Photo Index - Washburn Shops - Sensitive Drill Press

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Washburn Shops
Worcester, MA

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Drill Press
Machine Size:
Submitted By:	Fred Richardson

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Sensitive Drill Press
Date of Manufacturer:	Early 1900s
Serial Number:
Last Updated	6/9/2014 5:27:42 PM

Comments:

This Washburn Shops sensitive drill press is an exceptional machine tool in excellent condition. It's the best and most versatile small press I've ever seen or used, with not a single hole drilled in either table! I acquired the press in 1972, motorized it, and have used it since, in three different shops. As far as I know, I'm the second owner.

It came out of a locked shop in Santa Cruz, California, where everything had been powered from an overhead lineshaft. The shop had been locked up for seventeen years, since the Christmas flood of 1955. The water mark was about 14" above the floor, and everything below that was filled with fine silt (although a bit of the lower ways would have been in the water, there's no damage). The owner of the shop died in 1970, two years before I purchased it. Local stories had it that the flood had taken the heart out of him. Already quite old, he locked the shop and never entered it again. They said he was a great machinist but a cranky guy who never let anyone else touch his tools: no holes in the tables.

I motorized it with a 300 rpm 3/4 hp. single-phase gear head motor, building a countershaft using the flat belt cone pulley from the old overhead, and three stepped v-belt pulleys to give it nine speeds. The two highest speeds, 2100 and 3900 rpm are a bit too fast for the long flat belt; I don't use them often. The lowest, 50 rpm, is plenty slow. I've attached four quick photos.

The cabinet in the background contains various attachments fitting the moveable foot: a V-block; male and female cone centers; a threaded piece to take a lathe chuck; and of course, the round table (on the press in the photo).

The old machinist made the lovely drill rack. He had a small aluminum foundry attached to his shop, with dozens of wooden patterns hanging on the walls. He cast the aluminum pieces, machined them, drilled and taper-reamed holes for the drill shanks, and carefully stamped the sizes. It currently contains 58 Morse taper bits (missing four 64ths" bits just below 1"). 60% are high-speed steel. There were many more carbon steel bits when I started, but I've upgraded it over the years. In addition to the set, there are 28 extra bits (including lots of useful shorties), and many additional attachments and extras: drifts; sleeves; extensions; adaptors; chuck arbors, etc.; and two very good three-jaw chucks on Morse taper arbors. The press spindle is #2MT.

While cleaning it up last week (haven't used it much the past few years), I found the numeral "1" stamped at the top of the upper ways (photo, and that's not rust; rather, oxidized oil that cleans off easily). No other numbers I can find, beyond the various casting tags.

Does anyone have suggestions about where else to look for numbers, or what that "1" might mean? Is it possible it's the serial number? That would be almost unbelievable! The only other identification (beyond the two standard Washburn Shops tags) is a nice brass tag on the base, "From: Berger and Carter Co., Pacific Tool and Supply Co. Div., High Grade Machine Tools, San Francisco, Cal." I'm assuming the press is 100 or more years old, dating from the late-1890s or early 1900s; certainly it was made before 1916.

I've retired and am working on liquidating my shop, collecting information and trying to decide on a fair price to ask, before I list this beautiful machine on Craigslist and eBay (for local pickup, of course). I have a complete inventory of all that's included, if anyone is interested.

Thanks for any ideas.

Photo 1:

Comments: The machine with accessories cabinet in the background.
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Photo 2:

Comments: There are two Washburn Shops tags: this one, and the one in the center of the belt tension rack wheel.
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Photo 3:

Comments: The nine-speed motorized drive I built more than forty years ago.
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Photo 4:

Comments: Could this possibly be the serial number????
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