Vintage Drill Press Score

I think it looks awesome! Love the gold paint.

The biggest problem with the old, smaller domestic drill presses was that they turned too durn fast since most didn't have a row of idler pulleys. Your drill with the vari-slo attachment can drop down to 300 rpm with infinite variable speed.

I found a restoration thread here with some videos of the press in operation. Seems pretty slick.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171868

The original table lift was a bolt-on option but probably difficult to find now. Some people have had good success with using a trailer tongue jack as a table lift. Good luck on your restore, looks like it will make a fine light drill press.
 
Thanks, all of you, for your nice comments!
DoogieB said:
I think it looks awesome! Love the gold paint.
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Me, too! Just wish I had a better alternative than Rustoleum's Hammered Bronze (which is mentioned in a couple of the discussions I've seen). Though the color's supposed to be a good match, I don't really like the idea of the hammertone "texture". I'll buy a can and try experimenting with light coats.
DoogieB said:
The biggest problem with the old, smaller domestic drill presses was that they turned too durn fast since most didn't have a row of idler pulleys. Your drill with the vari-slo attachment can drop down to 300 rpm with infinite variable speed.

I found a restoration thread here with some videos of the press in operation. Seems pretty slick.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171868

The original table lift was a bolt-on option but probably difficult to find now. Some people have had good success with using a trailer tongue jack as a table lift. Good luck on your restore, looks like it will make a fine light drill press.
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Thanks for the link! What I'd found was a thread from the same forum, but a year earlier:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146523&highlight=Drill+Press+100
Sure loks like a nice table lift. I was considering a trailer tongue lift, but the (light duty) ones I've used have the crank on top, turned horizontally. I'm pretty sure I've seen some with side cranks, but finding one at a reasonable price would be a challenge.
 
for paint there is a gold wheel paint by duplicolor that I think would match really well.
 
hman said:
Sure loks like a nice table lift. I was considering a trailer tongue lift, but the (light duty) ones I've used have the crank on top, turned horizontally. I'm pretty sure I've seen some with side cranks, but finding one at a reasonable price would be a challenge.
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The swivel-back tongue lifts have the crank coming out of the side and they are pretty cheap at HF. I know I seen a picture of one bolted to the post where you could access the crank from below the table.

All kinds of information about those old Craftsman drill presses in this thread:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227480

I guess if you buy enough of them you can get all the attachments you need. And that's why I'm glad my shop is already full. :)
 
Martin W said:
Wow, nice score on the drill press:) I love that vintage look. Looks like an old boat motor mounted on a pole
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I love your simile!
CluelessNewB said:
Probably better to post here in the Craftsman Section rather than a generic area: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/forums/craftsman-lathes-drill-presses-etc.430/
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OK. Guess I get to be pioneer!
DoogieB said:
The swivel-back tongue lifts have the crank coming out of the side and they are pretty cheap at HF. I know I seen a picture of one bolted to the post where you could access the crank from below the table.

All kinds of information about those old Craftsman drill presses in this thread:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227480

I guess if you buy enough of them you can get all the attachments you need. And that's why I'm glad my shop is already full. :)
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Doogie, you're an amazing font of knowledge. Thanks! (1) Didn't know that side-crank lifts were so easy to find, and not a bad price at all! (2) Great link - looks like the mother lode. (3) My garage is full, too. That's why I'm planning to sell one, even though Brino's suggestion is very tempting.
 
Hot off the press ... The administrators messaged me that the "Craftsman lathe, drill press, etc." forum is moribund, and that they'd moved my post to the "Atlas, Craftsman and AA" forum. Thankfully, they fixed the linkage, so the hotlink I gave in the post above will get you there. But if you're looking for it otherwise, go to "Atlas, Craftsman and AA."

My thanks to the admins for making the change transparent for the user!
 
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