Restoring an Old Drill Press

[Philip1231]

This post certainly needs a bump.

[bennybmn]

Agreed. I learned a LOT from it two years ago! I plan on referring to it again for my lathe.

[GRDavies]

With permission from Mac and encouragement from a few fellow Woodnetters, I’m going try something a little different here.  A number of folks post information, discussion, photos, etc. of machinery restoration projects, typically in “before” and “after” condition, and occasionally with some questions while in process.  But we don’t often get to follow along throughout the restoration process, looking over the shoulder so to speak.  

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while, but haven’t come across a good project machine that might be of general interest to the WN crowd, would not be too difficult for folks with varying levels of background and shop infrastructure, and is likely to cover a lot of topics that come up here on occasion.  A good, solid drill press that needs work seems to fit the bill pretty well, and I finally snagged one to try.  

The purpose of this not to show “how to do it” or even just “how I do it.”  Instead, hopefully, it will generate discussion, questions, and encourage others to chime in with input, other suggestions, alternative approaches, etc.  The intent really is to show what’s involved, that it can be as much or as little work as you want to make it, you don’t need lots of equipment or knowhow, and is just a process that goes along at whatever pace you wish.  I’m not going to rush on this, just take it as usual -- a couple hours at night most nights, a fair bit on weekends, and don’t work when I don’t feel like it.  It is just a hobby, after all.  The only difference is I’ll document it as I go, rather than waiting until it’s done.

For the record:  as usual, I am bound to screw up, may do things nobody else would ever consider reasonable, and will use whatever tools, techniques, ingenuity, and other resources I have available.  Throughout, I’ll include the good, the bad, and the ugly… which definitely fits the project machine (to be described in a subsequent post).  Cringe if you want, and I invite scrutiny and criticism on any front.  Unlike most threads, where we see the project after it’s done, I don’t know how this will turn out.  I hope and expect it to be nice a few weeks down the road, but don’t know what’s going to turn up… every project is different.  Hopefully, we’ll see a really nice drill press in about a month.

Finally, for now, I’m not sure whether it will be more appropriate to run this as one long thread or to break it into separate subject “chapters.”  I know, going in, that the project roughly breaks down into a few key topics:

- Introduction, Acquisition and Disassembly
- Stripping, Cleaning and Painting
- Bearings, Pulleys, Chuck and Mechanical
- Motor and Electrical
- Reassembly, Tuning and Operation

As we go, I’m only going to show what I do, but will give passing mention and links to resources regarding other subjects where appropriate.  If you have input, suggestions, see anything you don’t understand, have something going yourself that would contribute to the discussion, please post away.  But please keep it clean, orderly, and on topic, so we don’t get poofed somewhere down the road.  

Thanks all… hopefully at least a few folks will follow along, and maybe even a few play along with the home version yourselves.

Bill.

[Tapper]

Page 10 for the awesome results page.

Bill that was rags to riches. Good to see this post around again.

Pics not working for me.

Doug

iMac running Catalina

[EdL]

Back then the pics were hosted offsite, probably photobucket. Links are broken, long gone......

Ed

[skizzo]

Pics not working for me.

Doug

iMac running Catalina

I don't check in here very often any more, but I have the photos from this thread and the accompanying motor restoration thread available as zip files that I can email upon request.  If you send me a PM with your email address, I should get a notification to come check it and I'll be glad to send you the file.

It appears I may be able to go back in and edit this thread to add my photos back in, which I'll try to do some time when I get a few hours or days available.  

Bill.

[Timberwolf]

I don't check in here very often any more, but I have the photos from this thread and the accompanying motor restoration thread available as zip files that I can email upon request.  If you send me a PM with your email address, I should get a notification to come check it and I'll be glad to send you the file.

It appears I may be able to go back in and edit this thread to add my photos back in, which I'll try to do some time when I get a few hours or days available.  

Bill.

..............
Hi Bill.....Good to see you're still with us...come back more often!!!

[skizzo]

Once in a while, Jack, but not often.


It looks like there's a limit to the number of photos I can add to a post, so it's not gonna work to update this thread.

If you want a copy of the zip file with photos, send me a PM with your email address and post to this thread that you did so.  Hopefully, I'll get a notification and can come check in to get back to you.

Bill.

[WMichelsen]

Hi Bill,
I PM'd you with my email address, but I'm not sure you got it.
I'd very much like a copy of the zip-archive of this thread.
Thanks,
Wayne

Or .... any other list members who have a copy

[srv52761]

Have an early '70's Craftsman 15 1/2" ... In parts...  I'd like to Reassemble.  Would appreciate the zip file, also.  Will send a pm later in the day. (don't want you to get a notification this late at night).