# The Ultimate Arc of Shame on Craigslist



## edstoddard (Dec 19, 2013)

Found this Rockwell drill press for sale on craigslist for the bargain price of $250. Here's the link:  http://norfolk.craigslist.org/tls/4249563004.html    I think I'll  pass.


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## davidh (Dec 19, 2013)

that'd polish right up. . . .


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## Harvey Melvin Richards (Dec 19, 2013)

I worked at a place that had a Bridgeport mill that had a table that looked a lot like that.


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## itsme_Bernie (Dec 19, 2013)

Some holes are mistakes from use.  That is a TRUE arch of shame!!  Holy cow!

Says "series of holes"...  All I see is a TRENCH!!

Having said that, it is a variable speed head, so a replacement table is probably worth the trouble on that model if the rest of the machine is tight.


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## John Hasler (Dec 19, 2013)

davidh said:


> that'd polish right up. . . .


  Fill it up with Bondo.


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## donthack (Dec 19, 2013)

A nice piece of flat stock table overlay should do the trick.  Table condition should give you price leverage.


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## Dave Smith (Dec 19, 2013)

donthack said:


> A nice piece of flat stock table overlay should do the trick. Table condition should give you price leverage.






I agree---an easy fix for a good large drill press --well worth $250--it will clean up real nice


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## fastback (Dec 19, 2013)

Can't believe that people abuse equipment like that.  A real shame.  I might consider it if it were free.


Paul


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## george wilson (Dec 19, 2013)

A table overlay with SEVERAL screws holding it down to the original table. There isn't much keeping that table from breaking off,except for a few half drilled through ribs. Too bad it didn't fall off onto the foot of the guy who did that WITH a heavy vise and a LARGE piece of metal clamped in it. That would give him the LIMP of shame!!


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## xalky (Dec 19, 2013)

Dave Smith said:


> I agree---an easy fix for a good large drill press --well worth $250--it will clean up real nice





nine4gmc said:


> Variable Speed with Table Lift, I'd forget about the trench for $200



Here's my take on this thing: If someone is willing to abuse the table like that, do you really think they treated the rest of the machine any better?:thinking:


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## llarson (Dec 19, 2013)

That is really a shame, hate to see machines treated that way. I'd have to agree, entire machine is likely in near the same condition.


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## GK1918 (Dec 20, 2013)

And I have a bird when somebody puts a soda can on any machine table.  you all know what sweaty cans do!!

edit:  not a bird a thermal meltdown    been around a long time never seen this before      done on purpose!!!


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## Ray C (Dec 20, 2013)

Arc of shame, my eye... those are the tracks of a total nimrod...  -Sheesh!


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## pestilence (Dec 20, 2013)

More like an arc of shamelessness in this case.  I'd take it for free and use it as a good excuse to become really good at brazing.  I wouldn't pay a dime for it though, I don't think.


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## Tony Wells (Dec 20, 2013)

I just want to point out one thing. Do any of you know _for a fact_ that this is not one of our members who has this for sale? How would you feel to read about your ad what is posted here? Granted, the machine has been abused, but it's just possible that the machine was dug out of the junkyard to save it from the smelter and someone HERE is just trying to make buck on it. Nothing wrong with that at all.


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## xalky (Dec 20, 2013)

Way too much money for what it is, regardless.


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## David S (Dec 20, 2013)

Tony Wells said:


> I just want to point out one thing. Do any of you know _for a fact_ that this is not one of our members who has this for sale? How would you feel to read about your ad what is posted here? Granted, the machine has been abused, but it's just possible that the machine was dug out of the junkyard to save it from the smelter and someone HERE is just trying to make buck on it. Nothing wrong with that at all.



Great to have a voice of wisdom and an opposing view.  I agree, we can see the damage, it can be repaired or made usable, if the rest is in good condition I would say go for it.

