Drill press bites the dust

[ctfjr]

In the early 70's one of the manufacturers that I purchased product from for my business had a 'points premium' promo that ran for years. Since we were buying from them anyway I started accumulating a fair amount of points. I picked out a drill press from their catalog and have had it ever since (probably 1972). Through the years I ended up replaced the motor, putting on a reversible one and adding a 'forward - reverse' switch on the side. I also wired it to a relay and used a low voltage foot switch.

The other day I needed it and found that the spindle was seized I guess after almost 50 years and 3 sons it didn't owe me anything. What I was surprised at was the response from my sons. Two of them want it. They want to repair it even though one has a pretty much complete shop (including a Bridgeport) and the other has a nice drill press. They both want it for sentimental reasons.

I can be sentimental at times but I will have a hard time missing this old anchor when I replaced it with a nice Jet.

 

[johnjk]

I get it. My Dad said the same things to me but to restore it and use it brings me back to those memories of working with my Dad as a kid. Does it take me longer and require more steps many times? Yup but it is better than what any new replacement can do IMHO.
Don’t sell yourself short my friend. Sounds like you’ve done a great job with those boys of yours.
Now I got dust in my eyes and need to go run some wood through an old Craftsman router table

 

[SidecarFlip]

Jet is on par with Grizzly, Chinese or Taiwan made. Better off with a real drill press like a Wilton. Just my view.

 

[GeoHorn]

CTFJr, you’ve done the right things by them.
I have a 1-HP Cincinnati Bench Grinder which has a 1” shaft and runs 1750 RPM spinning 12” wheels that I inherited from my Dad. He got it from his (Whom I never knew) and who knows beyond that.
It will take on anything that you want to grind on it and never slows at all. It sits there and spins for almost ten minutes after you turn it off.
It almost brings a tear to my eye every time I use it as it always brings to mind my wonderful Hero who fought over Europe in B-24’s, married my Mom, likely saved me from an early death in a street-gang, and provided well for me and my own, championed a charity hospital district, led a Scout Troop which won awards for producing more Eagle Scouts than any other in the council for 30 years, mentored holocaust survivors into electrician apprenticeships at his union, chaired a president’s commission which created/financed the idea of community colleges in the 1960’s and died while my daughter/his granddaughter sang to him. Quite a lot of good he did for people who never knew him.
That old Cincinnati means more to me than one might imagine. It sharpened my finish-mower blades just this week.
Thank you, Dad.

 

[ctfjr]

Jet is on par with Grizzly, Chinese or Taiwan made. Better off with a real drill press like a Wilton. Just my view.

You may be right. I don't know much about drill presses so when I had to replace this one I went online and read as many reviews as I could find - trying to weed out the ones I could recognize as questionable independence. I read enough like this one to make my decision:

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Jet is on par with Grizzly, Chinese or Taiwan made. Better off with a real drill press like a Wilton. Just my view.

HAHAHA
Now that's a funny statement!

I have several Grizzly branded tool products, they are absolutely incredible machines!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You may be right. I don't know much about drill presses so when I had to replace this one I went online and read as many reviews as I could find - trying to weed out the ones I could recognize as questionable independence. I read enough like this one to make my decision:
View attachment 54028

Essentially, you did buy a Wilton, because they are the same!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: the spindle was seized

Probably only needs 2 new bearings and some TLC. I tore one apart last fall ( was bored), needed 1 bearing, did them both,$20 to fix plus 2 hours of light labour.

 

[GeoHorn]

Kinda like saying a Galaxy or an LTD is better than a Ford!

Whenever my “GrandMaw” (an Arkansas Ozark Hills woman who outlived 4 husbands and cooked over open fires or wood stoves using cast-iron) found herself in a disagreement with anyone she’d salve the disagreement with “Well, I guess your pot is blacker than mine.”

 

[SidecarFlip]

HAHAHA
Now that's a funny statement!

I have several Grizzly branded tool products, they are absolutely incredible machines!

View attachment 54033

You would.....

 

[ctfjr]

CTFJr, you’ve done the right things by them.
I have a 1-HP Cincinnati Bench Grinder which has a 1” shaft and runs 1750 RPM spinning 12” wheels that I inherited from my Dad. He got it from his (Whom I never knew) and who knows beyond that.
It will take on anything that you want to grind on it and never slows at all. It sits there and spins for almost ten minutes after you turn it off.
It almost brings a tear to my eye every time I use it as it always brings to mind my wonderful Hero who fought over Europe in B-24’s, married my Mom, likely saved me from an early death in a street-gang, and provided well for me and my own, championed a charity hospital district, led a Scout Troop which won awards for producing more Eagle Scouts than any other in the council for 30 years, mentored holocaust survivors into electrician apprenticeships at his union, chaired a president’s commission which created/financed the idea of community colleges in the 1960’s and died while my daughter/his granddaughter sang to him. Quite a lot of good he did for people who never knew him.
That old Cincinnati means more to me than one might imagine. It sharpened my finish-mower blades just this week.
Thank you, Dad.

GeoHorn it sounds like your dad was the kind of person the world needs more of. My father sounds like he was of the same vintage. He spent the war in Alaska.
Its kind of funny you mentioned the bench grinder. I have my dad's also. I don't know the hp but it also spins forever when you turn it off I remember using it as a kid. My sons used it when they were young.
btw CTFJR isn't CTF Jr its more like CT FJR - CT where I'm from and FJR was my last motorcycle (Yamaha FJR1300A)

 

[ken erickson]

What I was surprised at was the response from my sons. Two of them want it. They want to repair it even though one has a pretty much complete shop (including a Bridgeport) and the other has a nice drill press. They both want it for sentimental reasons.

This does not surprise me In the least.
My father was a tool and die maker for Allis Chalmers tractor division in mid 50's to early 60's. At which time he was hired as a patrolman for a small southeastern Wisconsin community. He gifted me his Kennedy box full of machinist tools. To this day that box and tools is one of my prized possessions. It served me well thru 20 years as a professional gunsmith and then as a custom slip joint knife maker.

 

[shelkol]

I replaced an old Craftsman with a much newer Delta. All of the new floor mount drill presses seem to be shorter and you have to bend over to use them. I finally put it up on a stand to add 6" in height. Just something you may want to check out

 

[Yooper]

I would seriously think about replacing the bearings on it. Good bearings be advised.