About 20 years or so ago, I got a cheap $99 drill press from an auto
parts store. 20 speeds, floor model, 13" swing, MT2. I've gotten my
money out of it, and it's long been on the "replace soon, if not next"
list. My current project would benefit from a drill press with a
larger swing, so now is the time to seriously consider what I'm going
to do about this item.
Problems with the old drill press:
* swing too small
* chuck falls out (yes, I know all the tricks, it still happens)
* some vertical play in the table
* lots of quill runout
* threads on, well, everything are worn - handles won't stay put, set
screws stripped, etc.
What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
* drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
* hollow chisel mortising
* sanding and carving drums
* milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder. I also
don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another drill
press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm not
even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less justify
the cost :-)
No Morse taper drill press spindle will work for milling unless it
has a physical hold of the spindle in addition to the taper. No
one that I know of sells a drill press that the manufacturer says
will mill.
More money, but more tool:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=mill+drill+machines&aq=0&aqi=g10&oq=mill+drill&fp=a92da727ef84a59f
The Harbor Freight one sounds so good, I might get one.
--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
[email protected]
"krw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 25 Nov 2009 20:23:01 -0500, DJ Delorie <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>About 20 years or so ago, I got a cheap $99 drill press from an
>>auto
>>parts store. 20 speeds, floor model, 13" swing, MT2. I've
>>gotten my
>>money out of it, and it's long been on the "replace soon, if not
>>next"
>>list. My current project would benefit from a drill press with
>>a
>>larger swing, so now is the time to seriously consider what I'm
>>going
>>to do about this item.
>
> I'm looking for a real drill press also (have a little HF toy).
>
>>Problems with the old drill press:
>>
>>* swing too small
>>
>>* chuck falls out (yes, I know all the tricks, it still happens)
>>
>>* some vertical play in the table
>>
>>* lots of quill runout
>>
>>* threads on, well, everything are worn - handles won't stay
>>put, set
>> screws stripped, etc.
>>
>>What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
>>
>>* drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
>>
>>* hollow chisel mortising
>>
>>* sanding and carving drums
>
> Not sure this is a good idea for a drill press. Most don't like
> lateral pressure. I'm told, anyway, that it's hard on the
> bearings.
>
>>* milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
>
> See above.
>
>>So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
>>Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder.
>>I also
>>don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another
>>drill
>>press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
>
> Sounds like what you have isn't all that good. It shouldn't be
> hard
> to go a lot better. ;-)
>
> One thing not on your list is chuck travel. I'd think that 4"
> would
> be minimum, with more being a big selling point.
>
>>At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm
>>not
>>even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less
>>justify
>>the cost :-)
>
> G9959? I'm looking at a Powermatic 2800, but have to make a
> place to
> put it{*]. Maybe next summer.
>
> [*] I'll have to be a comfortable place since I may have to
> sleep with
> it. ;-)
spaco wrote:
> One other reason that drill presses usually don't work for milling is
> that the chucks are not designed to hold an end mill properly. when
> milling (steel, anyway) the end mill is pulled down, OUT of the chuck
> by the cutting forces.
> By the way, I have a 45 year old Craftsman drill press. The spindle
> assembly has external threads. when the chuck's taper shank is inserted
> into the spindle, the chuck itself has a mating threaded ring which
> pulls the chuck taper tightly into place. It never has come off, under
> any circumstances. Works fine for drum sanding. I have done some
> light milling of steel with it, but I must watch for the end mill pull
> out I discussed, above.
> I also have an X-Y table that is almost permanently attached to the
> table. It has a nice 4 inch machinist's vise on it. When I need a flat
> surface, I clamp an 8" sqaure T-shaped table into the vise. Makes it
> easy to clamp the work down and still use the dials to locate centers.
>
> Pete Stanaitis
> ---------------------------------------------------
I have a 16" Craftsman drill press purchased, IFRC, in the early '70's.
I too has a Jacob's chuck that threads onto the spindle. It's one of
the few Craftsman tool I've ever purchases that I've been happy with,
Looking at the drill presses currently offered by Sears I'd take a close
look at what they have available. I noticed they have a drill
press/milling machine listed on their wes site as a Craftsman but the
picture clearly shows the Jet badge.
