Drill Press

[rdln]

Yep thats the route I want to go, auctions, garage sales and such.

You can drill as big of a hole as you want as long as the shank fits and you have patients and money enuff to drill all of the pilot holes.

 

[aardvark]

Yep. My grandfather gave me a drill press he was no longer using about 10 years ago. It's an old cast iron Rockwell Delta. I asekd when he bought it, and he couldn't remember. He just said "right after I got back from WW2". He owned a machine shop back then, and sold the machine shop in the late 50's, so the drill press I have must have been made in the early 50's or late 40's. It has 1947 on it in one place, but it's listed under the model number rather than the date. Still works great, I only worry about someone sticking thier hand in the pulleys while it's running.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( although I paid more than I would have liked, $275)</font>

I would guess that thing didn't cost that much new. Funny how simple but durably built Americana stuff has held it value. I can tell you, it can be rebuilt over and over, and can outlast you and I. Good find.

 

[rdln]

Make a guard out of sheetmetal

 

[jgbanshee]

What is a good NEW drill press brand on the market today?

 

[bgott]

It all depends on your definition of "good". Craftsman makes (or sells) drill presses that lots of people swear by. And at, also. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif For woodwork and light metal work I'm sure they'll do fine. Delta has a good name and the Rigid press doesn't look bad. Grainger has a wide range of drill presses in their Dayton line but they tend to be pricey. I have noticed that Grainger's prices seem to be getting more affordable to the common man. I want to use mine to make metal swages and fixtures for the blacksmithing I mess around with and I also have been known to want to drill big holes in thick pieces of metal for various reasons. This thing also has an MT 3 quill so I can drop the arbor and chuck out of it and use it with different machine tools. There is a book about using your drill press for doing simple mill work and this unit is way cheaper than a Bridgeport. A lot of the used lighter units I looked at had bent quills so I figured that A) somebody else had been trying to drill big holes in thick metal and B) the units hadn't been up to the task. Or else people had been using them for an arbor press. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif An industrial drill press this size is probably $1000 up new so that was out of the question. This is basically a toy, I doubt I'll do anything on it to justify paying that much for a new one. It will, however, save me from loading stuff up and hauling it to my buddy that has a machine shop.

 

[bgott]

I think it's well worth the $275, I was just disappointed that I couldn't talk him down to $150. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif My machinist buddy had told me that .005 was acceptable runout on a used drill, I ran it out with a partially frozen dial indicator under adverse conditions where the unit was located. I didn't realize how tight this thing actually was until I got it home and cleaned up and checked it with a good indicator. This thing has no visible wear on anything like the rack on the quill or the pinion gear that moves it up and down. Someone will probably get a heck of a deal at my estate sale. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bgott]

I forgot to put in the tractor content. This drill was located probably two miles from my house across the freeway. There was no way that me and the guy I bought it off of could load it into my truck without busting something ( us or the drill) so I went and got my TN 65. I chained it to the loader and raised it up and then chained it to the front bumper to keep it from swinging. It danced around a little when I hit potholes but other than that it rode fine. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Barton]

Brad,

There is some good info about Buffalo Forge here . The old wood working machines site has a lively forum also.

Bart

 

[bgott]

I checked out Buffalo Forge's site, the current No. 18 sure doesn't look as heavy duty as the old ones, do they?