Anyone recognize this drill press?

[dabear3428]

I bought this at auction and cannot find much info online, any insight would be welcomed. This thing is heavy and has a 4hp 3phase motor on it.

 

[GrifterGuru]

@dabear3428

Well, to start with, it is german.

I assume that "T O ? R 11708" is the machine serial number

Werkzeug Maschinen Fabrik is "Tool Machine Factory"

The full company name was "walter wölfel Werkzeugmaschinen Fabrik"

Brackwede is where the factory/manufacturer was. Bielefeld is within the administrative division of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Also, looks like the company is still going, although rebranded as "SSB Maschinenbau GMBH" as of 1983.

Website here, which you might be able to translate if you open it in google chrome.

Maschinen- und Sondermaschinenbau: von Bielefeld aus in die Welt

Ob Automobil- oder Energieindustrie, Agraranlagen- oder Maschinenbau: Wir setzen auf qualifizierte Fachkräfte und langjähriges Know-how, um Ihren Anforderungen stets gerecht zu werden.

www-ssb--maschinenbau-de.translate.goog

Might be worth seeing if they themselves have any information on the drill press?

 

[pontiac428]

I by no means mean any insult, but it's a drill press with two rotating parts and a moving quill, what's to learn from a manual? I never felt like such a sucker when I paid Ozark Press $70 for a manual for my big drill press and got a 7-page leaflet in the mail that didn't have a single torque spec, bearing size, or oil call-out in it. It did say to not drop it on my toes and to be careful with electricity, though. Like I started off, no insults intended, but given the tool there probably aren't any hidden secrets in the manual.

Edit- it is a nice piece of West German semi-steel to be sure, and I bet the bearings are fantastic.

 

[dabear3428]

I by no means mean any insult, but it's a drill press with two rotating parts and a moving quill, what's to learn from a manual? I never felt like such a sucker when I paid Ozark Press $70 for a manual for my big drill press and got a 7-page leaflet in the mail that didn't have a single torque spec, bearing size, or oil call-out in it. It did say to not drop it on my toes and to be careful with electricity, though. Like I started off, no insults intended, but given the tool there probably aren't any hidden secrets in the manual.

Edit- it is a nice piece of West German semi-steel to be sure, and I bet the bearings are fantastic.

just interested in spare parts availability (if I need any or if it is significant in any way)

 

[dabear3428]

@pontiac428 after thinking about your post, i'm confused no insult taken or intended but this is the drill press section of the forum and this is a drill press and i thought this was the place to discuss and talk about drill presses. maybe i'm misunderstanding your point? but specifically i'm hoping to find some info about this drill press and yes locating a manual would be nice but i'm more interested in is if this drill press is good, bad, or ugly and run before it explodes, that kind of info. is it a European thing like posting on PM about a 7X14 or a mini mill? again i'm confused not insulted this is something i picked up for like no money so no hard feelings if it is a pile of junk, but i am impressed by the heft of this thing, i went to pick it up by myself with a trailer and had to come back with a FEL tractor to even shift it. BTW i have several drill presses from the craftsman bench to a delta floor standing unit but have never thought about drill presses much so i'm venturing into new territory with this.

 

[dabear3428]

@dabear3428

Well, to start with, it is german.

I assume that "T O ? R 11708" is the machine serial number

Werkzeug Maschinen Fabrik is "Tool Machine Factory"

The full company name was "walter wölfel Werkzeugmaschinen Fabrik"

Brackwede is where the factory/manufacturer was. Bielefeld is within the administrative division of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Also, looks like the company is still going, although rebranded as "SSB Maschinenbau GMBH" as of 1983.

Website here, which you might be able to translate if you open it in google chrome.

Maschinen- und Sondermaschinenbau: von Bielefeld aus in die Welt

Ob Automobil- oder Energieindustrie, Agraranlagen- oder Maschinenbau: Wir setzen auf qualifizierte Fachkräfte und langjähriges Know-how, um Ihren Anforderungen stets gerecht zu werden.

www-ssb--maschinenbau-de.translate.goog

Might be worth seeing if they themselves have any information on the drill press?

GG thank you for the in depth analysis, and yes I did catch the german printed on the machine but that site does not help much. this was built by in their own words a custom equipment manufacturer, so i'm thinking limited production and that would explain the lack of info on the internet.

 

[GrifterGuru]

it's a drill press with two rotating parts and a moving quill, what's to learn from a manual

@pontiac428

To quote you prior phrase "no distrespect but..."

For starters, a manual may / will potentially show how to correctly disassemble the unit cortesy of an exploded diagram and parts list, what the torque specs are for fasteners (where appropriate), what type bearings /lubricants, and any potential pre-load for bearings if appropriate.

Lots of info available in a good manual.

@dabear3428

Have you tried contacting the company to see if they hold/have any info in archive? you don't know unless you ask.

Yes, I did note the "custom equipment" phrase, but my own question is has that always been the case or is that down to modern market circumstance?

 

[woodchucker]

That looks like a beast. Nice find.
What do you think is wrong with it? Did you run it before hand?

Bearings if need replacing can be removed to see the label and find cross matched equivs.

 

[dabear3428]

@pontiac428

To quote you prior phrase "no distrespect but..."

For starters, a manual may / will potentially show how to correctly disassemble the unit cortesy of an exploded diagram and parts list, what the torque specs are for fasteners (where appropriate), what type bearings /lubricants, and any potential pre-load for bearings if appropriate.

Lots of info available in a good manual.

@dabear3428

Have you tried contacting the company to see if they hold/have any info in archive? you don't know unless you ask.

Yes, I did note the "custom equipment" phrase, but my own question is has that always been the case or is that down to modern market circumstance?

GG i have looked up the site and am planning on contacting them thank you for the link, i'm in no rush on this drill press I just bought an Alliant 42S mill and have to go pick that up and will get back to this drill press after that.
the custom equipment manufacturer is from my research on walter wölfel so it predates the current company so i'm thinking this was low volume as demonstrated by the lack of info, i found like 1 other example on the internet, not an exhaustive search but again pointing to there not being a lot of these out there.

 

[dabear3428]

That looks like a beast. Nice find.
What do you think is wrong with it? Did you run it before hand?

Bearings if need replacing can be removed to see the label and find cross matched equivs.

bought it at auction without seeing it in person and it is not locked up but it is 3phase and i will need to set up a VFD to power it. this drill press cost me $62 and the gas/time to go pick it up so if it is completely locked up and i have to scrap it i will get my money back in the scrap steel. BTW the bearings feel good but i will know more after installing the VFD.
this is a semi-retirement hobby of buying interesting equipment at auction and tinkering with it. as i mentioned i need to go pick up a mill that i purchased also, more tools to tinker with lol, and no pressure to make $ with it but i would like to break even, or not.