A vintage drill press is turning into a new hobby (lots o' pics!)

[thehazmatguy]

I haven't touched my '55 in over a month. I literally have parts in boxes waiting for installation. A hydraulic clutch, some chrome trim, a smoothed steering column collar, horn and turn signal kit for the steering column... and there it sits.

I got it stuck in my head that I needed a drill press. Months ago I welded up a little bracket for the backup light switch on my dad's muncie 4 speed. After I finished the bracket I needed to drill two holes. Both holes ended up off center just a bit, even after using a punch. I was so pissed. All that work and the bracket looked cheesy 'cause the hole was off 1/16. Once it was bolted up, you'd never see it... but it still bothered me.

I was looking around one of the forums I frequent, The Garage Journal. And WOW, did I see a cool looking drill press. A 50's era Craftsman drill press in gold paint. I had to have one.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The the pictures from the craigslist post:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/DrillPress5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/DrillPress4.jpg

Here it is, in my garage:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/IMAG0230.jpg

The tag on the motor, notice the date on the bottom right: (10/56)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/DrillPress6.jpg

Work begins, in my house: (my garage hits 110+ degrees this time of year)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9714.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9713.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9721.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9673.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9724.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9728.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9732.jpg

[thehazmatguy]

more...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9740.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9742.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9743.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9747.jpg

I've done some more polishing and tweeking after those pics. What a fun and simple project! I think I need to do this again!

I posted the full drill press restoration on the Garage Journal forum where many other guys have done the same restoration on the same style drill press. Now I've got it stuck in my head that I need to do my entire garage in 50's era Craftsman gear. Yep, another hobby.

Here's my next project! An 8 inch table saw from 1958. The color, knobs, style, etc. will match the drill press. I don't think it's in the same league as the drill press in terms of heft and such but it's pretty cool. It's going to be a challenge finding blades for it but that's what the internet is for I guess.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9771.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9773.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9774.jpg

[Original Pete]

WHAT AN AWESOME JOB!!! :congrats::congrats: I am always after the old shop equipement because this new and forign stuff just does not cut it for me. What you have done really blows me away. Well done :congrats::congrats::tu:tu

[Original Pete]

What did the drill press set you back when you first bought it from Craigslist??? It is just that we have nothing like this here in Australia so to track something like this down is rarer then hens teeth.

[angs1957]

What did the drill press set you back when you first bought it from Craigslist??? It is just that we have nothing like this here in Australia so to track something like this down is rarer then hens teeth.

X2

excellent job on the resto :congrats:

[thehazmatguy]

What did the drill press set you back when you first bought it from Craigslist??? It is just that we have nothing like this here in Australia so to track something like this down is rarer then hens teeth.

A working Craftsman drill press from the 50's with a "correct" Craftsman motor should be around $175. I paid $225 and I had to WORK to get that that price! The big thing is that it was all there. The eBay guys will bleed you dry on small parts if you need something. I spent $30ish on new bearings for the motor and the press, re-wired and put a new switch on it. Adding up paint and such I probably have $280 in it.

I agree, new tools don't hold and candle to the olds school stuff. But, I sure like the laser cross hairs on the new drill presses. I might have to retrofit something. :)

Oh... I'm still looking for a 50's era grinder, but when I saw this I couldn't pass it up. It was still in the box and it hadn't even been assempled all the way yet! And, it included (new, in the boxes) a sanding attachment and a tool sharpening attachment - for $30 ! The box dates this grinder to February of 1964.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT9764.jpg

[chevman57]

Your Craftsman drill press looks like the one i bought at an auction years ago, except mine is a floor model.
Terry

[55BigBlock]

I have a table saw my dad bought new in 1955 and a drill press I picked up about 25 years ago. I found some 8" carbide tip blades at Harbor Freight. Originally the on/off switch was on the motor, so you had to reach across the saw to turn it on. I moved the switch to the side of it. No guards, no safety, no protection at all. Back in those days you were on your own. The drill press has a home made belt guard.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/006.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/005.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/007.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/008.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/009.jpg

[BIG-BLUE]

Looks great, I love the old tools & machinery.