I also have been led to believe that the quality of the higher end
Craftsman tool line has greatly improved in recent years.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
"DGDevin" wrote:
> I use sanding drums on my DP but with a light touch. I finally got
> it through my head than whomping down on any kind of power sander is
> unnecessary and even undesirable. It's better to let the machine do
> the work and in the case of power-sanding the idea is lateral
> movement of the sanding material rather than brute-force pressure.
---------------------------------------------
Got a spare fractional HP motor you are not using?
I did and built my own spindle sander using a spare motor, a drum
sander, and an adaptor coupling from the hardware store (5/8"x1/4").
Operated at 1750 RPM which was a little fast, but it got the job done.
Installing a couple of sheaves, some pillow blocks, and a v-belt to
reduce the spindle RPM was one of those "tuit" projects that never got
done.
I don't know if it is worth a hoot, but HD has a Ridgid spindle sander
for $199.
Add $100 for Delta.
Lew
RE: Subject
What is the budget for this project?
In the under $500 family, take a look at the Delta 17-950L.
It's the only one I found with a 6" quill stroke, which IMHO, is
almost non negotiable requirement.
1/2 HP, 16 speed, 6" quill stroke, laser dodads.
The only downside is that it's Delta.
You may find www.toolseeker.com handy for doing your research.
Lew
>On Nov 25, 7:23=A0pm, DJ Delorie <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> * hollow chisel mortising
>
If this is a priority, be aware that not all drill presses will accept
the mortising head. I bought a Delta kit years ago and it would not
fit my 70's vintage Craftsman drill press.
If you are a casual mortising user, you might look at one of the cheap
Harbor Freight machines. I'm not a big HF fan, but when the Delta kit
didn't fit I bought a Harbor Freight mortiser on sale for $99. The
machine actually had a good set of chisels with it but the table and
hold-down fixture kinda sucks. I always said it would do until I got
something better. Still have it after 5-6 years and I didn't pay much
more for the machine that the Delta kit.
RonB
One other reason that drill presses usually don't work for milling is
that the chucks are not designed to hold an end mill properly. when
milling (steel, anyway) the end mill is pulled down, OUT of the chuck
by the cutting forces.
By the way, I have a 45 year old Craftsman drill press. The spindle
assembly has external threads. when the chuck's taper shank is inserted
into the spindle, the chuck itself has a mating threaded ring which
pulls the chuck taper tightly into place. It never has come off, under
any circumstances. Works fine for drum sanding. I have done some
light milling of steel with it, but I must watch for the end mill pull
out I discussed, above.
I also have an X-Y table that is almost permanently attached to the
table. It has a nice 4 inch machinist's vise on it. When I need a flat
surface, I clamp an 8" sqaure T-shaped table into the vise. Makes it
easy to clamp the work down and still use the dials to locate centers.
Pete Stanaitis
---------------------------------------------------
Steve Turner wrote:
> DanG wrote:
>
>> No Morse taper drill press spindle will work for milling unless it has
>> a physical hold of the spindle in addition to the taper. No one that
>> I know of sells a drill press that the manufacturer says will mill.
>
>
> Why is that exactly? I don't know jack about milling, and I'm not
> really looking to learn (like I need any more slippery-slope hobbies!)
> but I'm curious nonetheless.
>
On Wed 25 Nov 2009 07:23:01p, DJ Delorie <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
>
> * drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
>
> * hollow chisel mortising
>
> * sanding and carving drums
>
> * milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
>
I don't know how it would be for milling, but I'm really happy with the
Steel City I bought from Woodcraft when they had their introductory
sale.
http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/products_tools.cfm?section=2&category=
4&tool=20520
With a 6 inch stroke and the spindle lock, I've done some pretty
complicated drilling patterns with it.
But it's got a standard #2MT taper on it so I don't know how it would be
for your needs. I found out I needed a new forstner but when it kept
falling out of the chuck.
On Nov 26, 10:25=A0am, Nova <[email protected]> wrote:
> spaco wrote:
> > One other reason that drill presses usually don't work for milling is
> > that the chucks are not designed to hold an end mill properly. =A0when
> > milling (steel, anyway) the end mill is pulled down, OUT of the chuck
> > by the cutting forces.
