Is this a camelback drillpress?

8' tall, Synder and brothers . 240V motor
(Windmill in back!)
Trying to make room for other more mobile stuff!
Thank you for input.
Nottingham NH

Yes it is.

I'm hoping others more knowledgeable than me will expand on drill nomenclature.

I have gotten used to calling drills like the Royersford Excelsior, and a lot of the Buffalo's, "camelbacks" Maybe refers to the countershaft and cone pulleys on top, the camel's hump?

The Snyder in the OP, like a Cincinnati I have, has its quill in a head that is not integral with the main casting like the Royersford, but slides up and down on a dovetail on the column.

I have called this style (the OP's) a "box-column" drill, but I'm not sure where I got that term, and I'd like to know how the two styles should properly be named.

Welcome to the forum Zydeco, Yes nt1953 is right but it looks like a single hump so it is most likely Arabian instead of the African with two humps

Thank you.

James

That is an upright drill. Camelback is an internet slang and remains an undefined and fairly meaningless term. Camelback seems to generally refers to the look of the "Y" frame uprights. Those are a very common drill, often seen piled in the scrap yard iron piles.

That frame is "H" type and are a more heavy duty and desirable type. That being a heavier machine seem less common than the lighter "Y" shape. Note interesting gearing on the the top. Those that are called "Camelback" tend to be different from those that migth have some points of interst to a collector type. IMHO. The more desirable drill might be called, sensitive or 1880's Niles (note maker name an date)for instance. Or pre 1870 upright drill by maker unknown. IE., not your fathers Oldsmobile.

If this were my upright, I would not call it a Camelback, it seems better than that too me.

The common as dirt models can all get lumped in as Camelback. I never owned a camleback (HA HA funny even spell check is confused by the term). I never called mine drills camelback (spell check still complains), even my "Y" frame Barnes and others.

there are those who are internet educated who dont see it this way So, Thats my effort to stir the pot today.

Definitely not your run of the mill camelback. I would characterize this one as a "real" upright drill. Best quality of these include a "key" or method to keep the table from swinging. Thus you can move the table up or down and keep the alignment with the drill quill - a most useful aspect. Most common camelbacks don't have this feature, although they can get around it by making the quill lower stanchion moveable.

Joe

Peter;
If camelback is internet slang then my grandfather was a time traveler (he died in 73.) He described his Faith Ironworks drill press as a camelback.

When those machines were built, back in the early 1900's up to about the 40's, they were never referred to as "camelback drill". The manufacturers didn't use that term, but simply upright drill, heavy duty drill press. The lighter machines were called sensitive drills. Where that stupid name camelback came from, I have no idea. I've been around machinery for most of my life, and never heard anyone call them that until I saw it on the internet. When I was a kid (in the 60's) most guys called them flat belt drills.

Here we go again!!!!

I hate to continue this, but I first heard "camelback" used by machinery dealers back in the 1950's. They also used the term "gooseneck", which I have seen used in machine tool catalogs.

Rob

Weather or not camelback is the correct term for these drills, it did not originate on the internet. It has been in use since at least the '50s, as Rob says. A Google Books search turns up several uses of the term from that time period on. I have been hearing it since before the advent of the internet as well.

Are you sure it's marked Snyder & Bros.? I have never heard of them, but did have a Snyder & Sons drill once. There are scans of a Snyder & Sons catalog on OWWM.
Andy

Let me make amends for the hump back pot stiring. Although, Synder choose to call it an upright drill. Ok,.. never mind....

I'd agree with Andy - Snyder and Sons of Worcester. I found a catalog page of a similar drill. This is a 28 inch and has the differential on top, I think is for reversing when tapping? Or reverse for other reason? You can read the text. They call it tapping attachment in the catalog, and that is the only model with the big housing on top. I suppose that cover is missing or a later addition for the one posted above. I dont know if this model is on the OWWM site, so; I posted a scan here.