Andy FitzGibbon
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2005
- Location
- Elkins WV
I have posted photos of this machine here before, but my interest in finding out more about the manufacturer was rekindled recently when I got the machine back from a friend.
I bought this drill press from Dave Sobel back in 2006. Since then, I have seen only three others- one at HGR in Euclid, OH, one at Plaza Machinery in VT, and one at a flea market in MA that peter posted photos of. Mine is the only one I've seen with the factory base. I've never talked to anyone who had ever heard of the company, and my previous attempts to find information on the internet were also fruitless. As of last week, though, Google Books finally caught up- there are now a couple of hits for the ZEWO Manufacturing works. One was a snippet-view advertisement in a 1950 issue of Modern Machine Shop. I emailed the publisher of MMS, and they were kind enough to scan the ad for me:
With a low speed of 840 RPM, and a Jacobs-taper chuck mount, tapping or profiling with the machine both seem a bit optimistic.
The other Google hit is a catalog that is held by the Smithsonian:
[WorldCat.org]
What is interesting about the Smithsonian's catalog listing are some references to both Japan and Hawaii. I don't know what the connection is there, but the spindle bearings in the machine are metric 6202 bearings with "Made in Occupied Japan" stamped on them. The machine does not look like an import to me, and the threads all appear to be USS and SAE forms, but I don't know anything about industry in Japan after the war. Is it possible that this machine was built in Japan during the US Post-War Occupation? I have not had a chance to follow up with the Smithsonian (either seeing if they can copy the catalog for me, or driving to DC to look at it).
Here are a couple photos of my machine:
Thanks,
Andy
I bought this drill press from Dave Sobel back in 2006. Since then, I have seen only three others- one at HGR in Euclid, OH, one at Plaza Machinery in VT, and one at a flea market in MA that peter posted photos of. Mine is the only one I've seen with the factory base. I've never talked to anyone who had ever heard of the company, and my previous attempts to find information on the internet were also fruitless. As of last week, though, Google Books finally caught up- there are now a couple of hits for the ZEWO Manufacturing works. One was a snippet-view advertisement in a 1950 issue of Modern Machine Shop. I emailed the publisher of MMS, and they were kind enough to scan the ad for me:
With a low speed of 840 RPM, and a Jacobs-taper chuck mount, tapping or profiling with the machine both seem a bit optimistic.
The other Google hit is a catalog that is held by the Smithsonian:
[WorldCat.org]
What is interesting about the Smithsonian's catalog listing are some references to both Japan and Hawaii. I don't know what the connection is there, but the spindle bearings in the machine are metric 6202 bearings with "Made in Occupied Japan" stamped on them. The machine does not look like an import to me, and the threads all appear to be USS and SAE forms, but I don't know anything about industry in Japan after the war. Is it possible that this machine was built in Japan during the US Post-War Occupation? I have not had a chance to follow up with the Smithsonian (either seeing if they can copy the catalog for me, or driving to DC to look at it).
Here are a couple photos of my machine:
Thanks,
Andy