> > =A0 By the way, I have a 45 year old Craftsman drill press. =A0The spin=
dle
> > assembly has external threads. =A0when the chuck's taper shank is inser=
ted
> > into the =A0spindle, the chuck itself has a mating threaded ring which
> > pulls the chuck taper tightly into place. =A0It never has come off, und=
er
> > any circumstances. =A0Works fine for drum sanding. =A0 I have done some
> > light milling of steel with it, but I must watch for the end mill pull
> > out I discussed, above.
> > =A0 I also have an X-Y table that is almost permanently attached to the
> > table. =A0It has a nice 4 inch machinist's vise on it. =A0When I need a=
flat
> > surface, I clamp an 8" sqaure T-shaped table into the vise. =A0 Makes i=
t
> > easy to clamp the work down and still use the dials to locate centers.
>
> > Pete Stanaitis
> > ---------------------------------------------------
>
> I have a 16" Craftsman drill press purchased, IFRC, in the early '70's.
> =A0 I too has a Jacob's chuck that threads onto the spindle. =A0It's one =
of
> the few Craftsman tool I've ever purchases that I've been happy with,
>
> Looking at the drill presses currently offered by Sears I'd take a close
> look at what they have available. =A0I noticed they have a drill
> press/milling machine listed on their wes site as a Craftsman but the
> picture clearly shows the Jet badge.
>
> I also have been led to believe that the quality of the higher end
> Craftsman tool line has greatly improved in recent years.
>
> --
> Jack Novak
> Buffalo, NY - USA
> [email protected]
I'll ditto that. My old vintage '79 Craftsman has been a good
machine. I don't know if Sears has rebounded with any of their 50's -
70's quality, but in my opinion they sell gimmicks at a high price.
RonB
On Nov 25, 7:23=A0pm, DJ Delorie <[email protected]> wrote:
> About 20 years or so ago, I got a cheap $99 drill press from an auto
> parts store. =A020 speeds, floor model, 13" swing, MT2. =A0I've gotten my
> money out of it, and it's long been on the "replace soon, if not next"
> list. =A0My current project would benefit from a drill press with a
> larger swing, so now is the time to seriously consider what I'm going
> to do about this item.
>
> Problems with the old drill press:
>
> * swing too small
>
> * chuck falls out (yes, I know all the tricks, it still happens)
>
> * some vertical play in the table
>
> * lots of quill runout
>
> * threads on, well, everything are worn - handles won't stay put, set
> =A0 screws stripped, etc.
>
> What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
>
> * drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
>
> * hollow chisel mortising
>
> * sanding and carving drums
>
> * milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
>
> So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
> Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder. =A0I also
> don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another drill
> press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
>
> At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm not
> even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less justify
> the cost :-)
This didn't show up here first time so excuse of it repeats...
Might try Grizzly. They have a broad range of models and prices. Our
son in law has one of their radial machines and it is very nice. One
of the magazines gave one of them a pretty good review recently.
Also, they are running some pretty good sales and shipping deals now.
Don't know if it includes drill pressses but worth a look
http://www.grizzly.com/products/category.aspx?key=3D380000
Take a look at Grizzly. They have several that cover a wide range of
prices and uses. Our son in law has one of their mid-range radial
presses and it is a very nice machine. One of their machines has done
well in some recent reviews (might be FWW, not sure). Griz is having
some good sales now...you might pick up a good price or a no-shipping
deal.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/category.aspx?key=380000
On Nov 25, 7:23=A0pm, DJ Delorie <[email protected]> wrote:
> About 20 years or so ago, I got a cheap $99 drill press from an auto
> parts store. =A020 speeds, floor model, 13" swing, MT2. =A0I've gotten my
> money out of it, and it's long been on the "replace soon, if not next"
> list. =A0My current project would benefit from a drill press with a
> larger swing, so now is the time to seriously consider what I'm going
> to do about this item.
>
> Problems with the old drill press:
>
> * swing too small
>
> * chuck falls out (yes, I know all the tricks, it still happens)
>
> * some vertical play in the table
>
> * lots of quill runout
>
> * threads on, well, everything are worn - handles won't stay put, set
> =A0 screws stripped, etc.
>
> What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
>
> * drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
>
> * hollow chisel mortising
>
> * sanding and carving drums
>
> * milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
>
> So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
> Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder. =A0I also
> don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another drill
> press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
>
> At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm not
> even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less justify
> the cost :-)
Have a look at the drill presses and mill/drills at Enco. Real machine
shop tools, decent prices. Local machine shop and some friends are
very big fans of their offerings and rate them a step above Grizzly.
