The W. F. and John Barnes Drill Press

This W.F and John Barnes "camelback" drill press is fully restored and in use by the museum volunteers.  It was rescued from the Holland Tack Factory in Baltimore when that facility closed. 

Although perhaps best known for their line of small treadle-powered lathes and woodworking machines, Barnes also built larger machines such as that shown here.  The company was incorporated in 1884 in Rockford, Illinois, a major machine tool manufacturing center located northwest of Chicago.  Rockford was also home to the Rockford Machine Tool Co., which built our planer.

Several companies manufactured remarkably similar machines, including Royersford, Champion Blower and Forge, Cannedy-Otto, and Fairbanks.  Common features include backgears, counterbalanced quill (note the chain in the picture below), and fine feed via the handwheel and worm gear.  Simple and durable, many are still in use by blacksmiths and fabricators.