OK, for those members that have not been around for a while, I did a bandsaw rebuild a while back and posted it in installments under the projects section.
I will occasionally buy some old equipment and refurbish it as a hobby to a hobby. As this DP is up and running so well now, I will probably wait until some future date to tear into the rebuild.
Saw the ad on CL list late at night about 11:00 PM. Figured since the ad had been up since 6:57 PM it would be sold. I sent the obligatory e-mail with my cell phone number asking the seller to call me if it was still available. He sent me an e-mail the following morning which I discovered a couple of hours later (I rarely check email on Sunday before late evening). I was first responder and had right of refusal and a cell number. I called and told him I would take it sight unseen and would pay his asking price in US Dollars. I explained it was going to be a couple of hours before I could be there since it was a ways to drive (about 100 miles one way). He told me I was nuts to come that far for "This old thing" but since I was willing to drive he would hold it for me. I jumped in the 1 Ton Saturn and off to the far side of the BIG city I head. Thanks to some excellent directions I pulled in the PO's driveway a couple of hours later and handed him the cash. Since I had told him I was going to disassemble it to haul it, he had saved me the work by doing that before I arrived. The PO told me he had gotten the DP from a neighbor some 20 years ago and that it had set pretty much unused for most of that time since he is a hot rodder and drills a lot of metal. The Dp shows a lot of shop wear but little usage damage. The Previous previous owner (PPO?) had bought the machine new and had used it for a couple of years and then lost interest in the home workshop thing and let it set for a long time before moving it on to the PO.
Disassembled and packed in the trunk of the "1 Ton Saturn" for the ride back to the R&D Labs at T&E Technologies. My new to me, Craftsman Model 103.24530 Drill Press.
Re-assembled and ready for some drilling action.
The only damaged or missing part on the machine is this cracked "Lolli-Pop" knob. I located a decent replacement from another member at OWWM. BTW, you will notice the swarf on the table. I put this one to work the next morning.
The depth stop vernier is even intact with the OEM locking screw.
The quill lock knob is even still attached.
The table shows a small "arc of shame". I prefer to think of it as "The Smiley Face Of Ignorance".
Motor tag. This is the original motor for this DP.
I really don't believe this DP has seen much use in this lifetime. The key is still taped in the motor shaft.
The motor specs:
Craftsman 1/2 hp. Capacitor Motor
Model #115.19780
The tag is stamped with 1257 following the manufacturers model number (partially obliterated). The "Power Bronze" paint and the styling of the machine make December of 1957 a believable date.
Oh yeah, the price was $35, $15 worth of gas, the price of a "Happy Meal" and a 200 mile round trip. A nice day for a drive, plenty of good bench racing with another old dirt tracker and a chunk of "arn" saved. A great Sunday!