[blackieharley]

AWESOME, better built and last longer, GREAT JOB!!!!

[carls 56]

great job h-guy, beautful. :tu

[larry48]

Outstanding job on the drill press, ought to make Sears proud too :congrats:

[Big Bob]

Nice restoration of the drill press,wow nice job.Keep up the good work.:tu :tu:shakehands::flag6:
Big Bob:bowtieb:

[Rick_L]

Hazmatguy, do you want to come over and restore my 1950 South Bend lathe?

Runs quite well but appearance is another thing.

[KiwiBelAir]

What a wonderful job you did on the restoration. They look way cooler than any modern equipment.

[thehazmatguy]

I have a table saw my dad bought new in 1955 and a drill press I picked up about 25 years ago. I found some 8" carbide tip blades at Harbor Freight. Originally the on/off switch was on the motor, so you had to reach across the saw to turn it on. I moved the switch to the side of it. No guards, no safety, no protection at all. Back in those days you were on your own. The drill press has a home made belt guard.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z101/64vette/Old%20Tools/006.jpg


I would have loved to find a saw with that stand under it! Nice!

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do about the switch location. My drill press has the same issue; you have to reach around to the back side to turn it on. I plan to use a foot switch in conjunction with the on/off switch on the drill press. I'm not sure if I want to do that with the table saw though.

[BELLA57]

That drill press is absolutely gorgeous. I love the fact that it is photographed INSIDE the house...and not in the garage. Will your wife let you keep it inside?????? It is a work of art!

[JohnMc]

All I can say is WOW.
What attention to detail. That thing looks strong enough to last several generations.
John

[dnsdoor]

i don,t know what you do for a living but that is as good as any resto i have seen you are as the name says a craftsman ,beautiful job man

[mickeywestsr]

Fantastic job on your drill press....looks great :congrats:
:gba:
bowtie-trifive

[Chrome Lugnut]

:tuDrill press Looks Great.

[Old Buzzard]

I have a 60's Craftsman lathe.. Am going to have to do a rebuild on the cross feed and such. Still chugs along. Great for what I do w/ it.
When I got it,[2009], the guy had a NEW, unused 1957 Craftsman lathe on an original stand. This thing was a work of art! I wanted it really bad, but the $$ were not there...I still have his fone #, and often wonder if he still has it.. REALLY tempted to make the call!

My drill press is a Craftsman.. Bought it when I got out of the service, in about 65....

Old tools are GREAT!

[Teamchevy]

Great job on the drill press restoration! :tu

Dave
:bowtieb:

[thehazmatguy]

That drill press is absolutely gorgeous. I love the fact that it is photographed INSIDE the house...and not in the garage. Will your wife let you keep it inside?????? It is a work of art!

LOL... yeah, it's inside the house. I see that you're in Phoenix - You might know what I'm talking about when I say, "Wow, is it freaking hot in my garage or what?"

My garage is a converted car port (very common in the Phx area) so there's no climate control and little insulation. Basically, that means it's crazy hot in my garage. If it's 110 outside, it's hotter in my garage. If I can work on something inside the house, I do it.

About the wife and keeping the drill press inside = I'm not married but my "special lady friend" is super understanding about me and tools/cars and such. As someoe else pointed out, she's "a keeper." Without her, I wouldn't have even bought the drill press. The story (and more drill press pictures) is here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150684



I'll be adding more later to both the table saw saw and the drill press!

[thehazmatguy]

I've bought a second, nearly matching table saw for additional parts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT7873.jpg

Both saws were in working condition when I bought them. Each had different parts that I wanted. So, When I'm done, I've got a friend that's interested in the extra table saw. I told him I'd sell it to him for what I bought it for = so I won't be refurbing the second saw.

I've taken apart both table saws and started the repaint on the shell for the saw I plan to keep.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT7874.jpg

And here's a little trinket that I picked up on eBay for the drill press. It's just a holder / fence set up that was an option on these drill presses. For some reason they aren't in demand. I can understand that for the holder part but the fence seems like such a good idea. I've stipped the old paint off and repainted it to match my drill press - although I haven't hit the gold paint with the satin clear top coat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT7877.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/thehazmatguy/Garage/PICT7878.jpg

[warren57]

Awesome job... just like on TV.

