Drill Press advice appreciated

[EddieWalker]

I have several projects that I'm in the early stages of starting that will require allot of holes to be drilled through metal brackets. Then after those projects are one, there will be more that will require a pretty constant need to drill 3/8's and 1/2 inch holes into metal for a very long time. I'm not so much concerned with precission since close will work on just about everything that I have in mind. Mostly it's just bracket building and holes to hold wood together with bolts.

I've never had a drill press and only used them a few times. My memory of them is that they drill much better through metal then a hand drill, which I absolutely hate to do. The thought of drilling a thousand holes with my hand drills terrifies me.

I don't need the best or even great. I do want good and reliable for a fair price. What should I look for and do you have any suggestions for brands, sizes and who to buy from?

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Eddie,
I bought a free standing drill press for my wood shop many years ago. I ended up purchasing an AMT unit, its a nice little machine, it has 12 speeds that range from 250 to 3100 rpm. The chuck is 1/2" and can be removed if you want to insert a drill shank with a morse taper or another sleeve. I use it mainly for my wood working projects but it occassionally does some metal drilling, usually nothing larger than 3/8" or 1/2" holes and then I will drill a starter hole with a 1/8" bit so the hole is accurately centered ! The base and table are cast and I fabricated an auxillary wooden table for a bit more stability. Way back then I believe I payed about $250 so Im not sure what it goes for now.

Here are a couple of pics of the machine, feel free to ask any other questions on it !

 

[flusher]

I have several projects that I'm in the early stages of starting that will require allot of holes to be drilled through metal brackets. Then after those projects are one, there will be more that will require a pretty constant need to drill 3/8's and 1/2 inch holes into metal for a very long time. I'm not so much concerned with precission since close will work on just about everything that I have in mind. Mostly it's just bracket building and holes to hold wood together with bolts.

I've never had a drill press and only used them a few times. My memory of them is that they drill much better through metal then a hand drill, which I absolutely hate to do. The thought of drilling a thousand holes with my hand drills terrifies me.

I don't need the best or even great. I do want good and reliable for a fair price. What should I look for and do you have any suggestions for brands, sizes and who to buy from?

Thank you,
Eddie

After looking around quite a while, I bought a Rigid floor drill press from Homely Depot.

RIDGID 15 In. Stationary Drill Press - DP1550 at The Home Depot

It handles wood, metal, plastic fine. The reason I bought that one is the 3-3/4" quill travel which allows you to drill a 4x4 post in one procedure without flipping the post 180 deg. Very few drill presses have this particular capability and the HD Rigid unit was the only one I found at the $300 mark.

 

[3RRL]

Hi Eddie,
It's been so long since I bought a drill press, I wouldn't what brand or model to recommend any more.
I think I have and older version of Scottie's dril press, except mine is a bench top model. In other words, the column does not go to the floor, but sits on a stand on top of a bench. They all have a table like Scottie's that can be moved up and down and sideways. My table can even be tilted side ways as Scottie's can, I'm sure. The floor model is nice if you EVER have to drill something tall. However, on my bench model, I bolted it to the top of a bench near the edge. So I can rotate the head and drill next to the table if needed.

One thing I would recommend with GREAT concern is this, be sure to get one with the lowest RPM speed selection for steel work. Most drill presses are set up for smaller holes or woodwork where you can spin the drill bit at higher speeds. But if you are doing 3/8 and 1/2 holes or even larger, you will definitely want one that goes down to at least 120 or 150 rpm and up from there. (My milling machine goes down to 60rpm) So look for that when shopping and comparing. A half inch chuck is fine since you can always get Silver & Demming drills of larger sizes than 1/2 inch, but they have a 1/2 shank on all of them. (Some have 3/4 shanks but don't get those).

A keyless drill chuck is great for smaller drill bits, but a keyed one like Scottie's will hold the larger size drills better. I use all three holes when tightening a large drill bit as each hole allows you tighten a little more than using just one. At lower rpm, your work won't get as hot, your drill bit won't get as hot and last twice as long between sharpening. I use air to cool my work and drill bit too. You can get a mister kit that uses a mist of air and coolant, and of course you can always use cutting oil too.

