Photo Index - Buffalo Forge Co. - Model 20 Drill Press

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Buffalo Forge Co.
Buffalo, NY

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Drill Press
Machine Size:	20" Floor Standing
Submitted By:	Bruce Johnson

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Model 20 Drill Press
Date of Manufacturer:	1900-1910?
Serial Number:
Last Updated	12/16/2005 9:34:12 AM

Comments:

This is a 20" Buffalo Forge drill press from around 1900-1910, I believe. It's the heavy floor model with the back gear transmission and power down feed. It's 6'5" and weighs about 800 lbs. It was designed to be powered from an overhead line shaft, with about a 3" leather belt, which would give it several horsepower. I'm sure it could drill 1" holes in steel plates all day, as it probably did long ago.
It has 8 speeds total, four selected by the main drive belt on the step pulleys at the back, and two ranges in the back gear transmission in the middle of the top horizontal shaft. The top shaft is actually two shafts split by the transmission. It can be shifted by pulling a pin and a lever to switch from direct drive to a back-geared drive through a small countershaft.
The power downfeed is an amazing assembly of shafts and gears! A small flat belt (a V-belt is on there now) drives the gear train, which includes a disconnect lever and an adjustable automatic depth stop. Not shown in the pictures is the long main quill lever, which has a trigger and linkage that allows it to ratchet to different positions. It's broken, but I have all the parts and it shouldn't be too difficult to repair. Overall, this machine is actually in very good shape for 100 years old! It's covered with decades of dirt and grime, but it isn't too rusty. Most of the parts rotate, and it appears to be complete. The biggest repair will be filling all the holes in the table.
I bought this machine in July 2005 and haven't had the time to work on it yet. I'm going to completely restore it and make it fully functional and authentic. It'll be painted black and driven from a line shaft. It should be a useful and fun machine for my shop.
The guy I bought it from has restored several other old drill presses like this one. He literally saved it from a scrap yard.

Photo 1:

Comments: Front View
Source: Photo by me, behind my shop

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Photo 2:

Comments: Side View
Source: Photo by me

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Photo 3:

Comments: Closeup of feed gear train
Source: Photo by me

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