[6inarow]

Well, thanks to this thread, my little drill press went from a tune up to a full blown restoration like this one.....

Why do I do this to myself?

[57driver]

Well, thanks to this thread, my little drill press went from a tune up to a full blown restoration like this one.....

Why do I do this to myself?

Be careful, you are playing with fire here. I started out with just fixing up a small drill press, and it wasn't enough. I thought "boy, a Mill-Drill would sure be nice. I could mill adjuster slots, make keyways and all sorts of good stuff." My next idea was, "boy I could do a lot more if I had a decent toolroom lathe." Then, "wonder if the Mill Drill could do decent CNC type work if I retrofitted servos to it." It finally ended up with "I bet I could do a modern Servo retrofit on a full size Bridgeport that has a dead 70's control on it. After all, it just needs some drives, wiring, a transformer and a computer, and maybe some other little stuff. How hard can that be?"

Yes, this is my basement workshop. Yes, the BP weighs about 3000lbs. No it did not come downstairs in one piece, it came down in five pieces rigged carefully. No, I have not lost my mind. Have I?

Driver.

[blackbass]

Hey HazmatGuy,,, Great job on the drill press. I have one of those $69 jobbies that are ok for small jobs but am always finding myself in positions where I really need a bigger press. I have a feeler on a floor model that this guy has but he is not quiet ready to sell it even tho it has not been used in 20 years. It has the #2 morse taper spindle and he has several of the drill bits that use the #2 morse taper.
Hey RickL, since you mention a lathe,,,take a gander at my prized tool in my garage. It is a 50's Maximat 10" built in Austria that I did a total restoration on it. This guy had it in the corner of his garage and had not been used in several years. He offered it at a great price so I took a chance and will forever be glad I did. After several and I mean several, days of scraping gunk, grease, dirt, and some undescribables,,,, I finally got to where I could start sanding for paint. I did a close check and find thet that main gear to the gearbox had broken a pin so the carriage would not work,,,and that was all that was wrong with the machine,,,,!!! What luck,,,,The ways look like they have just been scraped. I can not find the "before" pic but here is what it turned out like .
What size is your South Bend? Those are great lathes and I almost bought one before i found this Maximat.

[Carmine]

Great job. Looks real good.

[mr 265]

Very cool ,,,:tu

[6inarow]

Be careful, you are playing with fire here. I started out with just fixing up a small drill press, and it wasn't enough. I thought "boy, a Mill-Drill would sure be nice. I could mill adjuster slots, make keyways and all sorts of good stuff." My next idea was, "boy I could do a lot more if I had a decent toolroom lathe." Then, "wonder if the Mill Drill could do decent CNC type work if I retrofitted servos to it." It finally ended up with "I bet I could do a modern Servo retrofit on a full size Bridgeport that has a dead 70's control on it. After all, it just needs some drives, wiring, a transformer and a computer, and maybe some other little stuff. How hard can that be?"

Yes, this is my basement workshop. Yes, the BP weighs about 3000lbs. No it did not come downstairs in one piece, it came down in five pieces rigged carefully. No, I have not lost my mind. Have I?


Driver.



Oh, you have completely lost your mind. No doubt about it. Where do I get a Mill-Drill? I might as well join you

[Original Pete]

Be careful, you are playing with fire here. I started out with just fixing up a small drill press, and it wasn't enough. I thought "boy, a Mill-Drill would sure be nice. I could mill adjuster slots, make keyways and all sorts of good stuff." My next idea was, "boy I could do a lot more if I had a decent toolroom lathe." Then, "wonder if the Mill Drill could do decent CNC type work if I retrofitted servos to it." It finally ended up with "I bet I could do a modern Servo retrofit on a full size Bridgeport that has a dead 70's control on it. After all, it just needs some drives, wiring, a transformer and a computer, and maybe some other little stuff. How hard can that be?"

Yes, this is my basement workshop. Yes, the BP weighs about 3000lbs. No it did not come downstairs in one piece, it came down in five pieces rigged carefully. No, I have not lost my mind. Have I?

Driver.

