I REALLY LUCKED OUT WITH THIS DRILL PRESS - BIG TIME!

[chief38]

My Dad bought me an MCS floor model Drill Press 31 years ago which was a birthday present. I have used it for gun smithing, general fabrication and building, repair work, machinist work, etc. and it has proven to be super accurate. One of the most important things to me is that the run out is very minimal. I check the run out every few years so I know my holes will be as accurate as I can get them. Believe it or not, I just checked it again today with high quality run out gauges (Starrett and Mitutoyo) and the run out at the drill rod (a rod they make drills from but with no flutes cut yet) is less than .002" - which it has always been - glad to see that nothing has worn. That's pretty darn good for a machine manufactured in Taiwan. The Chuck is not original and is a Jacobs 14N Super Chuck (0" to 1/2" capacity) made in America that I purchased many years ago. Although it's marked 1/2" capacity I can sneak in a slightly larger drill if need be. I've also got a vintage Jacobs 18N (1/8" - 3/4") and a vintage Jacobs 0 (0" - 5/32") that get used once in a blue moon.

I take really good care of it, oil and grease it on a regular basis and change the belts once every 5-6 years. It is one of the most used tools in my Shop and again, it's very rare today to get a drill press under a few grand that will hold accuracy to .002". I always stop and look at drill presses when in stores and the new ones are pretty cheaply made from cheap materials. I doubt they would hold run out tolerances to .008" or more. I was so thrilled I figured there might be a few guys here who can relate.

Hey, this is the stuff that makes my day!

Once again, sorry about the rotated pic's, the orientation of the pic's are correct on my Mac - why they turn on the S&W Forum is beyond me!

BTW if anyone cares.... the vise is a Starrett # 913 1/2 I bought new 31 years ago - very heavy duty!

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[chief38]

Thank you so much Rusty! I'm gonna figure this out when my Son comes to visit. He's an Ace on a computer.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Taiwan has always made better quality tools than mainland China. Those are some of the best drill chucks ever made, and a killer drill press vise. Pretty good setup there.

 

[pharmer]

.... and the run out is less than .002" - which it has always been - glad to see that nothing has worn. That's pretty darn good for a machine manufactured in Taiwan.

Taiwan is a 1st world country with "old school standards" and most anything they make is top shelf. Hope the commies don't force them to a "great leap forward" into disposable junk, like they send to us. Joe

 

[chief38]

While I am at it, here are some of my drills. I have more but they won't fit in this vintage Snap-on tool box that is pre WW2. I doubt I will ever again need to buy a new drill bit - LOL! Got pretty much everything, Letter, Number and Factional. Left handed bits, Cobalt, all kinds of wood bits, center drills, etc. Even #60 to #80 Number Drills for mini stuff.

 

[ameridaddy]

My Dad bought me an MCS floor model Drill Press 31 years ago ...

BTW if anyone cares.... the vise is a Starrett # 913 1/2 I bought new 31 years ago - very heavy duty!

I haven't heard of MCS, but looking it over, the castings for the base, table and support, table crank, and belt cover sheet metal are identical to my 20 year-old Jet, which has always been a good machine for me once I got away from the stock V belt drive. The pulleys are stamped and do not run true, making for annoying vibration. I changed to link belts and the vibration ceased. I have to wonder if MCS makes parts for Jet or vice versa?
It's really sweet when a piece of equipment does what it's supposed to do every time you use it, year in, year out, and it sounds like you got one!

 

[chief38]

Taiwan has always made better quality tools than mainland China. Those are some of the best drill chucks ever made, and a killer drill press vise. Pretty good setup there.

Thanks PC! Starrett has long since discontinued their drill press vise series which is very unfortunate because they were pretty darn good. I also have a whole box of hold down clamps, tools and fixtures for drill precise holes in odd shaped stuff.

Sadly, my Son doesn't give a hoot about tools, so I just hope my Daughter winds up marrying a guy who does.

 

[Protocall_Design]

It is probably MSC. Manhattan Supply Company. They don't make anything, just sell it. Link belts are the bomb for belt driven machine tools.

