Picked up a Drill Press Older than I Am

Last Saturday morning I was at the local scrappers with another gutted wreck (a '77 Lincoln that ended its time on Earth as derby car) headed for the global commodities market. Another guy shows up with a trailer full to overflowing with miscellaneous scrap metal. As I was sitting there waiting for the forklift to unload the Lincoln from my trailer, I scanned his load and noticed what looked to be an old drill press.

Within minutes, the drill press was in my truck, a fiver was in his hands, and I was headed home happy that I'd saved the old tool.

Last night my daughter and I checked it out.

It's an Atlas Model 1010, with what looks to be the original GE motor on the back. The motor turns on, but only hums- won't spin, even with the belt off. I talked to a motor shop here in Baltimore and he said typically it's the input capacitor that goes bad on these. They offered to test the cap for free, and can help me get a replacement if that's indeed the only problem. Worst case, I just buy another motor and stick it on there- the rest of the press is in great mechanical condition.

It's ridiculous that someone would want to throw away a quality tool like that. Good score.

That was worth at least a ten-er.

Cool find! You say the motor "hums", did you try spinning it by hand to kind of "jump start" it?

We have some pretty elderly tools where I work. A band saw from 1957, a portable planer from the art deco era that looks like a 1930's train, some other neat stuff.

KyAllroad wrote: Cool find! You say the motor "hums", did you try spinning it by hand to kind of "jump start" it? We have some pretty elderly tools where I work. A band saw from 1957, a portable planer from the art deco era that looks like a 1930's train, some other neat stuff.

It's almost trite to say, but they just do not build tools like this anymore. Not only is it sturdy and well-made, but it's designed to be almost infinitely serviceable and rebuildable.

It is amazing that someone decided to scrap it. I get all old-man curmudgeonly about the throw away culture, but tossing out an old tool like this really gets my goat. Not only is it fixable, but it can then be used to fix other things.

As for the motor, I did try spinning it while it hummed, and felt what seemed like electrical resistance to turning, but it would not spin on its own or "jump" start. With the power off, it spins freely and the bearings seem to be in good shape.

as to jump starting it, I was going to offer a similar idea. I looked at an old bench grinder that would hum like that but not spin. If you gave it a jump start by hand, it would start slowly picking up speed (but it would never reach actual tool usage speed).

I think in that case it was worn out brushes.

I've done a few atlas tool restoration. Same drill press sold under power kraft name by Montgomery ward.

Welcome to the vintage power tool fold.

My machinist has a shop full of vintage equipment. I want to video the place. He just showed me his 1904 bevel gear cutter. It is a work of art. I had no idea they could make such a precision instrument so long ago. I mean I guess I should have known, but still, I was awestruck watching it work.

Adjusted for inflation, I sometimes wonder what the older heavy duty stuff cost. They still make commercial quality tools, they just cost more than disposable Harbor Freight or Big Box Store tools. Plus, back then, you didnt have old tools to rebuild (I suppose there were old wagon wheel re-spokers lying around) or cheap ones for the hobbiest so if you wanted a drill press or band saw, you were forced to buy a heavy duty one. You couldnt buy a cheapie tool for the once-in-a-while jobs.

Anybody have a 1940 tool catalog laying around.

Very cool find! I'd love to come across a deal like this.

I bet if you put a new cap in the motor it'll fire right up

I have the exact same drill press.

logdog wrote: Adjusted for inflation, I sometimes wonder what the older heavy duty stuff cost. They still make commercial quality tools, they just cost more than disposable Harbor Freight or Big Box Store tools. Plus, back then, you didnt have old tools to rebuild (I suppose there were old wagon wheel re-spokers lying around) or cheap ones for the hobbiest so if you wanted a drill press or band saw, you were forced to buy a heavy duty one. You couldnt buy a cheapie tool for the once-in-a-while jobs. Anybody have a 1940 tool catalog laying around.

This was a cheap one back in the day. But back then, cheap ones were the quality of the good ones today. There was also harbor freight quality, but info on those is very thin on the ground.

The Atlas you have is homeowners grade, but a great tool. Go ahead and repack all the bearings and demurr the quill. Also wax the column. It'll be a good tool for the rest of your life.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

"demurr the quill" Now you're just making E36 M3 up.

