the easiest job but we did get it wound and cover on. Also I do think you have correct pin

 

[GreyOwl]

I think the extra long tail after the hole may be a problem also. Try to bend the last couple of inches to a smaller diameter to stay closer to the shaft too.