New guy; old tools, (Pt. 2)

[HMH]

Hey folks,

I introduced myself about 4 months ago and posted pictures of the '54 Craftsman table saw I rebuilt as the first "real" machine for my shop, ( http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f...d-tools-16901/). Life has been crazy lately, and I haven't had as much shop time as I would like, but I did recently finish the restoration of my '54 Craftsman Drill press I thought I'd share.

I did the usual restoration process - strip, thorough cleaning/ inspection/ repair; new bearings, belts, lube, paint etc. The previous owner had used it primarily for metal work - so the chuck was shot. I rebuilt the motor and chuck and it works perfectly w/ about .01" of runout.

As it came home: A rust bucket



As it sits now:








It has one of the largest (and heaviest) CI bases I have personally come across, so tipping shouldn't be an issue, (I wear a size 12 for reference).





The shop is coming along nicely. I wont lie, I am enjoying restoring these old tools, but I'm looking forward to making some sawdust in the near future as apposed to "rust-dust".


Stay tuned for the next eppisode:

[sapwood]

Great job, Heath!
And I'm sure it's rewarding to complete the restoration.
But mostly the style of the drill press is really cool

Roger

[Jim M.]

Nice restoration, I spent a number of year restoring cars, I gave a fleeting thought to doing the same on some tools, but I went the new route. My hats off to you and I can't wait to see the rest! Jim

[ScottM]

The tools of the past were made to last unlike many tools today. Your restored equipment will at last most of the new tools. Nicely done.

One word of caution. Be very careful of that drill press on a small mobile base. I would hate to see all that effort go crashing down.

[FredP]

nice restore! that drill press was made when the craftsman name meant quality. I restored my old unisaw but stopped short of paint. [its a user] now you need to make a nice woodworking table for it. those old tools will starve to death if ya dont feeed em some sawdust.

[McRabbet]

Heath,

Nice job of adding more than just "luster" to a well made old drillpress. A great looking restoration effort. We'll look forward to see new life out of the 'lil jointer and the nice old DeWalt RAS.

[MikeL]

Heath, that is one of the coolest drill presses that I have seen. Great job doing the restoration!

[scsmith42]

Heath, that drill press really looks great!

There is something very rewarding about rescuing and restoring an old tool, and then getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor for years afterward.

I find that it's especially rewarding when you really take the time to put your craftsmanship into the restoration, which it is obvious that you did.

Unfortunately, as I've gotten older tiime constraints have restricted my ability to rescue/restore, as opposed to purchasing new, but it sure is nice to admire great work by someone else.

Thanks for sharing.

Scott

[HMH]

Thanks for the compliments guys! It is definately rewarding to work w/ a tool you brought back from the dead, but at the same time, I learned alot about the machine and what it's capabilities are. There is no better way to learn about a machine than to take it apart and put everything back together.

Thanks again.

[nelsone]

Great job on the restore! The press looks GREAT!

[Trent Mason]

NICE work Heath! That thing looks brand new! I tell you what, if your machines ever have problems, you'll know exactly what to do to fix it.

[ebrant]

That looks great,Heath!. I'll bet it runs well, too. I was surprised to see that DeWalt RAS. I've got its twin in my shop. My father bought in it '53. I built a new guard for mine so I could run a 10" blade safely and I had to have the motor rewound. Congratulations on a great rebuild.

[LeftyTom]

Anyone who didn't know the story of your drill press would think it was treated gingerly by the former owner.

Top notch effort, there, heath.

[Tar Heel]

Another super restoration Heath. You're becoming very good at this. I look forward to future installments.