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Those are really nice illustrations, than you for sharing them.

Detailed notes on my observations:

Note the cone-shaped bottom of the Spindle Thrust Collar that is above the spindle bearing - Neither the Craftsman nor the Atlas I have apart have the conical shape on the bottom of this collar, nor do the manuals show it that way - part # 60-24.



There is a small hole in the top of the pulley into which the operator could apply a few drops of oil. This hole is aligned with a groove resembling a keyway that would permit the oil to dribble down the outer surface of the sleeve on which the pulley and the upper spindle pulley bearing are installed. The oil would then pool around the center of the that bearing and could then seep into the bearing past the shield. Clever, perhaps, but not a good design, IMHO. A permanently lubricated and sealed bearing never needing additional oil until it begins to fail many thousands of operational hours in the future I think is a far better design.

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Lubrication instructions for the Craftsman 101.06322 has this passage:

• "B.? Quill bearings - oil frequently. (Note: Spindle must be in lowest position to uncover oil hole)."

This would suggest there is an oil hole in the quill near the top. But the quills I have have no such hole near the top. There is an oil hole near the bottom, a little higher up than where the quill stop mount is mounted. This hole could be used to add oil to the bottom most floating spindle bearing.? But I see no way to apply oil to the upper floating spindle bearing. With the design illustrated and as in the manuals any such oil hole located to reach the upper floating spindle bearing would have to penetrate the threaded bearing retaining ring. If the quill were to be extended far enough so such hole could be exposed the quill would need to be removed from the head.

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It is interesting to note that the Model 1060 series drill presses do not have the grease cup, nor do they have the same lubrication instructions, but have the same characteristic design and the same bearing part numbers as the Craftsman 101.03622. I am inclined to suspect that the original design or documentation proved to be problematic and an ECO discontinued the lubrication instructions. The manual for the Craftsman 101.03622 and 101.03662 drill presses is dated July, 1941 and probably represents the earlier engineering while the Atlas 1060 series instructions are dated December 1951 and represent the later engineering. The most curious part is both documents call for the same bearings, spindle, and quill part numbers. Of course, Atlas Press and Craftsman documentation is know to have errors and omissions.

My conclusions:

• If you install shielded bearings oil might be dribbled into the upper most bearing but I seriously doubt any grease pushed into that void between the two upper bearings with the grease cup will do anything for either of them until that cavity is so packed full of grease it starts getting squeezed out top and bottom, slowly but surely making a nasty mess. But the shielded bearings should retain most of the factory installed lubrication (some unknown grade of bearing grease) for 20 years or more and additional lubrication is probably not necessary.
• Unless your machine has a different quill with different internal profile and an upper oil hole there is no way to add new lubricant the upper floating spindle bearing without removing the spindle assembly.
• If you were to install all sealed bearings there would be no point in attempting to add any lubricants to the spindle bearings after assembly and they will last 20 to 30 years or more.

Raymond