 

[bigtiller]

Brands will be about the same as the ford, chevy, dodge debates. I have a Powermatic but I imagine they all make good, better, best models. One thing to watch for before buying is the amount of deflection when applying pressure to the spinning drill bit. I like the free standing models because they are not as limiting as bench tops. A minimum of 3/4 hp motor and a wide range of speeds. For metal drilling get one with the slowest speed you can find. If you can find one that goes slower than 250 rpm all the better. To make it perform safe and fast, bolt on a 6 or 8 inch milling vice.

 

[ampsucker]

agree with above.

i like a bright light mounted to the press itself. fancy laser stuff may look sharp but just one more thing to break. make sure it takes standard cheap incandescent bulbs.

the cheapy ones have a lot of wobble in the turnstile and short throws on the chuck (can't drill as deep as noted above.) definitely get the longest throw you can find.

more speeds the better.

i like the 5/8" chucks if you have any larger holes. you can get bigger bits with smaller tips as noted above, but a larger chuck will grip with more surface area so you can get it to hold a larger bit better. i have a lot of older bits that i sharpen up with a drill doctor and some of them do not have the shank reduction so if i want to use them i have to have a chuck that can take a larger size.

best drill press i ever used was an old sears craftsman circa 1950 or so. not any play in anything and purred along smooth as you please. they don't make 'em like that anymore. even the higher dollar ones i find have a lot of wobble in the controls and just don't inspire confidence. the table doesn't snug down, the turnstile has loose handles, the rack and pinion parts feel loose, etc.

for safety i also like an easy to hit switch you can basically bump with any part of your body to shut down. if you ever let a piece get away from you when your drilling it and it starts spinning around like crazy, you'll appreciate a switch you can slap while running away fast in the other direction.

motor size is less important with slower rpms as the gearing (belting?) gives a lot more torque.

i am currently looking for a new drill press, so will check out the ridgid model recommended above at home depot. otherwise, clarke, grizzly, harbor freight all make budget models in different sizes. just make sure you find one that can handle your planned tasks and feels good in your hand.

amp

 

[scott_vt]

One thing I would recommend with GREAT concern is this, be sure to get one with the lowest RPM speed selection for steel work. Most drill presses are set up for smaller holes or woodwork where you can spin the drill bit at higher speeds. But if you are doing 3/8 and 1/2 holes or even larger, you will definitely want one that goes down to at least 120 or 150 rpm and up from there. (My milling machine goes down to 60rpm) So look for that when shopping and comparing.

Good Evenin Rob,
Good addition on the speed capability, I kind of forgot to mention that I did some fancy pulley manipulation to slow the spindle speed just a bit !

I sure do miss that 60 rpm Bridgeport low speed drilling capability !

 

[Willl]

I've had this HF one for about a year now and I'm plenty pleased with it.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

 

[CurlyDave]

I bought a real cheapy from some kind of a tool "liquidator" over 30 years ago and I have been very pleased with the result.

1. Mine has a locking collar so that I can drill holes of a precise depth.

2. Incandescent light bulb, which has already been mentioned. One of the secrets of life is to use "rough service" light bulbs for longer life. They have the filament supported better and do not fail from vibration.

 

[texbaylea]

I have a 17" Delta floor model, 12 speed, lowest below 200 rpm. About 15 years old now. I don't see anything like it currently in the Delta catalog. I have become impressed with the quality of Grizzly tools and check them out first when I need something.

Vernon

 

[DavidPerry]

Here is a guide to figure drilling RPM.

Curious Inventor - Guides : Metal Working : Drill Speeds

 

[RedDirt]

Eddie,
Hold downs, not press itself...I've become addicted to the purpose built vise-grip type hold downs. I think Delta developed these but HF has knock-offs that work just as well and cost much less. Usually just one well-placed hold down will keep the work piece from spinning as the bit punches through the workpiece. To help avoid the tendency to grab at punch through ease the feed pressure as the bit is cutting through the bottom.

I came close to chewing up my holding hand a couple of time before using these clamps and never since I starting clamping. They are easy to attach, adjust and use especially if the table has slots. A good investment for your new drill press at $7.50-$12+/-.

 

[srjones]

Hi Eddie,

I got a JET years ago...still running strong. Whatever you decide, I have 3 tips you might find useful when drilling many holes in steel.

