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103.23140 Craftsman Drill Press

Posted by 141drew Posted onSep 11, 2015 at 12:08 PM and filed under Reviews & Features
Updated onUpdated on May 28, 2021 at 11:37 AM


You guys remember my estate sale find from a few months ago, right? Well, just as soon as I got that old thing home I took it over to my buddy Curtis’ shop so that he could do a full restoration on it. He dropped it back off at  our shop last week and the results are stunning. Check it out:





Gorgeous, right? And the best thing about it is that I have less in this drill press than I would ever have in a similar JET or other Chinese made machine. And given that it was made with a 1947 level of craftsmanship, it is bound to last past my lifetime. Plus, the damned thing is just gorgeous.

Anyway, the drill press (like the bandsaw and the sander  before it) is now on the production floor and doing wonderfully. Nothing beats industrial age tools fellas…


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V

VOH

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Jan 2, 2009
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New Braunfels, TX
I have a 1943 Delta that, like yours, is all steel! I would love to chat with your fella about the restoration process.

Did that come new with the intermediate pulley or is that a modification made for the metal?

Looks pretty Sweet!
 
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Ryan

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VOH said:
I have a 1943 Delta that, like yours, is all steel! I would love to chat with your fella about the restoration process.

Did that come new with the intermediate pulley or is that a modification made for the metal?

Looks pretty Sweet!
Click to expand...

That's the slow speed pulley... It was an option back in the day... and yeah, perfect for steel.

Amitygravel said:
Are the handles original , restored , repro's ??
Gotta know man. !
Click to expand...

Originals just cleaned up...
 
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coljar

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Belpre, Ohio
That is beautiful. I just don't know if I could bring myself to use it. I would probably continue using my old Atlas and just have that setting there to polish like one of the cars.
 
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Ryan

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coljar said:
That is beautiful. I just don't know if I could bring myself to use it. I would probably continue using my old Atlas and just have that setting there to polish like one of the cars.
Click to expand...

You get over that pretty quickly when you got something that needs a hole in it... :)
 
K

kazlx

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Oct 30, 2012
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Tustin, CA
Nice job. I need to decide on a way to slow my Atlas down. Either a pulley or VFD setup.
 
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mercman1951

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Apr 28, 2006
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Michigan
It's ironic that I always considered the Craftsman brand to be 'hobby grade' tools...but the hobby/homeowner grade tools of the 40's-60's are built like the 'professional' grade tools of today. I found myself walking into these deals lately for the ones built in the 40's-60's that could withstand a nuclear blast. I now have a band saw, table saw, and 4' plate jointer...none of which is newer than 1965. I've spent a total on all three for way less than what a new Jet table saw would cost. For what little use mine will get, I'd rather shell out $60 bucks for a 1950's Craftsman [insert product here] than spend $200+ for the **** Sears sells now. Great score. Great restorations.
 
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Gidge

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New England
A work of art ! Gotta' love that mid-20th-century quality and craftsmanship -- you're just holding on to that for the next generation to use. :thumbup:
 
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pendragon1998

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NE Georgia
39175057.jpg
 
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Skidonenko

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Dallas area
Love it, looks like my grandfather's 150 bench top that I have. Was well used but taken care of. Keep em running.
 
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F

fury9

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Mchenry, IlLaHnoYs
You better get some oil on that or it's GOING to rust esp. the column. I have a pretty nice head band with great swirls if you wanted to get carried away...
 
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Mikerodrig27

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Oct 22, 2014
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Beautiful. I like these old drill presses. With the technology of today, it's kind of sad that manufacturers don't put the effort into making quality products. You'd have to buy a high end unit to get something comparable to that press.
 
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bczygan

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DETROIT! Arsenal of Scrappers
When I opened the thread, and saw the photo, the machine looked so new, that it brought back olfactory memories of being in a Sears tool department.

I could actually smell it, in all it's Craftsman steel and paint glory.

Bill
 
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softailgarage

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Bullhead City, Az.
When I saw the title and picture, I got all excited. Knowing that the Craftsman bug has bitten you hard, I couldn't wait to see how the DP came out. I'm bummed. Call me a perfectionist or call me an A-hole, but the headband...to me, one of, if not the most important piece on that model is the engine turned or jewelled headband. Why? It's so delicate. Anybody can polish it to a chrome like finish, its being able to leave the swirls in (which is damned near impossible, I know, I own 2). Engine turning has become a lost art, I've tried it myself and it's not easy. The rest of it does look gorgeous and I'm excited to see you have gotten into the 1950's Craftsman stuff, but if you want to impress me, get that headband jewelled. Sorry Ryan, not trying to be a jerk, just being honest.
 
