Currently I have only an old rusty Black and Decker hand drill for making holes. I am looking for something better and recently discovered the Proxxon TBM 115 Bench Drill Press:
PROXXON - Bench Drill Press TBM 115
The Proxxon is pretty small, but it would probably meet most of my audio drilling needs. Does anyone have experience with the Proxxon and its optional KT70 table?
The Proxxon Micro Mill MF 70 also looks interesting:
PROXXON - MICRO Mill MF 70
The Micro Mill would do more, but right now it would be overkill, and I see one limitation with the Micro Mill. I want to be able to use a 1/4" shank bit for drilling 3/8" holes (in aluminum). The optional chuck for the TBM 115 can take a 1/4" shank but the optional chuck for the Micro Mill is limited to 1/8" -- unless there is something I am missing.
Any thoughts for my problem?
PROXXON - Bench Drill Press TBM 115
The Proxxon is pretty small, but it would probably meet most of my audio drilling needs. Does anyone have experience with the Proxxon and its optional KT70 table?
The Proxxon Micro Mill MF 70 also looks interesting:
PROXXON - MICRO Mill MF 70
The Micro Mill would do more, but right now it would be overkill, and I see one limitation with the Micro Mill. I want to be able to use a 1/4" shank bit for drilling 3/8" holes (in aluminum). The optional chuck for the TBM 115 can take a 1/4" shank but the optional chuck for the Micro Mill is limited to 1/8" -- unless there is something I am missing.
Any thoughts for my problem?
added this to my wishlist too.
PROXXON 37110 MICRO MILLING MILL MF70 CNC KIT AVAILABLE | eBay
$428+shipping. I want one badly.
PROXXON 37110 MICRO MILLING MILL MF70 CNC KIT AVAILABLE | eBay
$428+shipping. I want one badly.
Amazon has it for $406.79 and they will ship overseas. I may call Proxxon to try to find out if there is any way of attaching a 1/4 inch chuck to the mill. So pretty, but way more than I intended to spend for a drill.
Proxxon also makes a slightly larger drill, the TBH, but it seems they don't sell it in the US.
PROXXON - TBH
The TBH would be my choice if there was a 110v version.
Unfortunately not an option for me. I live in an apartment and I'm a sixty something year old woman. I am limited to tools I can store in a small space and lift myself.
AH you're still young, girl. I'm a 60 something old guy myself. The wife wouldn;t let me have even a small one, so all my work is done in my shop.
I only briefly studied your proposed unit, it seems small.
If you plan to drill small holes in pc boards and small machine parts, it looks handy. Of you plan to be drilling things like aluminum chassis, think about dimensions of the workpiece. If you plan for example to drill a row of holes for controls along the front panel of a 10x12 chassis, then the tip of the drill must be able to get at least 10" above the worktable. And any holes in the end of the same box would need even more space. Or put the other way, if the drill tip cannot go over 5" above the worktable, then 5" is the largest thing you can drill into.
I am a believer in investing in good tools. I probably would not buy a screwdriver at the dollar store, unless it was to pry open paint cans. However, I find myself drawn to Harbor Freight. Have any of those in your area? They sell some very cheap tools, but on the other hand sometimes they have just the thing. I can buy a good step drill somewhere and ruin it drilling holes in sheet steel. Or I can buy a cheap step drill at Harbor Freight, and if I wear it out on the project, oh well, $6 expendable tool.
SO they have power tools like benchtop drill presses. I have not used one, so cannot endorse or praise, but for example. $70 and 38 pounds:
Drill Press - 5 Speed
Home Depot, $90 and 34 pounds:
4 in. 5 Speed Mini Drill Press-DP5UL at The Home Depot
Or a nice Ryobi for $120:
DP102L 10 in. Drill Press-DP102L at The Home Depot
I only briefly studied your proposed unit, it seems small.
If you plan to drill small holes in pc boards and small machine parts, it looks handy. Of you plan to be drilling things like aluminum chassis, think about dimensions of the workpiece. If you plan for example to drill a row of holes for controls along the front panel of a 10x12 chassis, then the tip of the drill must be able to get at least 10" above the worktable. And any holes in the end of the same box would need even more space. Or put the other way, if the drill tip cannot go over 5" above the worktable, then 5" is the largest thing you can drill into.
I am a believer in investing in good tools. I probably would not buy a screwdriver at the dollar store, unless it was to pry open paint cans. However, I find myself drawn to Harbor Freight. Have any of those in your area? They sell some very cheap tools, but on the other hand sometimes they have just the thing. I can buy a good step drill somewhere and ruin it drilling holes in sheet steel. Or I can buy a cheap step drill at Harbor Freight, and if I wear it out on the project, oh well, $6 expendable tool.
SO they have power tools like benchtop drill presses. I have not used one, so cannot endorse or praise, but for example. $70 and 38 pounds:
Drill Press - 5 Speed
Home Depot, $90 and 34 pounds:
4 in. 5 Speed Mini Drill Press-DP5UL at The Home Depot
Or a nice Ryobi for $120:
DP102L 10 in. Drill Press-DP102L at The Home Depot
Yes, the Proxxons are small. The highest the bit can go above the table is 5 1/2 inches. But they are 11 inch drills (2x throat depth). By comparison the first two units you linked are only 8 inch drills, and the Ryobi is only 10 inch.
