Yes this does look very nice but perhaps more than I need. The VFD is nice I appreciate your input though.
I got the cheapest drill press from Home Depot. It was adequate to drill, hole-saw, and tap holes in 3/8" steel, though the little motor got toasty warm. A much more capable tool than a comparably-priced hand drill. It's on indefinite loan to a friend now, since I didn't have room for it or an ongoing need.
My smallest drill press is a table top unit that I use with a tapping head normally loaded with a 10-32 tap. The tapping head runs at a torque limited slower speed when fed into the material and then when withdrawn it automatically reverses at a higher speed. The tapping head of course cost cost way more than the drill press!
I have a fairly standard floor standing drill press with a tilt-able table and three pulleys to adjust speeds. Used mainly for woodworking.
I have a nice larger drill press/milling machine that includes a top mounted hoist ring to allow a forklift to move it. Still belt and pulley speed selection with a 5 horsepower motor. Can use a chuck or collets. I got it to drill structural steel beams. It is the one I use most.
Also have a Darex drill bit sharpener.
Of course most of the holes I make are done with a CNC turret punch. Also have a manual bench punch and a handheld Roper punch.
All those tools cost less than $85,000 when I bought them. They have paid for themselves!
I have a fairly standard floor standing drill press with a tilt-able table and three pulleys to adjust speeds. Used mainly for woodworking.
I have a nice larger drill press/milling machine that includes a top mounted hoist ring to allow a forklift to move it. Still belt and pulley speed selection with a 5 horsepower motor. Can use a chuck or collets. I got it to drill structural steel beams. It is the one I use most.
Also have a Darex drill bit sharpener.
Of course most of the holes I make are done with a CNC turret punch. Also have a manual bench punch and a handheld Roper punch.
All those tools cost less than $85,000 when I bought them. They have paid for themselves!
Here's another good inexpensive benchtop drill press, also Chinese made, for about $100. This is much better than a Dremel drill press, and IMO works much more nicely than any belt drive drill press I have ever used. Does a great job on aluminum heatsinks.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZBXD2MX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZBXD2MX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
The Indian company Ralliwolf sold such adaptors in the 1970s, basically a way to use a larger than regular pistol drill on large jobs, a magnetic clamp was common.
Other stands / adaptors allow the use of a clamp where the extra handle fits...this is just a modified pistol drill without the grip, on a rack press.
I would rather buy a bench version with a regular motor, this has a series motor, they are not as durable as induction motors, and maybe get more speeds as an option.
Other stands / adaptors allow the use of a clamp where the extra handle fits...this is just a modified pistol drill without the grip, on a rack press.
I would rather buy a bench version with a regular motor, this has a series motor, they are not as durable as induction motors, and maybe get more speeds as an option.
I have a variable speed largish bench top drill press and enjoy it. However, I also own and find this press super useful, if not a bit overpriced (perhaps some would say ridiculously so). https://www.woodpeck.com/autoangle-drill-guide.html
Might be worth a look if your shop is small and you enjoy finely engineered tools.
Might be worth a look if your shop is small and you enjoy finely engineered tools.
An important parameter to look at with a drill press is its swing. This is a measurement of the clearance between the drill bit and the supporting vertical column. The swing is two times this distance, so a drill press with a 16 inch swing will have a clearance of 8 inches.
I have encountered occasions with my drill press where I'm drilling the base plate of a large amplifier case and I just can't reach the centre area of the plate. So, out comes my portable hand drill.
A smaller, compact drill press is nice if you don't need the clearance to drill holes in larger pieces. Just something to consider.
I have encountered occasions with my drill press where I'm drilling the base plate of a large amplifier case and I just can't reach the centre area of the plate. So, out comes my portable hand drill.
A smaller, compact drill press is nice if you don't need the clearance to drill holes in larger pieces. Just something to consider.
Are you still looking? If just for drilling small pieces like heatsinks or circuit boards you might like to look at micro tools , Proxxon being just one example.
There are also guide blocks/bushings in various configurations that can be very useful and in some cases much easier to work with than larger tools. One type is like this, but there are others.
Also, if interested in larger drill guides like the Woodpecker you can get a very good Magnum Tools version for the USD equivalent of $150 - though in my opinion, for small stuff the large guide is not as well suited as mini press or guide blocks.
I purchased one of these for my daughter a year or so ago.
The jacob chuck (most) will typically have runout in the 3 to 5 mil range (although I never measured it myself. She was only doing plastic drilling).
I use a mill to do accurate holes, with edgefinders and DRO's to get into the .5 mil accuracy range, using centering drills to start the hole, and either R8 or ER 32 collets to get great runout specs (.2 to .3 mils typical).
Using this small drill press, I would first pop a location using a spring loaded punch, lock the work into the press (it came with clamping) and center the hole using an edge finder point, then use a centering drill to start the hole, then use the final drill bit.
Drill bits, you get what you paid for. Too cheap, the cutting profile will not be concentric to the drill body. Smaller diameter bits will simply wander as it progresses, or the chipload on one of the flutes will be too much and the bit will break. Think of a chipload in the .5 to 1 mil range, with a chuck and tip error that causes the bit to load one flute at 5 mils, nuttin but heartache.
John
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Haven’t looked in quite awhile,
This thread has generated much more interest than I thought it would
Good advice, with the center drill / pilot hole approach. When doing hand layouts, the largest contributor to error is the layout, IME. It pays to take one's time and do it carefully. A good layout scribe can make deep enough marks that it is easy to find the intersection of 2 lines with a center punch.
My point is not that this is a precision machining center, but that it is a pretty decent hobbyist benchtop tool at a price that is easy on the pocketbook. IMO, it punches above its weight, I' rather have one of these that any of the $200 and up belt drive drill presses sold by Harbor Freight and the like.