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shawnn

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Apr 18, 2015
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Sweet! I have the bench top version of that drill (with swirled headband!), still works great. I have an even older Craftsman snowflake bandsaw, got both from the same guy who had inherited them from his grandfather. Both are in great shape but seeing your pics makes me want to restore them.
 

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Cruzan80

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Almsot got one of these, but the guy sold it out from under me before I could get there. Even had the table lift, and he only wanted 100.
 
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dreamcatcher

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Jun 17, 2010
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I restore old machinery myself and I must say that it is uniquely satisfying to restore a machine that will continue its life helping to restore more old machines.

Not to mention, it's simply fascinating to think about the history of some of the old machines; For instance, I have a drill press that I am restoring now which is tagged by the U.S. Dept. of War and served during WWII helping to build bombers and AA guns in the Detroit Fischer Body plant. My restoration will help continue its legacy for many years [and generations] to come.

Finally, I believe that like with any mechanical object you get a much better understanding of how a machine works by tearing it down and rebuilding it. Heck, you just get a better understanding of mechanics in general by doing so. Looking at the inner workings will give a first hand account of what old school quality really means (along with a few engineering mistakes) and that understanding will help guide future machine acquisitions.

I would advise anyone with old machines to give machine restoration a try and anyone without old machinery in their shop to go out and look for some. Not only will you get a great quality machine with vintage character but you will be helping to preserve some of these tools lest they be hauled off to the scrap yard.

(FYI if you are interested try OWWM.org)
 
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Mikerodrig27

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It's sad when you go to the metal scrap yard and you see old machines that are rusted out.
 
6

67CarGuy

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Outside Boston, MA
Wow! What a great outcome. I'm hoping mine will look nearly as good when I finish reassembling it. I've got the motor rewired, now to add a new switch and mount the whole thing!
 
P

Pavement

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Nov 25, 2012
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The press looks amazing. Could you ask your guy what kind/color of paint he is using? Thanks
 
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POP3Y3

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Sterling, VA
That thing is simply GORGEOUS! My dad's been buying me Craftsman tools to help me build a collection for many years now, but since I bought my first house last year, I have been in tool hoarding mode. With the assistance of GJ, I have now become a lover of old, American-made tools, especially vises and these old Craftsman products which were built to last. This is a thing a beauty! I guess I know what's going on my list along with a 397 bench grinder & pedestal. Thanks for the idea! Haha.
 
9

95riosnake

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Pittsburgh, PA
Absolutely beautiful machine! Your buddy does very nice work for sure :thumbup:

Any chance you could ask him what paint he uses? I have a couple pending restorations in my to-do list (still in the early stages) and I've been looking all over the place for a tough industrial epoxy gloss paint to use on them.
 
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Falcon67

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Merkel, TX
Like that gray he used - any idea what that color might be? It's damn hard to find any gray paint here that isn't primer.
 
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JZiggy

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Atlanta
Looks like it has the center slow-speed pulley. Can you post up a pic of that?

Super nice restoration, by the way. No better looking drill press anywhere.
 
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Ryan

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Hey guys.... It's Awl Grip paint...

And yeah, I'll get a pic of the slow speed pulley.
 
J

Jmorr07

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Sep 19, 2015
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I actually have this exact same drill press it works but needs to be cleaned up and have a little TLC. Is there a way i could get in touch with your restoration man so i could ask him about where he got some of the parts?
 
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softailgarage

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Jmorr07 said:
I actually have this exact same drill press it works but needs to be cleaned up and have a little TLC. Is there a way i could get in touch with your restoration man so i could ask him about where he got some of the parts?
Click to expand...

Ebay would be your best bet. Watch Craigslist for models in rough shape, they make good parts donors
 
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Jmorr07

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I should have been more specific. After I wrote that I got home and looked mine over closer and I have pretty much all the parts and pieces. The thing I was most curious about is what method he used to clean the rust off the drill press before repainting, electrolysis or something of that nature?
 
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Blitz180

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Aug 20, 2015
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This thing is insane. The restoration was amazing. I've been lurking for a while, but this drill press brought me out to make my first post. The other tools you have that are restored are also wonderful. Extremely Jealous.
 
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