1. Drill a pilot hole with a small bit (1/8"-1/4") first. You'll have less wander getting the hole started where you want it to be.
2. Use cutting oil. The stuff is messy but it sure does work.
3. There certainly is a risk that the peice will catch as it poke through the metal and start spinning. Take a flat bar and hold the end with with your left hand while wedging the back end of the bar on the opposite side of the drill press post. (see attached diagram)

 

[mjncad]

Eddie:

I have the following Jet model that I'm pleased with. Jet has made some minor changes since I bought mine in the mid 90's. What sold me on the Jet over the Delta and Craftsman was the depth stop; it is a nice simple screw and two knurled lock nuts. Much easier to read and set than the goofy rotary ones on the quill handle shaft. WMH ® - JDP-17MF, 16-1/2 Floor Drill Press, 5/8 Capacity, 3/4HP, 16 Speed

Eddie,
Hold downs, not press itself...I've become addicted to the purpose built vise-grip type hold downs. I think Delta developed these but HF has knock-offs that work just as well and cost much less. Usually just one well-placed hold down will keep the work piece from spinning as the bit punches through the workpiece. To help avoid the tendency to grab at punch through ease the feed pressure as the bit is cutting through the bottom.

I came close to chewing up my holding hand a couple of time before using these clamps and never since I starting clamping. They are easy to attach, adjust and use especially if the table has slots. A good investment for your new drill press at $7.50-$12+/-. RedDirt

I agree with RedDirt concerning these hold downs, they are indispensable and I have one of each size (6", 9" & 11"). I leave mine a little loose when I attach them to the table so I can move them out of the way quickly for the next setup. This has the effect of loosening the pressed on vise grip part of the clamp to the clamp bolt plate. Whenever I buy a new clamp, the first thing I do is weld the vise grip portion to the clamp bolt plate. If you need a picture showing this simple fix, let me know and I'll snap one for the forum.

Last tip...whatever you buy, floor or bench mounted...bolt it down! Drill presses are inherently top heavy, and I personally would never put one on a mobile stand like HTC and other companies market.

 

[milkman]

I have a floor model similar to the HF one pictured, got it when Central Tractor went out of business a few years ago. I think the lowest speed is 250 and that's faster than I like, but when drilling steel, I use plenty of lube.
I put a rail around the deck and used round aluminum spindles between 2X rails and had to drill a bunch of holes in the edge of the 2X for the spindles to set in, dirll press has a depth stop and it came in real handy drilling all those holes to the same depth.

 

[barneyrb]

Whatever you buy make sure that it has a totally enclosed motor. Electric motors that have openings (so you can see windings in the motor) have magnetizing forces inside and will attract small metal particles into all the wrong places.

 

[Botabill]

If you've never used a drill press before you will love using one. Very precise compared to a hand drill. It is also not as necessary to drill a pilot hole as the whole unit is solid and not likely to wander when starting to drill. For drilling metal the use of cutting oil constantly being pumped onto the work is a real advantage as it lubricates and keeps heat from building up. Yes you can drill metal without it but the drill bits won't last as long and it is slower cutting. Any drill press is good when you compare it to a hand drill however you can get better quality if you really need it. In my opinion multiple speed is an essential. The complaint I have with mine is the chuck doesn't seem to grip the bits as well as I would like. I really have to tighten the chuck with the key inserted one at a time in the 3 key holes. The good news is most chucks can be replaced with better versions.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you everyone for your advice and recomendations. I've looked around online at the models and sites mentioned, but really want to take a look at them first hand.

It's funny, but I'm in a hardware/tool store of some kind several times a week and in my entire life, I've never looked at drill presses. Walked past them, but never stoped to check them out.

Just reading the posts this morning has been an education. I knew there would be some things to look for, but didn't realize there would be so much.

Eddie

 

[Charlesaf3]

I've got the little one home depot sells. Fine for jobsite, but I'd steer clear. It doesn't have near enough power - a big spade bit in Mahogany really makes it struggle

 

[bjr]

I got the 16 speed Harbor Freight model that the other poster showed and drill a lot of 3/4" and some 7/8 in 1/2 thick and some times 1" metal. I need new belts now and wish it turn slow like 50 rpms but I get the job done. bjr