David


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## pestilence (Dec 22, 2013)

Tony Wells said:


> I just want to point out one thing. Do any of you know _for a fact_ that this is not one of our members who has this for sale? How would you feel to read about your ad what is posted here? Granted, the machine has been abused, but it's just possible that the machine was dug out of the junkyard to save it from the smelter and someone HERE is just trying to make buck on it. Nothing wrong with that at all.



If it was my ad and I wasn't the one who did the damage, I'd be right here complaining about the person who actually did the damage along with the rest of these guys.


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## GK1918 (Dec 22, 2013)

David S said:


> Great to have a voice of wisdom and an opposing view.  I agree, we can see the damage, it can be repaired or made usable, if the rest is in good condition I would say go for it.
> 
> David




I aggree Dave, being a sucker for punishment guess we all are, I'm almost seeing a nice steel plate right over the top. end of that.

and true what Tonys said and if so, just be honest about it.  And there is always a person who has the knowledge and is capable
but doesnt have deep pockets those are the ones that'll fix that right up.  I reserrect the dead too.......

sam


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## Ray C (Dec 22, 2013)

Guys,

I agree that the machine could be repaired and if someone needs it and is inclined to do so then, have at it.

My concern is that whoever blasted a cutting torch across it really needs to examine their overall aptitude -very carefully.  As beginners, we all make mistakes -it is totally expected; however, I contend that anyone who knows how to lite-up an acetylene torch should know enough to not be so careless.  That was an act of either total disconcern for a piece of equipment or, it was an act of total unawareness of what happens with a cutting torch.

If it was due to total unawareness, that person really needs to think about never lighting a torch ever again.   If a sane, adult person, living in the modern age knowingly picks up a loaded firearm and the first thing they do is look straight down the barrel -then that's a good sign that person should never handle a firearm as it's a sign they do not possess even the minimal inherent safety reflexes to exist in that field.  Some people are indeed accident prone -and they regularly get dismissed from their jobs in the industrial trades.

Ray


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## jweaver72 (Dec 22, 2013)

Its funny how every ones minds takes a little different turn when they see this picture.

Being from a family of 4 boys and having 6 kids of my own, the first thing I think of is "Kids" and the second thing I think of is the image of a very t'ed off father when he found his proud son in the garage cutting the shackles off his leaf springs.

Reminds me of the time we tore the motor out of my mothers Vega while her and my dad were on vacation


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## John Hasler (Dec 22, 2013)

Ray C said:


> Guys,
> 
> I agree that the machine could be repaired and if someone needs it and is inclined to do so then, have at it.
> 
> ...



I don't see how that could have been done with a single accidental pass with a torch.  Perhaps they figured that the old junker drill press was ok to use as a cutting table and did some sort of production on it, cutting the same arc over and over.  Or perhaps it was all done with drills, by running some sort of production with badly-designed tooling.


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## pestilence (Dec 22, 2013)

I don't think a torch did that.  Why would a torch follow the same arc as the spindle?  That's years and years of drilling by an adult with no shame.


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## markknx (Dec 22, 2013)

If you can go to it andcheck the restof the machine out and it is tight it may be worth buying and fixing the table. I would not buy it if I could not run it and check it out. I share Ray c. concern about if they did that abuse to thetable.......  But if the rest ofthe machine was tight you my beableto find a table that woud fit itsome where or make somerepares to that one.


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## John Hasler (Dec 22, 2013)

pestilence said:


> I don't think a torch did that.  Why would a torch follow the same arc as the spindle?  That's years and years of drilling by an adult with no shame.



Or paid by the hour operators who were just doing as they were told.  I agree that it was more likely drilling than torch work.


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## Tony Wells (Dec 22, 2013)

I'll add that CI and cutting torches don't normally see each other. Plasma yes, but oxy-fuel, no. You can do it, but CI doesn't "burn" like steel. That table has been drilled and hole-sawed near to death. Very unlikely that it was used as a cutting table. It would have burn-thru at more random areas.

I'll agree that if the rest of the machine is OK, or even salvageable.....I'd take it for the right price and either look for a replacement table, make a new on from scratch, or simply (and most likely) put a tooling plate on top of it.