On line catalog at www.use-enco. There has been free shipping on some
machines lately.
Joe
DJ Delorie wrote:
> So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
> Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder. I also
> don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another drill
> press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
>
> At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm not
> even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less justify
> the cost :-)
My drool list doesn't go quite THAT high (where would I put a 1600 pound
monster?) and I'd be willing to settle for "just" a Delta 20-950:
http://www.amazon.com/DELTA-20-950-20-Inch-Variable-Speed/dp/B000HX4S4Y/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1259202552&sr=1-8
That one's been on my drool list for quite some time. Someday...
--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/
DanG wrote:
> No Morse taper drill press spindle will work for milling unless it
> has a physical hold of the spindle in addition to the taper. No
> one that I know of sells a drill press that the manufacturer says
> will mill.
Why is that exactly? I don't know jack about milling, and I'm not really
looking to learn (like I need any more slippery-slope hobbies!) but I'm curious
nonetheless.
--
Repeat after me:
"I am we Todd it. I am sofa king we Todd it."
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/
krw wrote:
> Not sure this is a good idea for a drill press. Most don't like
> lateral pressure. I'm told, anyway, that it's hard on the bearings.
I use sanding drums on my DP but with a light touch. I finally got it
through my head than whomping down on any kind of power sander is
unnecessary and even undesirable. It's better to let the machine do the
work and in the case of power-sanding the idea is lateral movement of the
sanding material rather than brute-force pressure.
On 25 Nov 2009 20:23:01 -0500, DJ Delorie <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>About 20 years or so ago, I got a cheap $99 drill press from an auto
>parts store. 20 speeds, floor model, 13" swing, MT2. I've gotten my
>money out of it, and it's long been on the "replace soon, if not next"
>list. My current project would benefit from a drill press with a
>larger swing, so now is the time to seriously consider what I'm going
>to do about this item.
I'm looking for a real drill press also (have a little HF toy).
>Problems with the old drill press:
>
>* swing too small
>
>* chuck falls out (yes, I know all the tricks, it still happens)
>
>* some vertical play in the table
>
>* lots of quill runout
>
>* threads on, well, everything are worn - handles won't stay put, set
> screws stripped, etc.
>
>What I use a drill press for, or would like to:
>
>* drilling (duh) from 1/32" to 3" drill bits
>
>* hollow chisel mortising
>
>* sanding and carving drums
Not sure this is a good idea for a drill press. Most don't like
lateral pressure. I'm told, anyway, that it's hard on the bearings.
>* milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
See above.
>So, I'm looking for a bigger swing, less runout, and a drawbar.
>Getting two out of three is easy, getting all three is harder. I also
>don't want to spend a lot of money *just* to get yet another drill
>press that's marginally bigger than what I have.
Sounds like what you have isn't all that good. It shouldn't be hard
to go a lot better. ;-)
One thing not on your list is chuck travel. I'd think that 4" would
be minimum, with more being a big selling point.
>At the high end of my "drool list" is the Grizzly G9959 but I'm not
>even sure I could get that into my basement shop, much less justify
>the cost :-)
G9959? I'm looking at a Powermatic 2800, but have to make a place to
put it{*]. Maybe next summer.
[*] I'll have to be a comfortable place since I may have to sleep with
it. ;-)
krw <[email protected]> writes:
> >* sanding and carving drums
>
> Not sure this is a good idea for a drill press. Most don't like
> lateral pressure. I'm told, anyway, that it's hard on the bearings.
>
> >* milling (can't now, chuck always falls out)
>
> See above.
Right, this is why the chuck keeps falling out. But, it's what I want
to do with it. The alternative is to buy separate machines for those
functions, but I'd rather not.
> Sounds like what you have isn't all that good. It shouldn't be hard
> to go a lot better. ;-)
Well, *yeah*. I got my money's worth out of the old one, I just don't
want to buy something new and kick myself later for compromising too
much.
> One thing not on your list is chuck travel. I'd think that 4" would
> be minimum, with more being a big selling point.
Mine is only 3" so I don't think I could do much worse anyway.
Steve Turner <[email protected]> writes:
> Why is that exactly?
The oscillating sideways pressure on the morse taper wiggles the taper
out, and the chuck falls out. If you're lucky, it doesn't damage the
wood or the operator on its way to the floor.