Should have said "deburr". The quill is what slides through the upper pulley. They tend to get nicks and burrs on the splines from catches over the years. At least on the three atlas bench top machines I've had.

Those are good drill presses, I cleaned up a 1945 Atlas built Craftsman 15" while ago, runout was less than .002" with the original jacobs chuck. Don't forget to lube the bearings frequently, put the quill all the way down, squirt of oil in the hole on the lower end of the quill, squirt of oil in the hole on the front of the body near the quill lock to get the top bearing. Something like a 20 or 30 weight oil. Keep a light coat of grease on the splines.

Looks like yours doesn't have a grease cup for the lower pulley bearing (pulley rides on two ball bearings)? Might be sealed units, if they're loose replace them with SKF, that shaft will chew up the splines in the pulley fast if the bearings get loose.

Also, I don't think that's a correct motor, it's old, but the kind with oil caps and plain bearings generally aren't supposed to be run with shaft vertical like that. A bad start cap is easily diagnosed, plug it in and give the shaft a spin, if it fires up there's the problem.

Here's mine with matching craftsman 1/2 hp ball bearing motor. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/mid-ww2-sears-craftsman-10124810-15-inch-drill-pre/74321/page1/

In reply to KyAllroad:

You have a pm.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Apparently my yahoo email address doesn't play well with the PM system (grrr). Shoot me an email if you like: Armstrong390

NOHOME wrote: I have the exact same drill press.

I believe I do too. Got it from my Dad when he was cleaning out my Grandfather's basement shop area. Works great and you can smell the ozone when it runs.

logdog wrote: Adjusted for inflation, I sometimes wonder what the older heavy duty stuff cost. They still make commercial quality tools, they just cost more than disposable Harbor Freight or Big Box Store tools. Plus, back then, you didnt have old tools to rebuild (I suppose there were old wagon wheel re-spokers lying around) or cheap ones for the hobbiest so if you wanted a drill press or band saw, you were forced to buy a heavy duty one. You couldnt buy a cheapie tool for the once-in-a-while jobs. Anybody have a 1940 tool catalog laying around.

For a ball bearing press like this, about $1200 with the 1/2hp ball bearing motor. Thanks to modern production techniques and whatnot you can buy something comparable for about half that now.

On old tool catalogs, http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/pubs.aspx

That's a pretty nice press, and great timing on the save! Amazing what people will try to throw out now .

I have a couple tools from my grandfather that will probably be around for my grandkids (I hope). Amusingly, my drill press is an HF unit my dad bought in about 1980. I remember going to a freight depot with him to pick it up; they used a little forklift to bring it down from the dock and gave me a ride on the forks.

I have a 100 and some year old allen factory drill press head (puts ½in holes in steel plate like it was plastic .

It has a very similar (cant tell from the picture on this little screen) ge motor. Mine is split phase with no capacitor. When they are shot its better to hunt for a replacement. The other $$$ option is to rewind them.

Yeah, the shop that offered to test the cap said if they were to rebuild the motor, it would be >$300. I can buy a new 1/2HP motor from HF for $110.

In reply to volvoclearinghouse:

That might be best if it really does need more than a cap, since it's not the correct type of motor to begin with. That or get a used ball bearing unit on CL.

That Atlas looks similar to my smaller "Delta". Wonder if they marketed under different names.

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I have a floor model atlas that was my grandfathers. It's a good machine but basic.

Here is a 1950 atlas price list. http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/51/12579.pdf

The 1020 is the closet model listed as a basic drill press. The price in 1950 without accessories is $87.50. Adjusted for inflation this is an $850-900 tool today. I'm sure jet sells something comparable for that price. So let's all take off our rose colored way back glasses. You can probably buy a better more accurate machine, the atlas castings are rough, today for that price. I once got into this debate on a garden tractor forum. Modern fatalists kept saying that moderns stuff was crap and cheap. They were right to buy a "good" 70's Deere, cub cadet, or craftsman in today's money would cost around $5k. Where you can buy some very bullet proof lawn tractors today.

That said. Awesome score and I love vintage machinery. N