Well looks I need to get this party rolling. Sorry guys for not posting here.

But I really would like to know what if any old wood working machinery you have in your shop.  And, not to offend you ol timers here.  I would consider "old" woodworking machinery, anything built from the 60's back.  But, if your a young whipper snapper like Joshua is, you  might think from the 70's back would be old, so it is all relative isn't it?

One of my pride and joys is my old Delta Rockwell 14" Drill Press, made in 1954. It has good lines and is a solid performer.  I will post a pic of it later today.

What say you all, any oldie but goodies in your shop??? 

The tools I use the most are old timers, namely a 10" Rockwell unisaw, a Delta radial arm saw, a Rockwell scroll saw and a Walker Turner drill press. I would'nt trade them for anything on the market today. Before I moved to where I am now, I lived in Pamana Central America. Before leaving Panama my Son (John Morris) bought me a great place up in the mountains. He also bought the old time tools mentioned above. As soon as I arrived to where I now live, John and I built a large shop and moved the old time tools into their new home. If it aint built in the U.S.A. it aint coming into my shop.

Yep, seen it in your photo collection, and the photo you have is classic, a mans workspace indeed. Let me entertain the folks with what I am talking about regarding Joshua's space, and his nice old friend, the USA made Lathe.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

The only old piece I have is my Delta Rockwell lathe. I'm not sure just how old it is, but it's definately the heart of the opperation right now.

Holy Cow Steve, where do I begin with your line up??? That is quite a lineup. My dad always bought Craftsman for the longest time, I remember his Craftsman Lathe and Table Saw he have forever. I think he had the joiner too. For awhile there, if you couldn't get it at Sears, it didn't exist, that was the place we all went to all the way through the 80's into the early 90's.

All good machinery pops, I remember well accumulating the machinery and getting ready for your return stateside. And what was really cool, we bought a nice 52" Biesmeyer for the Rockwell TS, and the rails bolted up perfectly, I don't think we had to drill any new holes in the Beis rails. And come to find out, I don't think Delta ever changed their hole pattern at the top for rail bolt up, so Bies was able to accommodate them nicely.

jack morris said:

The tools I use the most are old timers, namely a 10" Rockwell unisaw, a Delta radial arm saw, a Rockwell scroll saw and a Walker Turner drill press. I would'nt trade them for anything on the market today. Before I moved to where I am now, I lived in Pamana Central America. Before leaving Panama my Son (John Morris) bought me a great place up in the mountains. He also bought the old time tools mentioned above. As soon as I arrived to where I now live, John and I built a large shop and moved the old time tools into their new home. If it aint built in the U.S.A. it aint coming into my shop.

I guess I am a young whipper snapper. The only really old piece I have is the RAS my dad had. I think he bought it in the mid 70's. It is a Craftsman and I have put the upgrade on it for the blade guard and the new table.

I don't have much old stuff, maybe one day my stuff will be old for my kids.

John

The oldest peice of machinery I have is from the late 80's/early 90's but I do have a single roughing gouge that was my late great-grandfather's. I would guess it's from the 40's. I've never used it, but keep it stored alongside my others. It is special to me because he had already passed when I was born, and it is the only heirloom I have of his.

Last January they closed my shop at school and laid me off. This has been one of the toughest things I've ever gone through, getting the boot after 25 years (really 30 with the school, but 25 of them teaching), and then to make it worse seeing all my equipment going to auction. Much of it was Powermatic stuff that was bought probably in 1968 or 1969. I'd gotten new work benches 6 years ago when we moved into the new building. Those things were about 5 foot square with 12 lockers underneath, maple tops and 4 vices. We paid $1,800 each for those, but I got one of them at the auction for $105, and I paid the most for mine, the others went in the 80s or 90s. The piece I'm really missing is my 24" Crescent Planer. It was built in 1946 and what a beast, that thing could eat up the wood. My father bought it for the shop about 1958 when he was the teacher there, it came out of a lumber company that was going out of business. He says he paid $1,000 for it at that time, at the auction it went for $510. I would have liked to get it, but I don't have 3 phase, don't have the space to store it, and it was a monster to move. I did pick up about 5 or 6 pieces of equipment, now I just need a spot where I can get it set up and use it.

That's a tough pill to swallow Roy, very sorry to hear about that.

I remember my shop class very well and all the old green and white Powermatic machinery. I didn't really appreciate the machinery back then, but looking back at it now, my God what a shop that was. I loved going there for 6th period shop elective class. To be honest, I think that is the main reason why I even stayed in school all day instead of playin hookey.

Congrats on the machines Roy, but it is bitter sweet isn't it?

Here's to you my man, shop teachers are a rare breed, and they are worth their weight in gold.

Take care buddy

Roy Boomershine said:

Last January they closed my shop at school and laid me off. This has been one of the toughest things I've ever gone through, getting the boot after 25 years (really 30 with the school, but 25 of them teaching), and then to make it worse seeing all my equipment going to auction. Much of it was Powermatic stuff that was bought probably in 1968 or 1969. I'd gotten new work benches 6 years ago when we moved into the new building. Those things were about 5 foot square with 12 lockers underneath, maple tops and 4 vices. We paid $1,800 each for those, but I got one of them at the auction for $105, and I paid the most for mine, the others went in the 80s or 90s. The piece I'm really missing is my 24" Crescent Planer. It was built in 1946 and what a beast, that thing could eat up the wood. My father bought it for the shop about 1958 when he was the teacher there, it came out of a lumber company that was going out of business. He says he paid $1,000 for it at that time, at the auction it went for $510. I would have liked to get it, but I don't have 3 phase, don't have the space to store it, and it was a monster to move. I did pick up about 5 or 6 pieces of equipment, now I just need a spot where I can get it set up and use it.

