Craftsman Drill Press

[stokester]

Finally was able to buy this drill press from a shop of a woodworker who has passed on.  I posted some of the items in his shop some time ago but it took a while for me to connect with the family, seal the deal and get it to the house.

This thing is a beast! Very heavy cast head and base.

I've cleaned it up and per the owners manual lubed the splines and the rack but it also says "Use a small stick of wood and apply lubricant around the inside of the hole in the spindle pulley".  Anyone know where this is?  The center of the pulley?

[slip knot]

Look at the spindle pulley center. Mine has a splined hole that the drives the spindle shaft. When its up the splines are right at the pulley but once you run the chuck down towards the table you will see a splines hole. It needs some heavy lube on it. Oil will just run down the shaft and drip off of the chuck. BTDT.

[goodfellow]

Can't get much better than that for a homeowner grade drill press. They are indestructible -- 

[muddy]

A solid drill press is still on my want list. Nice grab!

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[Uncle Buck]

Great drill. Funny little belt drive though. Some years ago I picked up a Cman drill (twin to yours) an 8" Cman jointer and a 10" Cman table saw. All well cared for, all 1970's vintage, setting at the end of someone's driveway with a free sign! Yup, seriously.  I ended up giving the DP  to my nephew  and the TS and jointer to my SIL.

I had no room to keep them, I already have three drillsand a near new 10" Cman table saw. I would have loved to kept the jointer but I just don't have the room. Congrats on the DP, nice score!

[stokester]

Look at the spindle pulley center. Mine has a splined hole that the drives the spindle shaft. When its up the splines are right at the pulley but once you run the chuck down towards the table you will see a splines hole. It needs some heavy lube on it. Oil will just run down the shaft and drip off of the chuck. BTDT.

Thanks much, I just happen to have some spline lube to used on the Beemers.

Great drill. Funny little belt drive though. Some years ago I picked up a Cman drill (twin to yours) an 8" Cman jointer and a 10" Cman table saw. All well cared for, all 1970's vintage, setting at the end of someone's driveway with a free sign! Yup, seriously.  I ended up giving the DP  to my nephew  and the TS and jointer to my SIL.

I had no room to keep them, I already have three drillsand a near new 10" Cman table saw. I would have loved to kept the jointer but I just don't have the room. Congrats on the DP, nice score!

That is a skinny little belt and a novel way to tension it.

[pep]

  A tribute to & inspired by Uncle Buck's shop workbench.......

[Uncle Buck]

  A tribute to & inspired by Uncle Buck's shop workbench.......

BRAVO PEP!  I Think you have done a much better job with yours than I ever did with mine! I love it!
 

[fatfillup]

Nice score on the drill press

So I have a Question for the group.

Drill press, floor model or bench top?  At the business, I have a decent size bench top that we built a stand for. Has always done all I needed.

At home I have a small bench top and while I would like to have a bigger one, it has done what I needed

Any big advantage to a floor model?

[slip knot]

My floor length comes in handy for me several times a year. I mostly used it to drill out broken bolts with some pretty sketchy set up jigs. I also used it to size bushings using a brake hone when rebuilding transmissions

I put a VFD on mine several years ago so I could run it forward or backwards. Really handy for running left twist drill bits

[wantedabiggergarage]

Well the answer is either what you have room for (saw a few people use a bench model on the edge of a bench to get  more depth).
Or something old like some of those old Atlas ones that were more like 3/4 of a floor model.
Or both (me).

I picked up an old floor model Atlas for my father.  My father said he didn't have room for it unless it was a radial drill press (what he always wanted).  I visited a machinist friend a day or two later, and he was looking for one for a swap.  I gave him the one I picked up, and he had all the parts to rebuild it and did so in just a couple of hours, took it over to a roofing company we knew and traded it for an 8' or bigger, sheet metal brake.  He wanted to pay me for it and I told him no, and after that he did me many favors.  That was the best $25, I ever spent!!!!!!!!!

[pep]

  Who's to judge it's all about originality & fun  LMAO  thumbs UP!

  A tribute to & inspired by Uncle Buck's shop workbench.......

BRAVO PEP!  I Think you have done a much better job with yours than I ever did with mine! I love it!
 

[stokester]

Nice score on the drill press

So I have a Question for the group.

Drill press, floor model or bench top?  At the business, I have a decent size bench top that we built a stand for. Has always done all I needed.

At home I have a small bench top and while I would like to have a bigger one, it has done what I needed

Any big advantage to a floor model?

This Craftsman is probably more drill press than I will ever need.  For me, like others it was a matter of space.  I did not want to reduce the working space on my bench and made floor space for this.

In the process of manhandling it into the shop with my wife and using a wheel barrow she remarked that I need a bigger garage!   

[fatfillup]

Need a bigger garage,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,she's a keeper


As to floor model or bench top, with the stand my bench top takes up same floor space as a floor model.

Part of my question is do you ever use a floor model with the table down lower then a bench top would allow?

[Uncle Buck]

Need a bigger garage,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,she's a keeper


As to floor model or bench top, with the stand my bench top takes up same floor space as a floor model.

Part of my question is do you ever use a floor model with the table down lower then a bench top would allow?

Regarding machines and tools my answer to any or all machines/tools goes something like this. While I may not have a need for a floor model machine now, or in the foreseeable future I will pay more and find a way to fit it into my shop on the off chance I need the increased capacity or increased or better features in the future.

Regarding DP in particular I  watched my pop buy a bench model DP decades ago and forever express regret in the years that followed over the limited range of work space between the vise and the end of his standard jobbers length twist bits.
That was lesson enough for me to leave bench height machines alone and go for floor models instead.