# Clausing 1771 Drill Press Restoration



## mikey

You got an awesome deal. Those never come up for sale here in Hawaii and I've been lusting for one for years. VS, angular contact bearing in the quill - built the way a good DP should be.


----------



## Alan H.

Yes that was an awesome deal.  That is a very nice press, glad you rescued it and tuned it up!


----------



## Dave Paine

Very nice restoration.  Well done.   I love the table lift.


----------



## Uncle Buck

Only rarely seen in my parts, those machines are always priced beyond the depth of my pockets. I would dearly love to own one of those drills. You did a smashing job on the restoration too!

Please share, to clean that column you chucked it into a lathe and used a steady on the outboard end didn't you?


----------



## dewbane

You turned that into a gorgeous machine!


----------



## rwm

Very nice find and beautiful result!
Is is just me or do the spindles look small on those machines? Any issues with that?
Robert


----------



## randyjaco

Great work. Those Clausings are fabulous drill presses. It should last you a couple of lifetimes. 

Randy


----------



## Silverbullet

Great job ,looks better then new. Around my area they want minimum $800. Even wrecked at $600. Guess they don't know steel ain't gold. Good luck nice paint job .


----------



## jmhoying

Here are the badges on my two Clausing drill presses.  The first one (originally green) is in my metal shop and I wanted to use it for tapping, so I put a 3 phase motor on it and a VFD.  It will smoothly go from forward to reverse in less than a second.  I paid $100 for this one at an auction.







The tag from my latest drill press (the one in the original post)


----------



## rwm

Man, those are great deals. I wish I could find one nearby.
R


----------



## expressline99

That thing is awesome! Great job and on price too! I would have bought it in 2 seconds at that price. A variable speed drill press is on my want list.

Paul


----------



## rwm

Hey guys- I have a Clausing 1672 drill press arriving by freight on Saturday. I am not sure I can easily move this beast. Since y'all have some experience with these how easily will it be to take it apart for moving? Can I easily pull the head off the column if I lay it down? Any other tips?
Thanks in advance
Robert


----------



## Djnagle

What did you do and use to get the post so clean and shiny?


----------



## jmhoying

Djnagle said:


> What did you do and use to get the post so clean and shiny?


I used a bit of 220 and 400 wet and dry sandpaper, while dripping wet with WD40, followed by some red scotch brite.
Jack


----------



## Djnagle

Thanks jack. All by hand?


----------



## Djnagle

I wish I still had my wood lathe.  I could make short work of that task.


----------



## jmhoying

Djnagle said:


> Thanks jack. All by hand?


Yes, it probably only took an hour or less.


----------



## Djnagle

Wow, that's is encouraging.  I was thinking a hole Saturday.


----------



## Tmate

I had one years ago and sold it when I was in a financial pinch.  I've regretted it ever since.  Congratulations!


----------



## CNC_noob

jmhoying said:


> I picked up a Clausing variable speed drill press from a Craigslist ad.  I offered the guy $200.00 and he accepted.  The drill press was in decent overall condition, and had a new motor on it.   I disassembled the machine and cleaned up and painted everything.  Mechanically, it was in very good condition, and the only real repair work I did was to straighten a few of the handle arms.  One really nice feature is the table lift, which works great on that heavy table (btw: the table doesn't have a single drill mark in it!)
> This is my second Clausing variable speed drill press.  The first one is in my metal shop, this one will be in my wood shop.
> View attachment 250732
> 
> View attachment 250733
> 
> 
> View attachment 250734
> 
> 
> View attachment 250735
> 
> 
> Jack
> Fort Loramie, Ohio


What a great project and a beautiful piece of a equipment.   Congrats and thank you for showing the restore and before.   Very impressed.


----------



## illbeda

jmhoying said:


> I picked up a Clausing variable speed drill press from a Craigslist ad.  I offered the guy $200.00 and he accepted.  The drill press was in decent overall condition, and had a new motor on it.   I disassembled the machine and cleaned up and painted everything.  Mechanically, it was in very good condition, and the only real repair work I did was to straighten a few of the handle arms.  One really nice feature is the table lift, which works great on that heavy table (btw: the table doesn't have a single drill mark in it!)
> This is my second Clausing variable speed drill press.  The first one is in my metal shop, this one will be in my wood shop.
> View attachment 250732
> 
> View attachment 250733
> 
> 
> View attachment 250734
> 
> 
> View attachment 250735
> 
> 
> Jack
> Fort Loramie, Ohio


Nice score...very nice score !


