vintage and quality made drill presses

[savageofjack]

While I joined a while ago, my activity went pretty dormant. I'm savageofjack on the journal, thanks to my wife. Clyde is my real name.
I am the proud owner of a sibley drilling machine, possibly a pattern makers machine. It has a 4 step cone head pulley top and bottom, flat belt with a set of back gears. that adds up to 8 maybe 12 speeds. Automatic feed in 4 speeds, all mechanical with a live traveling head. It will probably take me a year to restore it. it is one of my pride and joys.
On a bit smaller, little more practical note, older, certainly american made drill presses. What is most everybody's opinion on a good heavy all around drill press? Radial versus standard. Gear drive table. Versatile spindle, jacobs, morse taper. I guess light industrial would be about the right category. Interested in what you guys have to say on the subject. I'll try and post a few pics of the sibley when i can straighten up around it, I do have a lot of junk, endearing as it is. Thanks for reading. Clyde

 

[dwall174]

I'll try and post a few pics of the sibley when i can straighten up around it

Looking forward to seeing some pic's of your Sibley!

I've been keeping my eye out for a nice "Camel Back" style drill press for a little while now! Unfortunately the ones I've looked at are either too-big or have broken or missing parts.

There's already a big thread out on old Vintage Drill Presses
But due to the recent changes to "Photobucket" a lot of the old pic's are not view-able!

Doug

 

[Mintgrun]

I would say three pulley stacks are essential.
Slow speeds are very useful.
I set my preference for vintage machinery aside, when I recently picked up a 1981 Taiwanese 3/4hp bench top model... so I'd have a slower turning chuck. $60 was too cheap to pass up... and it was two miles from home.

Comb Craigslist and reply as fast as you can, if you think you might be interested.

It is easy enough to tell the seller to take the next one in line, if you decide you do not want it, but you have to be first in line and good deals go quickly.

 

[larry_g]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=5185

Above is a picture album of my old press. Some more details at the end of my shop build thread below.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dwall174]

picture album of my old press.

Nice looking drill press & shop Larry
Those pictures help fuel my desire to one-day find a camel-back in good condition.

Doug

 

[savageofjack]

Here are some pictures of my sibley drilling machine, b 4 pics lol.

 

[savageofjack]

here are some more pics of my machine

 

[tombell572]

savageofjack--to respond to your question on a good USA all-around drill press, Buffalo Forge produced a wide range of drill presses for many years, many different sizes and features. They're heavily built, well constructed machines.

Tom B.

 

[dwall174]

Looks like a fun project Clyde, Thanks for the pic's !
That's going to be a nice machine once you get it finished.

Doug

 

[dwall174]

What is most everybody's opinion on a good heavy all around drill press?

As for a good heavy duty drill press I'm pretty happy with the older style 17" Delta DP-600 machines, I've rebuilt 3 of them over the past few years.
One of the problems I've seen with them seems to be the lift gear that's used in the head & table assemblies. Most of the damaged gears I've seen were probably do to misuse of the machines.

As "tombell572" stated Buffalo Forge makes nice heavily built drill press, But their harder to find parts for. The table lift assembly on the Buffalo is a lot better design!

Doug

 

[dwall174]

Here's a LINK to my current modified 17" Delta bench model.

Here's a some pictures of a 14" & 17" Delta that I rebuilt a few years ago & have since sold.

Doug

 

[larry_g]

I'm seeing your gearing here and think that it might be a bit slow. In my research the driveshaft should be in the 350-400 rpm range for some of these old machines. You might do a bit of research to confirm what your shaft speed should be.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[catalytic]

Clausing.
I've worked with, on, or in a lot of machines. Clausing makes the best 'standard shop size' belt driven drill press of anyone (possibly with the exception of a couple of very rare machines for which you will not find parts).

Clausings come in 15/16" sizes and 20" sizes. For most people, 15" or 16" are enough, as the 20" weighs over 600lb.

Gear raised tables, production tables, variable speed, slow speed edition, and power feed were all options. Personally, I prefer the NON variable speed slow speed edition version (a lot less to go wrong and a lot less noisy). They are built like tanks, common enough that you can still find parts readily available (or buy direct from Clausing who still supports them), and very well designed.

If you want more specialized advice, then tell us more about what you want to drill.

One other note -- by radial, hopefully you mean a serious 1ton+ radial press, in which case great. However, I would advise staying away from the 'benchtop radial' type. Some people like them, but I had one and hated it -- way too much flex in the columns to stay accurate (no offense to anyone who likes theirs!)

 

[savageofjack]

I'm seeing your gearing here and think that it might be a bit slow. In my research the driveshaft should be in the 350-400 rpm range for some of these old machines. You might do a bit of research to confirm what your shaft speed should be.

lg
no neat sig line

larry, The counterpart cone head pulley lying to the left of the pallet is married to a set of back gears that are not visible in any of my pictures hence at least 8 speeds. The motor pedestal , mount, if you will i'm certain is factory, the gears match perfectly.
I don't know its history. I do know that it is probably a pattern makers press. With a traveling head and 4 mechanical power feed speeds. Some large tool and or parts making shop. Railroad yard? just guessing. I'm hoping by late spring early summer I will have it up and running. The table is of course off and in storage. And I am happy to say that it does not have the smile of shame, t slots and straight slots. It is in perfect condition. round and 24 inches across. the table mechanism for raising and lowering the table works like a dream. This machine has the capability of drilling some very large holes. I don't know its true capacity. This has a number 4 Morse taper. It will be very exciting to see this baby all cleaned up and making some holes. x y table a little milling, who knows. thanks clyde