:sign0020::sign0020:
Driver, a man MUST be equipped with all the right tools. You just never know when they will be called for :congrats::tu:tu

[blackbass]

Sigh,,,I keep hoping my little bench press grows up to be a nice Bridgeport but,,,,,sigh,sigh,,,. Thats what I hope to do if I can buy the floor press I am looking at, and "modify" it to do small mill projects. I have an attachment I made for my lathe that I can do some milling with but need something a bit bigger, but do not have room for a full size Bridgeport. Hmmmmm, maybe I could add on a small addition,,,,,,:flag6:

[dinger57]

Nice :tu

[Brink55]

Great job on that little drill press. Just to let you know that there is a whole community of guys who do restorations on machine tools and wood working equipment. Go to Old Wood Working Machines. Here is the link.

http://www.owwm.org/viewforum.php?f=1

This is a site for people doing restorations on older equipment. There is a section for wood working and metal working equipment. Also if you join as a member there are part listings for people swapping parts. There are some beautiful restorations on this site.

As much as i like tri five chevys i have to always check out old tools that i can rebuild.

Brink55

[Bilaire]

You're a great Craftsman with that Craftsman drill press. Excellent job of restoring to original:congrats::congrats:

[davepnw]

Great job! You ought to send a picture to Sears, they might feature it in one of their publications? I have a 1947 Shopsmith with all the attachments, unrestored but nice original condition and works great. Dave

[thehazmatguy]

Hey HazmatGuy,,, Great job on the drill press. I have one of those $69 jobbies that are ok for small jobs but am always finding myself in positions where I really need a bigger press. I have a feeler on a floor model that this guy has but he is not quiet ready to sell it even tho it has not been used in 20 years. It has the #2 morse taper spindle and he has several of the drill bits that use the #2 morse taper.
Hey RickL, since you mention a lathe,,,take a gander at my prized tool in my garage. It is a 50's Maximat 10" built in Austria that I did a total restoration on it. This guy had it in the corner of his garage and had not been used in several years. He offered it at a great price so I took a chance and will forever be glad I did. After several and I mean several, days of scraping gunk, grease, dirt, and some undescribables,,,, I finally got to where I could start sanding for paint. I did a close check and find thet that main gear to the gearbox had broken a pin so the carriage would not work,,,and that was all that was wrong with the machine,,,,!!! What luck,,,,The ways look like they have just been scraped. I can not find the "before" pic but here is what it turned out like .
What size is your South Bend? Those are great lathes and I almost bought one before i found this Maximat.

Wow... Nice lathe! I want a lathe! There's an old Craftsman (Atlas?) on eBay that's local and the bidding is ony up to $250ish with 4 days to go. I'd bid on it but 1) I don't have the room 2) I don't have the time because I just returned to college 3) I haven't used one in 20+ years and I'd have no idea what I was doing.

It doesn't hurt to daydream though...

[thehazmatguy]

Great job on that little drill press. Just to let you know that there is a whole community of guys who do restorations on machine tools and wood working equipment. Go to Old Wood Working Machines. Here is the link.

http://www.owwm.org/viewforum.php?f=1

This is a site for people doing restorations on older equipment. There is a section for wood working and metal working equipment. Also if you join as a member there are part listings for people swapping parts. There are some beautiful restorations on this site.

As much as i like tri five chevys i have to always check out old tools that i can rebuild.

Brink55

LOL. Little drill press? :) It weighs about 150 pounds! I have to take it apart to move it!

I've been to that website many times. There's boat loads of good information over there, including owners manuals and parts lists. I think I downloaded a parts list and build diagram from there that really helped with the assembly of my drill press.

I've thought about posting my Craftsman block grinder on OWWM. It's a 1964 "block" grinder that was never fully assembled and came to me in the original box. And, it had accessories that had never been installed.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153782



.

[1-bad-57]

Fantastic job on refinishing the drill press. It looks great and should give you years of use and enjoyment.
Jeffrey

[Busted_Knuckles]

Did your momma drop you on your head when you were a baby, because your insane.....lol that thing is off the hook. If you put that much attention to detail into a drill press I can only imagine what your car looks like. Awesome job.