I haven't had as many success stories as I wished I had, but there have been a few. One of the guys I had in my printing class years ago now owns a shirt printing business here in town. Another guy that drove me nuts but then got on the stick and started working in printing class asked me to help him get a job. I helped him get one, then he started taking some college classes and ended up working for the college. I saw him a couple years ago and he'd moved on to work at UCLA Berkley and now works for a world known travel agency out of their Amsterdam office. (Amsterdam is probably the place he would have most liked to be in some years ago, hopefully he's changed his ways.) Seeing those guys do something with what you've shown them is great, makes you feel like you made a difference. I've had a number of guys come to me saying how much they appreciated what my dad taught them back in the 50's and 60's. Maybe as time goes on I'll find that a few more of mine have used a thing or two I was able to share with them. I just finished my classes for my principal certification, so if I'm able to find a job I'll be able to continue contributing. Fighting ignorace is a tough job, but it does have its rewards somedays.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

I'd give anything to be able to work in my old shop class again. Anything I could fit in my shop now seems like a dollar store toy compared to the beasts we had in shop class. When they auctioned off our old equipment I didn't even have a dedicated shop. I don't even know if they have vocational classes at the new high school. It's a shame that these school systems are cutting out shop classes, even though I was a young punk that didn't appreciate it at the time I still learned a lot in shop class. I know that it hurts losing your shop Roy, but hopefully one day you'll be shown a real difference you made in someones life. I was the "bad boy" in my shop class, the instructor and I had such a mutual hate for each other he threatened to fail me because he knew I needed his credits to graduate. I could tell a few years later, after they closed the old school and he was out of a job, that he almost cried when I walked up to him and thanked him for his teachings and told him about what I was working on now in my own shop. I think I was one of very few that continued woodworking after school, one of my cousins who was "student of the year" hasn't done any woodworking since. Even though I started carving and carpentry very young shop class was my introduction to real power tools and I'm sure the reason why I do what I do today.

my oldest toy is an 8" rockwell delta long bed jointer. it's been on this planet 5 years longer than I have.

Oh yeah buddy!!! Now that is some serious heavy metal! Hey John, I don't want to impose, but is there any chance of a couple photos of that bad boy?

John Hechel said:

my oldest toy is an 8" rockwell delta long bed jointer. it's been on this planet 5 years longer than I have.

The American Woodworker said:

Oh yeah buddy!!! Now that is some serious heavy metal! Hey John, I don't want to impose, but is there any chance of a couple photos of that bad boy?

>

There she is!!!! Now that is sweet John! I love that long battleship bed on that sucker. I never get tired of seeing that round Delta tag on older machinery. The Red and Black label is really cool. Thanks for showing John

She was a good find also. got a deal from a wanted ad on craigs list.

next purchase for me is a lathe capable of turning bowls platters and other such vessels. The driving force for this one is get this, my wife wants to learn how to turn. it's suprising because she won't even use my band saw yet.

MY personal price and joy is a Dewalt MBF that sees service on most projects. I have completely rebuild it and, being an RAS lover, find it it an absolute joy to work with. I also have 2 other Dewalt (a 1030K and a 925) that are in piles waiting for me to get to. The 1030K will likely replace the MBF in my shop, unless I can figure out room to keep both. At one point I had a couple of older King Seeley scroll saws (both sold as Craftsman) but found parts so hard to come by I let them go. I'm still hankering for a Delta 40-440 though.

 

Is this part of the Home Shop series Fred? Or is MBF a stand alone series?

I'm not sure what the "Home Shop" series is. This on was made around 1956 (motor is dated) and was sold mostly as a home owner saw (maybe that answers the question). The 925 I have is the same size, but the 1030K is a larger frame saw, used not only in home shops but in cabinet shops. My 925 and 1030K are both 1961 models, if I recall. It may be that some saws of the post B&D acquisition of Dewalt were labeled Home Shop series. If true, this isn't one.

The American Woodworker said:

Is this part of the Home Shop series Fred? Or is MBF a stand alone series?

Should have mentioned, there was a "Power Shop" series, badged that way on the arms...my 925 is a Power Shop saw, but the MBF is not.

Fred W. Hargis, Jr said:

I'm not sure what the "Home Shop" series is. This on was made around 1956 (motor is dated) and was sold mostly as a home owner saw (maybe that answers the question). The 925 I have is the same size, but the 1030K is a larger frame saw, used not only in home shops but in cabinet shops. My 925 and 1030K are both 1961 models, if I recall. It may be that some saws of the post B&D acquisition of Dewalt were labeled Home Shop series. If true, this isn't one.

The American Woodworker said:

I have a 1940 12" craftsman band saw that still cuts great.

It was a gift from my sister in laws mom. My brother in law told me it was the first thing of her husbands that she

had let leave the house and he had been gone 10 years.  Now it gets treated with kid gloves.