In the good old days I'd agree with your example of the 10x12 inch chassis. I don't think it is so much true anymore. The specific enclosure I am working with on the current project is a Hammond RM1U1908SBK. The size is 16.8x8x1.75 inch. But since the parts are extruded panels (not folded sheet metal) I could reach any location on the RM1U1908SBK with the smallest Proxxon. The top and bottom panels would be awkward, but they would fit.
I spent $5.36 on a screwdriver last night. I had to order in lots of two and most of the cost was postage! I'm also in the market for a step drill, but I think I'll go with Irwin.
Thanks for the encouragement but I'm feeling older than usual at the moment. I fell on my face this afternoon.
looks like Amazon has free shipping in the US. I have a friend that regularly has cargo boxes shipped from US to here. Time to start saving
Ha, well I'm a cheap bas****. I use a drill press attachment with my dremel for drilling PCB's and a cheap $70 drill press from Harbor Freight for bigger objects. I will admit I hate the Harbor Freight press though. The chuck holds the bits off-center which really screws things up when using small diameter bits.
The little proxon unit seems to be aimed at high precision holes, like DIY PCB drilling. Or similar things. NOT chassis.
The larger drill presses, unless you take them apart and redo the entire spindle and the cast way that they travel in will have FAR too much run-out for precision drilling. Good
for chassis.
But for chassis you want one of those drill presses with the ROUND horizontal arm - I forget what they are called at the moment, they can move out and back, so that the throat is in feet not inches. THAT is what you want for holes in chassis and speaker boxes (those that can be drilled or hole saw'd).
I think Grizzly may sell that sort of drill press.
There are other "precision" drill presses out there on the used market and they should be considered for small precise work. Although people here have said they hand drill PCB holes with a Dremel! I am amazed at that myself...
_-_-bear
The larger drill presses, unless you take them apart and redo the entire spindle and the cast way that they travel in will have FAR too much run-out for precision drilling. Good
for chassis.
But for chassis you want one of those drill presses with the ROUND horizontal arm - I forget what they are called at the moment, they can move out and back, so that the throat is in feet not inches. THAT is what you want for holes in chassis and speaker boxes (those that can be drilled or hole saw'd).
I think Grizzly may sell that sort of drill press.
There are other "precision" drill presses out there on the used market and they should be considered for small precise work. Although people here have said they hand drill PCB holes with a Dremel! I am amazed at that myself...
_-_-bear
If you want to drill a 3/8" hole you definitely want a slower speed. The Micro Mill has speeds of 5,000 to 20,000 RPM, which the slowest is certainly too fast for that big a drill. The Bench Drill Press at 1,800 seems much more reasonable. Most of my experience is drilling into wood, but I'd think you'd want to go slow with that big a hole in aluminum too.
I have a Ryobi 5-speed benchtop drill press I bought new 20 years ago. It's heavy, it must weigh over 50 lbs. I've not used it very often but it has worked fine all this time. I've been going back to the gym so big, heavy things (like pianos) don't give me as much problem. You can improve your health and strength at any age (I'm in my 50's), and it'll help you live longer too.
I have a Ryobi 5-speed benchtop drill press I bought new 20 years ago. It's heavy, it must weigh over 50 lbs. I've not used it very often but it has worked fine all this time. I've been going back to the gym so big, heavy things (like pianos) don't give me as much problem. You can improve your health and strength at any age (I'm in my 50's), and it'll help you live longer too.
Speed
Drilling holes in Alum with High Speed Steel drill bits is best accomplished at a couple hundred surface feet per second. Less than ideal clamping and thin material usually slower... much slower!
Meaning that for a 3/8" hole in a thin Aluminum chassis, something closer to 150 RPM is more of what you want. Fast turning drill bit will result in drill chatter, spoilage and chipped drill bits.
Cyclotronguy
Drilling holes in Alum with High Speed Steel drill bits is best accomplished at a couple hundred surface feet per second. Less than ideal clamping and thin material usually slower... much slower!
Meaning that for a 3/8" hole in a thin Aluminum chassis, something closer to 150 RPM is more of what you want. Fast turning drill bit will result in drill chatter, spoilage and chipped drill bits.
Cyclotronguy
I was planning to use a step bit in 1/8 inch aluminum, but, yes, the Micro Mill is way too fast. I'm embarrassed that I did not pick up on the speed spec. I always assumed a milling machine would do everything a drill press could do, if not always easier.
Anyhow, I checked with the U.S. distributor of Proxxon, and there is no larger chuck that can be fitted to the Micro Mill, so it is out of consideration.
The TBH is what I want but it does not exist in a North American version, only 220 volts. Proxxon said they would custom order one for me, but I hate to think what the price would be for a custom order, and I would have to get a voltage converter as well. Nonetheless I asked for a quotation.
A friend said what I want is a hole, not a drill. I'm reflecting on whether that is true or not!
What I suspect is once I see the U.S. price for the TBH I'll reluctantly order a TBM and hope don't end up hating myself for it later.
I received a quotation for the TBH. I would have to order today to have it included in this month's order from the factory. Otherwise it would be over a month from now to even place the order unless I wanted to pay airfreight from Germany. I told the distributor I would go for it if the TBH could be included in their current order.
Waiting to hear back.
Waiting to hear back.
After doing a little research, I guess the Proxxon mini drill press is a German copy of a Japanese design sold by Microlux....
MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press
The Microlux version comes with a 1/4" chuck though.
MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press
The Microlux version comes with a 1/4" chuck though.
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