Model A era tool?

MrTube

MrTube

Well-known member
Hey guys, long time no visit but it's finally time to start working on the "A" again!

I'm hoping someone can tell me what this is other than the obvious (a drill press), and if it's from the "A" era or not. I suspect it may be but am not sure.

I have a chance to pick it up but wanted opinions first. Even if it's not from the "A" era, is it still worth taking?


Looks like the motor is crooked, but it also appears that can be easily fixed by loosening some bolts. Next question would be do these things come apart easily? :D
 

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Looks like from the forties. Should be easy to disassemble and detail, including aligning the motor. I have an old Sears-Dunlap model from 1942 and they last forever.
 
Ray in La Mesa said:
Looks like from the forties. Should be easy to disassemble and detail, including aligning the motor. I have an old Sears-Dunlap model from 1942 and they last forever.
Click to expand...

Hi Ray, thanks for responding.
This may be a dumb question, but what's with the shaft sticking out of the top of the front? I can't find a single picture on the net of anything like that.
 
I have one too but the top belt shield is still in place. Yours may be missing?
Mine has also been extended in the main stand to add about 36" so it's at chest height from the floor. I replaced the burnt motor with one from a furnace fan and its been great for abot 15 years.
 
This is pretty obvious. The canted motor is not "correct" - but it will work. This because of the stretch of the v-belts connecting it to the quill.

Were it mine I would straighten and align the motor - and be sure of tensioning.

If you're at the end of tension adjustment, it may be a simple trip to Autozone to get a belt that is 1/2" shorter.

You should join us at http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/ Your Delta (likely) DP would be welcome I'm sure.

Edit: the extra shafting may be to allow extra travel of the quill to reach things "lower?" Well, your table can be a LONG way down on a floor stand DP. Check with your "down drill" lever to see the limit of travel. I bet it hits the end of the rack & pinion before you run out of shaft.

Joe K
 
You never mentioned how much it will cost to pick it up. That to me would definitely be a deciding factor. I'd say it better be cheap !
Wayne
 
C26Pinelake said:
You never mentioned how much it will cost to pick it up. That to me would definitely be a deciding factor. I'd say it better be cheap !
Wayne
Click to expand...


Exactly $0.00
Only takes effort as well as having to get it down my basement winder stairs.
 
It should be an easy knockdown to post, base, table, head, and motor.
That will make it easy to carry down the stairs.
 
Just be careful moving it around pre-knockdown. You know how you might do it. Similar to moving a full size acetylene or oxygen tank by "rolling it along" on it's base.

The problem with the drill press is the "cantilever" of the upper works on that L shaped base. These are wont to crack where the post mounts to the base. If you pick it up with a two wheeler - try to get it on the "backside" rather than along the front. (yuh, I know, that square table looks like it would fit VERY nicely against a two wheeler - resist the temptation and do it from the backside.)

Joe K
 
Joe K said:
This is pretty obvious. The canted motor is not "correct" - but it will work. This because of the stretch of the v-belts connecting it to the quill.

Were it mine I would straighten and align the motor - and be sure of tensioning.

If you're at the end of tension adjustment, it may be a simple trip to Autozone to get a belt that is 1/2" shorter.

You should join us at http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/ Your Delta (likely) DP would be welcome I'm sure.

Edit: the extra shafting may be to allow extra travel of the quill to reach things "lower?" Well, your table can be a LONG way down on a floor stand DP. Check with your "down drill" lever to see the limit of travel. I bet it hits the end of the rack & pinion before you run out of shaft.

Joe K
Click to expand...


I think I finally realized what you meant by "canted motor". It looks like the motor is hanging on a homemade hinge? I thought it seemed nifty that you could pick the back of the motor up to change the belt setting but now looking at it the motor is only hanging on two bolts.

I have to assume that isn't original by any means, but why was it done? Just as a cheat to make changing the speed easier? If that is what you were talking about the fact you could tell that from those horrible pictures suggests it was, or is a common thing?

I need to get a closer look at the press tonight, I have a feeling it's not a Delta because not a single Delta I can find has the spindle cover on the top. Maybe a Walker Turner?
 
