Restoring an Old Drill Press

[Axehandle]

Congratulations on the finish.

Im still on the lookout from my own DP restoration project.

[skizzo]

oakey said:

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throw the delta away keep that W/T

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That ain't gonna happen. While this dp is way nice, it doesn't win either the functionality or the stylin' battle in my shop. My 17" Delta has a morse taper shank that allows use of a mass of 64ths taper bits along with providing a lot more capacity, the 14" Delta is all tricked out for mortising with a footfeed and XY table, and the style winner of all is a 12" Toro w/ an XY vise, which is used for small work.


photo courtesy of restorer and PO R. McGowen.

It's pretty tough for newcomers to crack the starting lineup, tho this one did make it through to the final cut.

[Guest]

She's a beauty, Skizzo. Great restoration! Thanks for posting. I had to chuckle, though. When I got to the final assembly, I forgot to install the belt on mine before I installed the handle, pinion and spindle; so I went through the same exercise you did and uttered similar expletives. My restoration was very similar to yours; but, I must say, your machine came out looking much classier than mine. Great job!

Hank

[Outstando]

Bill, in Japan, they honor people like you with the title of Living National Treasure. Thank you so much for all of the painstaking effort, not just in the restoration, of course, but especially in the work it took to share this in such incredible detail.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Nati...s_of_Japan

[Mr_Mike]

Bill,

Thanks for the excellent tutorial. The drill press turned out well.

[skizzo]

A bump for folks considering a different type of summer project.

[paulcomi]

That is gorgeous

[angelodp]

Recently discovered this great thread, and the motor work. Terrific. Wish I had found it just a tad earlier as i am getting ready for a complete restoration of my Atlas 1938 DP. I did do some work on my Companion motor and now I know how to finish up.
Thanks for this great thread

[angelodp]

Just wondering if that spindle cap needs a very very thin spacer/washer? or is it just a compression issue. Seems the later.

[skizzo]

Thanks folks. I hadn't even noticed that this thread came back up. Angelodp, good point about perhaps adding a small spacer washer under the spindle cap flange. It might have relieved the pressure on the bearing race, I don't really know.

Glad folks find this thread helpful.