----------



## NeedAHobby

jmhoying said:


> I picked up a Clausing variable speed drill press from a Craigslist ad.  I offered the guy $200.00 and he accepted.  The drill press was in decent overall condition, and had a new motor on it.   I disassembled the machine and cleaned up and painted everything.  Mechanically, it was in very good condition, and the only real repair work I did was to straighten a few of the handle arms.  One really nice feature is the table lift, which works great on that heavy table (btw: the table doesn't have a single drill mark in it!)
> This is my second Clausing variable speed drill press.  The first one is in my metal shop, this one will be in my wood shop.
> View attachment 250732
> 
> View attachment 250733
> 
> 
> View attachment 250734
> 
> 
> View attachment 250735
> 
> 
> Jack
> Fort Loramie, Ohio


Did you just paint it/  Was that all there was to it?  Looks great in the end though.


----------



## Lagunacnc

jmhoying said:


> I picked up a Clausing variable speed drill press from a Craigslist ad.  I offered the guy $200.00 and he accepted.  The drill press was in decent overall condition, and had a new motor on it.   I disassembled the machine and cleaned up and painted everything.  Mechanically, it was in very good condition, and the only real repair work I did was to straighten a few of the handle arms.  One really nice feature is the table lift, which works great on that heavy table (btw: the table doesn't have a single drill mark in it!)
> This is my second Clausing variable speed drill press.  The first one is in my metal shop, this one will be in my wood shop.
> View attachment 250732
> 
> View attachment 250733
> 
> 
> View attachment 250734
> 
> 
> View attachment 250735
> 
> 
> Jack
> Fort Loramie, Ohio


----------



## Lagunacnc

illbeda said:


> Nice score...very nice score !





jmhoying said:


> Here are the badges on my two Clausing drill presses.  The first one (originally green) is in my metal shop and I wanted to use it for tapping, so I put a 3 phase motor on it and a VFD.  It will smoothly go from forward to reverse in less than a second.  I paid $100 for this one at an auction.
> View attachment 262211
> 
> View attachment 262212
> 
> View attachment 262213
> 
> 
> The tag from my latest drill press (the one in the original post)
> View attachment 262214


----------



## Lagunacnc

Great restoration, I have the same drill press and all the sudden it won't lower the quill past 1.5 in it's not locked on the side any ideas? Thanks David.


----------



## Lagunacnc

jmhoying said:


> I picked up a Clausing variable speed drill press from a Craigslist ad.  I offered the guy $200.00 and he accepted.  The drill press was in decent overall condition, and had a new motor on it.   I disassembled the machine and cleaned up and painted everything.  Mechanically, it was in very good condition, and the only real repair work I did was to straighten a few of the handle arms.  One really nice feature is the table lift, which works great on that heavy table (btw: the table doesn't have a single drill mark in it!)
> This is my second Clausing variable speed drill press.  The first one is in my metal shop, this one will be in my wood shop.
> View attachment 250732
> 
> View attachment 250733
> 
> 
> View attachment 250734
> 
> 
> View attachment 250735
> 
> 
> Jack
> Fort Loramie, Ohio


Hey Jack great job I'm looking to find out some information I have the same drill press and paid $900 for it worked great for several years then one day I moved it from one shop to the next on the same property on a hand truck and then it would not lower past 1 and 1/2 in on the quill do you have any information or ideas on how I might be able to fix that without having to take it apart and I checked to make sure the stop is not on and it is not anything to do with the spring on the left or the stop function thank you


----------



## ltlvt

jmhoying said:


> Here are the badges on my two Clausing drill presses.  The first one (originally green) is in my metal shop and I wanted to use it for tapping, so I put a 3 phase motor on it and a VFD.  It will smoothly go from forward to reverse in less than a second.  I paid $100 for this one at an auction.
> View attachment 262211
> 
> View attachment 262212
> 
> View attachment 262213
> 
> 
> The tag from my latest drill press (the one in the original post)
> View attachment 262214


I am a big fan of Clausing. I have 2 Clausing Lathes. One old one and one Very Old one. I am currently in the process of re assembling of the 5913. These old machines fed and clothed a lot of families over the years. I prefer them over most of the imports. Many families have come and gone since these machine tools were cast in sand molds. Especially the ones who cast them.  But who am I to speak I am self-diagnosed with having an "Iron Deficiency"


----------



## jmhoying

ltlvt said:


> I am a big fan of Clausing. I have 2 Clausing Lathes. One old one and one Very Old one. I am currently in the process of re assembling of the 5913. These old machines fed and clothed a lot of families over the years. I prefer them over most of the imports. Many families have come and gone since these machine tools were cast in sand molds. Especially the ones who cast them.  But who am I to speak I am self-diagnosed with having an "Iron Deficiency"



I used to have a Clausing 5914 and really liked it, but sold it when a big Cincinnati came along.
Just last week, a local Craigslist ad had a Clausing table saw for sale.  Apparently they made them in the 50s or so.   I should of bought it, but I already have a couple table saws.

Jack


----------