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## edstoddard (Dec 22, 2013)

I went back to Craigslist and searched for other ads with the same phone number.  He has a trailer for sale and includes the address.  A search shows it to be a welding shop.  It would seem that it was used during fabrication or repair for welding jobs.  (An assumption I have to admit), but it gives some credibility to the idea it was hourly workers not a home use piece of machinery.


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## Dave Smith (Dec 22, 2013)

I would say that they mounted their torch on the spindle and rotated the table from side to side to cut their product--you don't get a slot by drilling with bits--that has been cut with a torch--- but a flat plate on the top will solve the problem easily and be a good drill press for someone.---just think of all the nice arbor presses that have the top of ram all mushroomed from big hammers--lots of machines get misused, but we fix them back up.---Dave------------------:thinking:


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## Buffalo Bob (Dec 23, 2013)

That much heat could cause some warping somewhere. Once out of square it wouldn't be worth the trouble IMHO. 
BB


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## pestilence (Dec 23, 2013)

Dave Smith said:


> you don't get a slot by drilling with bits



You do if you shamelessly do it over and over for years and years.  Why would you try and invent some crazy torch scheme just to help yourself make sense of the picture?


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## Rowdy (Dec 23, 2013)

Ray C said:


> Guys,
> 
> My concern is that whoever blasted a cutting torch across it
> 
> Ray



What cutting torch?  I know I am new here, and I don't know squat about machining but isn't that arc caused by numerous holes being drilled through it.  I am not sure that is what you are talking about though.

The way I see it if this were caused by little accidental bumps as you drilled through a piece it represents a couple million holes drilled.  If it was caused by simple stupidity of misuse or abuse, likely the whole machine is much the same and worthless.   I would see it costing more to get it shipped to you if your not close than it is worth.  Keep looking, in this extremely depressed economy I am sure you can find a better deal.


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## John Hasler (Dec 23, 2013)

Rowdy said:


> What cutting torch?  I know I am new here, and I don't know squat about machining but isn't that arc caused by numerous holes being drilled through it.  I am not sure that is what you are talking about though.
> 
> The way I see it if this were caused by little accidental bumps as you drilled through a piece it represents a couple million holes drilled.  If it was caused by simple stupidity of misuse or abuse, likely the whole machine is much the same and worthless.   I would see it costing more to get it shipped to you if your not close than it is worth.  Keep looking, in this extremely depressed economy I am sure you can find a better deal.



I didn't think it was a torch either but the fact that it's being sold by a welding shop puts a different light on things.


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## markknx (Dec 24, 2013)

Thats what it looked like to me


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## ScrapMetal (Dec 24, 2013)

Maybe they spot-welded small pieces to the table for drilling then beat them off with a hammer?  Looking at the carnage I wouldn't put it past them.

-Ron


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## psychodelicdan (Dec 26, 2013)

Ok guys I've been working fab shops for thirty years. A couple of things come to mind when I see this.It was not cut with a torch. Zoom in on that table. That cast looks to be broken around those Drilled holes. Look at that course grain showing.  Definitely worked with S.O.B's that would drill up a table like that if lift to there own.  Just can't figure why someone would take the time to chip all them holes like that.?? I say second string machine that the boss man just didn't care about any more. My two cents. What say you?


Master of unfinished projects


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## ranch23 (Dec 27, 2013)

You put 2 drill spots in a machine I'm in charge of and you're fired.


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## blacksmithden (Dec 27, 2013)

Who ever did that...well....they're "special" for sure.


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## george wilson (Jun 16, 2014)

For Pete's sake!! That is DRILLING damage,NOT from a torch.


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## ddmunroe (Jun 16, 2014)

If I really wanted that drill press ... and everything else was ok
I'd make another table and be done with it.
The reason the table has gotten that way through drilling is that no one "belted the first person who started damaging the table.
Am I an advocate of violence "no but of discipline "yes
:nono:


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## melsdad (Jun 16, 2014)

I have never seen a machine treated so badly before! !

sent from my hand held hickymajig


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