[TomManson]

I just scored a drill press that matches the vintage of our tractors. It is a 1965 Craftsman 150, pretty sweet old beast. It looks like it has been sitting outside based on the rust/pitting on the table/base. It runs fine after a little TLC and I'm thinking it will clean up well. There is a thread on the Garage Journal forum that shows the repair/restoration of these baby's in great detail. They are built like our old tractors, they can run a lifetime.

Something I never knew about these is the ability to remove the head unit and the table (they slide right up and off the column), then install the head first upside down (drill bit is now pointing up) then install the table. You now have a spindle sander or router/shaper. Sweet! Those crafty old mechanical engineers!

 

[tmac58star]

Hey Tom! Nice score...some day I'll have room for a proper drill press, fingers crossed anyway.

 

[greenmotorman101]

Nice score !! I’ve had one exactly like it since about 1990. I gave $40 for mine and it was one of my first power tool purchases. Still using it regularly… It had fallen over when the PO was moving it. The side of the electric motor got slightly pushed in preventing the motor from rotating. I fixed that pretty easily by taking the motor apart and prying out the dent. Works as good as new and a whole lot better than the junk ones that are made of Chinesium.

 

[In The Weeds]

Those are good presses. I have one of the early ones with the engine turned headband, that I redid about 7 years ago. If I can remember to, I'll get a couple of pictures. I've also got a pre-war benchtop dp with the mohawk style belt cover. That one came out of (iirc,) the second Pontiac dealership that opened in Michigan. Picked it up when they finally closed and sold the land in '14 or '15.