OLD MACHINES

Nice job on the drill press! Me like it!
The old stuff is, as mentioned before, made to last. Nowdays stuff is made to last an engineered lifetime. I usually say stuff is made to last the warranty period plus two days...
Where things are made doesn't really matter, made in Sweden, Made in the US, made in Germany, it all works out as quality stuff. As long as it is 30 years old, or more.
Remember those old Japanese Datsun cars (can we even call them cars?) of the early 70ies? Made in Japan was more of a curse than an indication of quality back then. Look around you now... All you see around is Japanese cars and trucks. I have never owned a Japanese car or truck, and I probably never will...
Enough ranting...

I like European machinery and any that we have owned has been excellent. My wife had a Mercedes 240D, automatic that travelled 1.2 million miles, or 1.9 million kilometers, when we sold it. The engine never had the head off and the transmission was original, untouched. I sold the 240D in 2002 and I still see it on the road, from time to time. That car set the standard for SLOW.
We picked up our big WF and J Barnes drill press today. OMG that is a big chunk of beautiful cast iron. Loading took just a little thinking and a Bobcat and all 800 pounds was loaded in a few minutes. We had to take the top and bottom drive off to lighten the drill press by a couple of hundred pounds and even then it was tricky. The extra weight made the truck squat like a dog with a full bladder and ride like, well, a Mercedes. The drill will have to stay in the truck until I can make room for it, in the shop. Pictures to follow.

Where I work we have some really old stuff and some pretty new stuff. Lathes, mills, brakes, you name it... I like the old stuff better, to the distaste of many of my coworkers. They frown when I pull the plug on all that digital crap they've hooked onto the machines and do it old school...
Thing is, I'm pretty much as fast as they are, them using digital measurement panels and me using the old, manual nonie scales.

Ask them where they would be if their Fancy digital stuff quit working, could they do it like you do? Probably not. We rely too much on some tech, and too little on Tried and True.

Yup I still like, No LOVE old machinery, and I also enjoy using old school methods that are tried and true. Not too long ago I was working in a small engine shop and this young guy came in and literally dropped an old Rototiller in my lap, he said he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, new plug,wire,coil, and fresh gas... I looked at him and said "Did you check the points?" He just stood there with that glazed over deer in the headlights look and softly replied "No, What are they?" Cleaned and set them, fired it up and he just walked into the front and bought a new one, giving the old one to me. A member of the disposable generation I guess.

I'm guessing by how much you love old machines, you guy's might enjoy this place?

http://www.edsoldiron.net/index.html

I have this thing for Vice Grips. 144 pair and I'm still buying. They have to be the real Vice Grips from Nebraska. If they are not MADE IN USA I don't buy them. From time to time I need a special locking fixture where the tool must be cut up, I would never cut an original Vice Grip, so I torture an import copy into a new purpose.
I thought Vice Grips was doing a great job in DeWitt, Nebraska. What happened ?
If it isn't MADE IN USA OR CANADA, we don't buy it. Of course there has to be exceptions made when MADE HERE is no longer available.
We have BlackBerry smartphones and tablets here. Designed in CANADA and made in NORTH AMERICA. BlackBerry works perfectly, first time and every time.

Yeah lugnut I would love to see that in person !!! DROOL

It took a few minutes of careful planning and my son and I had the Big Barnes drill press standing in the shop. We set it into the made to fit mobile base and wheeled it around the shop. Now starts the big clean-up, there is nearly 100 years of dried on TLC. After the first quick look, the babbit bearings appear to be in good condition, none of the gears are chipped and only one lever has been repaired badly. The ugly gear guard has hit the scrap bin and another design in in the works. The first estimate was 800 pounds and that is not much under the real weight.
The upper and lower drives are not shown. NOw, I am looking for a Drive-all gear box.

Much to my surprise, yesterday, I got a telephone call from a person who had advertised a Royersford Excelsior 21 drill press on the local Craigs List. The ad did not have a phone number so I had responded by email at least 5 times before I gave up. I had agreed to the asking price. In frustration, I moved on. Now, there is WF AND JOHN BARNES 23 inch camel back drill press on Craigs List locally. The seller does not return telephone or email inquiries. This is something that is really frustrating, to me and this happens frequently. I've had CL sellers return inquiries as late as as two years after the ad had expired.
One time, my son and I arrived at the seller's address with cash and a rented trailer. The seller had changed his mind and given the R110 to his daughter. The R110 was in pieces, the restoration had failed for the lack of a written plan. Two years later, the seller called to say that the L110 was for sale again. What a surprise!!!! I'm not interested, now, unless it is free and delivered. Offer declined.