=========================================================================
I just came in from cleaning up the main frame, with a wire cone wheel, on my angle grinder. Not much rust involved really. Just the remnants of 3 coats of paint and most of that blew off with an air hose.
The soda can and the 18" ruler , will give you an idea of size. It has a taper on the spindle and I happed to have an old Almond brand chuck, that will fit. It opens up to .390 . Not quite 5/16", but better than a 1/4" chuck.
I have the motor that came with the drill press, It has the same 3 coats of paint on it as the D. press. There was a shaft out the back of the base, that must have had a small cast iron table, that slid in and out, to change the pulley position for each of the 3 speeds. At some point, the shaft was torched off. I surmise, that maybe the motor mounting table got busted, as one mounting ear on the motor is also gone.
Someone had remounted the motor on a homemade wooden box and sat it on the bench, behind the drill press as a quick fix. --- John
Here is photo of the main frame now, for an idea of the size.
This is where the motor would have mounted.
This is the motor, It is a 1/4hp Westinghouse. Dating the motor, may give me an idea of the age of the machine. Note the thumb nuts, for the 115v wiring. The tin cover is missing.