Adequate drill press specs

[Sawyer Rob]

I have several floor model drill press', but I bought my "biggest toughest" one used, actually I milled a load of logs in trade for it, about $600.00 worth of BSM'ing that I really didn't mind doing...

It's a Solberga made in Sweden... and it's all gear drive, with a mechanical transmission with a large chuck and slow spindle speed. It's an absolute brute! So you better anchor down what ever you are drilling, real good!!

Along with the hand switch, it has a foot pedal for forward and reverse and it also has "power down" for tapping, if you want to use it.

My point is, there's LOT'S of used iron out there, that's MILES better than the junk sold today!!

SR

 

[cabinhollow]

Go with a drill/mill.
2 hp, 5" stroke, x,y table and a 6" vice.
You can put a broken bit in one and still drill a hole in 1/4" steel.
I got two, one setup for milling and one setup for drilling.

 

[ultrarunner]

What a beast... I bet it could handle small end mills in stride.

 

[zmansmac]

It's a little pricey, but Nova just came out with a new drill press that I wouldn't mind having. It's a 1 3/4 HP but it's a DC motor that is direct drive (no vibration) with lots of torque even at slow speeds. It has some amazing electronically controlled features like programmed depth stop. It's speed range is 50 - 5500 RPMs and has a 6 inch quill travel.

NOVA Galaxi DVR Lathe

 

[ishiboo]

It's kinda funny... ever since I sold my milling machine, my only drill press is a variable-speed bench top which as a hard time with 1/2 and only gets down to about 560RPM IIRC. Mainly I have to drill holes for Cat1 implement pins (7/8) and 1" pins for hydraulic cylinders.

What I've been doing is using my drill press to drill the pilot, and then using a handheld right angle drill (DWD460) to do the actual drilling which will go MUCH slower. Kind of interesting having to go to a handheld drill to drill the big holes, but it's what I've got... and I don't do it that frequently.

 

[ishiboo]

It's a little pricey, but Nova just came out with a new drill press that I wouldn't mind having. It's a 1 3/4 HP but it's a DC motor that is direct drive (no vibration) with lots of torque even at slow speeds. It has some amazing electronically controlled features like programmed depth stop. It's speed range is 50 - 5500 RPMs and has a 6 inch quill travel.

NOVA Galaxi DVR Lathe

That is REALLY interesting. I will have to give them a call and see if they still have the 20% off deal, and what the rated metal capacity for twist bits is.

I think about the Evolution mag drill though all the time, and it'd be 1/2 the cost.

 

[4570Man]

I can't imagine having only a magnet drill. It would be nearly worthless for the majority of what I do.

 

[4570Man]

I have several floor model drill press', but I bought my "biggest toughest" one used, actually I milled a load of logs in trade for it, about $600.00 worth of BSM'ing that I really didn't mind doing... It's a Solberga made in Sweden... and it's all gear drive, with a mechanical transmission with a large chuck and slow spindle speed. It's an absolute brute! So you better anchor down what ever you are drilling, real good!! Along with the hand switch, it has a foot pedal for forward and reverse and it also has "power down" for tapping, if you want to use it. My point is, there's LOT'S of used iron out there, that's MILES better than the junk sold today!! SR

How do you use power down for tapping? I've power tapped before, but I manually lower it until the tap grabs. Then I let go and let it pull itself through. Then I reverse the drill and let it screw back out.

 

[CADplans]

How do you use power down for tapping? I've power tapped before, but I manually lower it until the tap grabs. Then I let go and let it pull itself through. Then I reverse the drill and let it screw back out.

Actually, I think what he has is a power down for drilling,,, rated in distance per revolution.
My drill has that, a very common feature on gear head drill presses.

Pushing a drill bit at an exact down velocity prolongs drill bit life.
Drilling a little, relaxing the force on the handle, then start drilling again,,, will dull a drill bit FAST.

My drill press:

Notice the long, continuous chip being produced by the drill,,, as I stood by taking the pic?

I was drilling 3/4" holes in 1" thick steel. I was feeding the bit down at .006" per revolution.

I was using the Kool Mist sprayer to cool the drill bit, and lubricate the cut.

It looks like this:

I just finished drilling about 40 big holes for my landplane build.
No drill bits were worn out, broken, or otherwise damaged. ALL the drill bits were over 10 years old.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Actually, I think what he has is a power down for drilling,,, rated in distance per revolution.

You are probably right, I've never used that feature for tapping and I was just going by the specs I read on line, when I looked my drill press up.

I only use my big drill press when I have a big hole to drill, I have other drill presses for smaller stuff...

SR