 

[chief38]

I haven't heard of MCS, but looking it over, the castings for the base, table and support, table crank, and belt cover sheet metal are identical to my 20 year-old Jet, which has always been a good machine for me once I got away from the stock V belt drive. The pulleys are stamped and do not run true, making for annoying vibration. I changed to link belts and the vibration ceased. I have to wonder if MCS makes parts for Jet or vice versa?
It's really sweet when a piece of equipment does what it's supposed to do every time you use it, year in, year out, and it sounds like you got one!

MSC (I inverted the letters - sorry) is Manhattan Supply Company. They are one of the largest machinist supply companies in the Country - or at least they were back in the day. They are still fairly large if still not the largest.


https://www.mscdirect.com/

 

[chief38]

It is probably MSC. Manhattan Supply Company. They don't make anything, just sell it. Link belts are the bomb for belt driven machine tools.

Yes - you are correct - I inverted the letters. See next post.

 

[SAFireman]

That is probably the cleanest 30 year drill press that I have seen. You must take really good care of your tools

 

[Bald1]

I picked up a drill press a couple yrs ago. I went to buy an Alumacraft Canoe off CL and a guy was cleaning out his parents house. I ended up leaving with a lot more than a canoe. I spied a drill press off in the corner. It's a Champion also made in Taiwan. It was a bench top model so I bought a Harbor Freight pedestal stand and mounted it on 3/4" top with bottom shelf. It came with a nice vise and a bunch of bits. I paid $40 for press and $19 for stand. Plywood and hardware was on hand. Anyone know anything about this model? Works great for what I do.

 

[chief38]

That is probably the cleanest 30 year drill press that I have seen. You must take really good care of your tools

If you only knew! I have tools that I have used every week for 50 years that you would swear were new. Guns too! Part of my DNA.


These tools are many decades old - including the electric drills. I have used them to hell and back, I just keep up with them. Some of the screwdrivers are older than I am. At least half of the pliers are 50 + years old - all heavily used.

 

[Skeet 028]

Inabout 1988 I bought an old American made Drill press. Had been used by maintenance people at the American Fruit Company on the docks in Baltimore. It was pre WWII. The fellow that ran the maintenance shop sold it to me for 50 bucks when the company went out of business. Got a vice bits etc. The machine was in exc condition and cared for. I put new belts on and good to go. Hardly used it so gave it to my daughter(farrier/blacksmith) she still uses it fairly often. I doubt if it is of the quality of the OPs. Only thing I ever had of that quality was an old but barely used milling machine. Sold it along with all my gunsmithing tools when I quit that work. I do have a Sears drill press and...well...it makes a hole. Not a machinist.

 

[anoblefox]

My wife bought me a very nice floor model Wen drill press that has a 14" x 14" table and I like everything about it except the chuck. I would like to get a quality jacobs chuck, the mount is listed as a JT33 spindle. I looked at the MSC catalog online and became confused with all the various models. What do I need to order to get the correct one. I am not a machinist, but I did stayed at a Holiday express once!

 

[RT44nut]

Your tools and shop looks awesome! Where I worked many years ago, we used Kaizen for organizing tools and materials in the work place. Your shop reminded me of that. You should be proud.

 

[67tempest]

My buddy found me a 1948 Buffalo drill press at a shop that was closing, things gotta weigh close to 300 pounds. We completely disassembled it, I power washed the pieces and repainted it. We reassembled it using all new bearings and a new chuck, it works like a dream.

 

[Protocall_Design]

My wife bought me a very nice floor model Wen drill press that has a 14" x 14" table and I like everything about it except the chuck. I would like to get a quality jacobs chuck, the mount is listed as a JT33 spindle. I looked at the MSC catalog online and became confused with all the various models. What do I need to order to get the correct one. I am not a machinist, but I did stayed at a Holiday express once!

Figure out the smallest and largest drill bits you're likely to need. Find a chuck as close to those parameters that has a JT33 mounting taper. It's better to go bigger than smaller, you can always put a smaller chuck with a round or hex arbor in a big one to step it down.

 

[raljr1]

Very nice setup. MSC probably contracted manufacture to Jet or someone similar.