Photo Index - Delta Specialty/Delta Mfg. Co./Delta-Rockwell/Rockwell Intl. - 1548 high speed drill

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Delta Specialty/Delta Mfg. Co./Delta-Rockwell/Rockwell Intl.
Milwaukee, WI; Jackson, TN; Tupelo, MS

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Drill Press
Machine Size:	17"
Submitted By:	James Huston

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	1548 high speed drill
Date of Manufacturer:	1940,1946
Serial Number:	47-9554 (drill),4-4601 (table)
Last Updated	7/4/2015 12:37:54 PM

Comments:

I purchased this drill press in stages from HGR surplus in Euclid; the head on the left, a pre-serial number 17", was purchased for parts due to being in such poor condition. Later the same year I found the right head mounted to the table, sans legs. I put the two together because I'm too much of a mechanic to not try to fix a basket case. Long story short, I acquired a set of legs that cost more than everything else combined , and since all metal drilling duties are under control around here, set the machine up as a woodworking drilling/mortising station.
The left hand drill is powered by a 1/2hp Repulsion induction motor, cat. 820; it's equipped with high speed pulleys and has had the bent spindle nose machined down and threaded to accept a 1/2-20 Jacobs chuck.
The right hand drill has a 1/2hp Westinghouse Delta capacitor start motor; it has slow speed pulleys and has had the badly galled #2 Morse taper replaced with a shop made spindle that uses the same bushings as the 14" drill press spindle for mortising.Both heads are retrofitted with hand levers to unlock them for raising/lowering.
The table has two sub tables screwed to it. The drilling table has a jetlock fence mounted to it, while the mortising table has shopmade "T" tracks mounted to accept the Delta 17" mortising kit and modified clamps.
All in all, this drill press has proven to be worth the effort. Something to keep in mind the next time you see a gang drill at an auction...

Photo 1:

Comments: Point of departure
Source: JHuston

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Photo 2:

Comments: The sub tables and drill indexes
Source: JHuston

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Photo 3:

Comments: amongst its adopted tribe
Source: JHuston

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