A question from a reader.

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Gentlemen hoping you or one of your readers can help me with this question. I was recently given a drill press ( I’ve been looking for a small used one for a while) and a co-worker gave me this monstrosity for free and I can’t find any info on it other than the Jegs name plate?

28 thoughts on “A question from a reader.”

    • I can almost see that. The people I have met that have been f Ed up by machinery amazes me

    • Not a 54, top casting is much more streamlined on the 54. But definitely maybe Atlas 48, maybe?-ish…

  8. JEGS makes vises and such for drill press use. That is the source of the sticker. Search further (internally?) for the manyfacturer.

    • Plug it in and flip the switch. It’ll work out it won’t. Pro tip: if it starts emitting smoke or sparks the motor is flawed.
      It’s an electro-mechanical device. It ain’t that complicated. It’ll have a motor of some sort. It’ll have a drive mechanism, probably belt drive from the motor to the spindle. Might be a single speed solid drive but doubtful.
      It’s a drill press, does it turn on?

      • I was gonna say the same thing. If it was free and it works, lube what needs to be lubed and use it until it breaks, which might be sometime in your great grandson’s lifetime. Pull the top off and check the belt. That’s the weakest link. Even if it’s good, take it off, go to NAPA, and have ’em size a new belt for it. Keep the belt make/number for your great grandson’s reference. Write it on the inside of the front cover to make up for your …maturing… memory, and to save your great grandson the archaeology. If the old belt is still good, put it back on and use it until it breaks or until you die. If you’re still alive when it breaks, put the new belt on and use it until you die. A drill press is one of those “forever machines,” especially if it is American made!

        • That’s funny Tom, a great grandson knowing what it is and then having any interest in it at all, but I suppose they may be a few young lads out there curious as to what it is and why anyone would need such a contraption.
          sigh one can hope.

  9. looks like a Rockwell Delta – I have one that I have had and used since the fifties – it will work – spray it with lubricating oil and have at it – if the motor is bad it is easy to replace – speed is determined by the pulleys under the cover – about the only thing that could go wrong is for the spindle to get bent and they might possibly be available – the chuck can be replaced if need be – i replaced the motor on mine to go from three phase to single – mine runs on 220V – but it is your choice

  10. I have a 1960’s-era Craftsman bench top that my dad bought, it replaced an ancient one in the basement woodshed when I was a kid. Cast iron base, platform and drill housing, 4 or 5 speed pulley and 1 HP motor. I’m getting older and at some point, I will have to find a new home for this wonderful beast – but who appreciates or wants such things these days? I would give it away to a good home if one could be found, when the time comes. Here’s a picture of one from eBay, mine has a custom paint job (well, mixing a can of paint with an impeller and neglecting to change the puller to low speed might have something to do with that)
    https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7XAAAOSwKW9oA~XG/s-l1600.jpg

    Any thoughts on how to do that from the peanut gallery here at Busted Knuckles? I listed it once of twice on eBay and Craigs List with no takers (it’s in north-central NJ)

  11. looks like a old atlas model. check out the name on the chuck to find out.
    it takes a lot to wear out a drill press. but it can be done.
    I have a old Walker-turner floor model myself. 5 speed I think.
    5/8 chuck cast iron monster of a drill press. was 3 phase 220 when I got it.
    swapped out the motor and switch. new belt about 20 years ago now ?
    anyway, still works great, like ZERO run out still. was helping a machine shop clean up and sell some machine tools and they gave it to me for a song.
    and even tossed in a couple of vises with it.

  13. Yup.
    More than likely it’s an old Atlas. I was just gifted a nice floor model.
    Some had an option for a slow speed jack shaft with two belts to reduce the speed.

    • Per your “aka” handle, I am assuming you are in Illinois. Correct?

      Otherwise I’d snarf it up in a microsecond. My dad had one, and Iearned just how darn useful they can be! AND, the old ones were built to last…

      • Still using my 1976 Sears 10″ Radial…..
        I bought it after pricing kitchen cabinets and decided I could waste a sh*t-load of plywood and still come out ahead.
        Built two kitchens’-worth of cabinets and it is semi-permanently mounted in the garage with a 6 ft extension table on one side and 8 ft on the other. Can rip full sheets of plywood solo.
        Have a SECOND one permanently set up with a dado blade to cut the frame-rest rabbets in bee-hive boxes.
        For the ‘small stuff’ a 10″ Rockwell-Delta table saw, vintage 1972..a real tank.

  18. To all:
    Big thanks to everyone who helped me out with this drill. With the help from you all and vintage machine website I was able to track down that it is a 1941 Montgomery Ward made by Duro Metal.
    Everything on it seams to work properly and over the next couple of months I hope to have it all cleaned up polished and lubricated and will post finished photos at that time
    Thanks again
    Chase

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