Photo Index - Shopmaster, Inc. - DP-600 12" Bench-top Drill Press

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Shopmaster, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN

True Manufacturer:
Shopmaster, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Drill Press
Machine Size:	12"
Submitted By:	Jim McCarthy

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	DP-600 12" Bench-top Drill Press
Date of Manufacturer:	1950s / early 1960s
Serial Number:
Last Updated	12/5/2010 9:34:42 PM

Comments:

Purchased for $25 from local seller on Craigslist. His grandfather was the original owner, but this machine had not been used since his grandfather's passing in 1987. Original 1/4-HP motor was siezed-up, and power cord had been cut. I spent 2 weeknights and 1 weekend day refurbishing it -- started by attacking the vertical post and the clamps to it in the head and table with penetrating oil to free them up. Subsequently I soaked the base, table, chuck, and crank arms in a rust-removing fluid for several hours, then gently scrubbed the painted surfaces with de-greaser to remove decades of oil residue and dirt (afterwards applying a light machine-oil spray, as a rust inhibitor), and modified the motor mount to attach another vintage motor (close to the size of the original, but 1/3 HP instead of 1/4 HP, and in working condition). Lastly, I put a wire wheel on my hand-held angle grinder and removed all the rest of the chipped paint from the exterior of the top/front aluminum casting (which over time will oxidize back to a dull grey, but not rust). Except for that top/front cap over the front pulley, I was pleased to find the paint elsewhere on the machine in good condition and rust-free –- the surface rust was generally superficial and confined to the unpainted machined surfaces -- the rust-remover fluid I used made pretty quick work of those.

Photo 1:

Comments: Shopmaster DP-600 12-inch Bench-top Drill Press, after being restored
Source: Jim McCarthy

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Photo 2:

Comments: Original conditioned as acquired
Source: Jim McCarthy

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Photo 3:

Comments: Original motor was 1/4 HP Westinghouse -- frame plate was welded to motor
Source: Jim McCarthy

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Photo 4:

Comments: After rust removal, degreasing, and motor replacement.
Source: Jim McCarthy

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Photo 5:

Comments: After rust removal, degreasing, and motor replacement.
Source: Jim McCarthy

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Photo 6:

Comments: Note listing for Shopmaster DP-600 ... original MSRP was $72 in 1963
Source: Popular Science, November 1963, pp. 166-167

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