I used to repair Drill Presses like that when I worked for OK Champion Corporation in Hammond, Indiana. I would love to have one.
 
MrTube said:
Exactly $0.00
Only takes effort as well as having to get it down my basement winder stairs.
Click to expand...


For that price my thread would have started out, check out this cool old drill press I got for free. No need to ask :)

Also check out garagejournal.com for lots of great information. Basically it's the FordBarn for tools.

Great find by they way!
 
MrTube said:
I think I finally realized what you meant by "canted motor". It looks like the motor is hanging on a homemade hinge? I thought it seemed nifty that you could pick the back of the motor up to change the belt setting but now looking at it the motor is only hanging on two bolts.

I have to assume that isn't original by any means, but why was it done? Just as a cheat to make changing the speed easier? If that is what you were talking about the fact you could tell that from those horrible pictures suggests it was, or is a common thing?

I need to get a closer look at the press tonight, I have a feeling it's not a Delta because not a single Delta I can find has the spindle cover on the top. Maybe a Walker Turner?
Click to expand...

The hinge you speak of MAY be original - and is the means to tension the belt.

The side to side tilt of the motor in it's mounting slots is the "cant" I referred to. This I would straighten.

V-belts were such an advantage when they were first developed. Tensioning by using a tilting motor took advantage of the fact that v-belts "self track." But if it seems to be REALLY tilted out of alignment, then perhaps a smaller belt may be to your advantage? Best would be when both shafts are parallel when the belt seems as tight as you need it.

I have a Chinese drill press with perhaps 6 inches between the column and quill. As in SMALL. But it has a tilting motor aspect - with a little plunger and thumbscrew to hold everything "tight." More than once I have adjusted the tightness when a drill appears to not turn. This by putting a crowbar between the motor mount and the main casting while the plunger is loose. And then quickly tightened before removal of the crowbar. So this is proof that belts do stretch I suppose. Still on the original belt though - but approaching it's limit (now 20 years later.)

Good luck with this.

Yunno. As you may have seen over at Practical Machinist - collecting old tools is addictive. It's call the 'old iron disease.'

There is not cure.

Joe K
 
Joe K said:
The hinge you speak of MAY be original - and is the means to tension the belt.

The side to side tilt of the motor in it's mounting slots is the "cant" I referred to. This I would straighten.

V-belts were such an advantage when they were first developed. Tensioning by using a tilting motor took advantage of the fact that v-belts "self track." But if it seems to be REALLY tilted out of alignment, then perhaps a smaller belt may be to your advantage? Best would be when both shafts are parallel when the belt seems as tight as you need it.

I have a Chinese drill press with perhaps 6 inches between the column and quill. As in SMALL. But it has a tilting motor aspect - with a little plunger and thumbscrew to hold everything "tight." More than once I have adjusted the tightness when a drill appears to not turn. This by putting a crowbar between the motor mount and the main casting while the plunger is loose. And then quickly tightened before removal of the crowbar. So this is proof that belts do stretch I suppose. Still on the original belt though - but approaching it's limit (now 20 years later.)

Good luck with this.

Yunno. As you may have seen over at Practical Machinist - collecting old tools is addictive. It's call the 'old iron disease.'

There is not cure.

Joe K
Click to expand...

Ah.
I'm sure the motor can be straightened. I believe when I glanced at it the holes in the mount were slotted. I was only able to glance at the Practical Machinist but I plan on signing up either tonight or tomorrow, thanks for recommending it.

:D
 
The shaft sticking out of the top front is the spindle drive shaft. It has a keyway in it that corresponds to a key on the step pulley.
 
It appears to be a "Royal" and has the same kind of mount setup as this one. The motor bracket swivels! I guess just turning it on would've straightened the motor.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg198/xjwagoneer/press1.jpg

Best I can tell its a 16" or 18" as I measured just under 9" from the center of the chuck to the edge of the column. Spinning the motor by hand with the belt released the bearings sounded a hair noisy but smooth and no play so they might just want to be repacked.
 
we run about 4 drill preses in our shop at the bronx zoo just about like yours ,and it will last about 4ever free is a good price :p
 
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