Finally picked up a drill press

[Joe Dillard]

With as much use as I put on several hand drills I have - they are simply not up to the level of fab work I sometimes like to do. I often find myself taking projects over friends' houses who have better drilling machines. Which has been nice & I certainly appreciate them letting me use there equipment.

Well, after looking around some & seeing what's available for modest home projects & Jeep modification work - I decided today to pick up one of these. While not the best out there by any stretch, it should do the trick for homebrew fab work and projects.

How's your press doing and what do you like about it? I'd like to hear.

[John]

which one did you end up with Joe? I'm within a couple months of having a garage again and a drill press is high on the list of things to fill it with.

[Joe Dillard]

I went with the 1/2 HP, 15 inch, 5/8" keyless chuck model.

After I slapped it together, I set the speed to 600 RPM's & this seemed nice for drilling through 1/4" steel plate with a cobalt bit.

I bought the 4" drill press vice to go along with it.

I haven't used the column mounted laser yet. I mounted it - but didn't have a 9VDC battery laying around the house and didn't feel like runing back to the store.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...00&tab=spe#tab

[Allen]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
After I slapped it together, I set the speed to 600 RPM's & this seemed nice for drilling through 1/4" steel plate with a cobalt bit.

If you're doing mostly steel, slow down the speed to it's slowest setting.....especially if you're doing a lot of clearance holes for 1/2".

Even then it won't turn slow enough IMO.

Use lots of coolant.

Coolant and slow speeds will keep those bits (and you) happy.

Allen

[Joe Dillard]

Allen, I can slow the speed to 300 rpm's and see how that does with some more cutting oil to help the bits.

I've only drilled 10, 1/2" holes thru 1/4" plate so far.

[blkTJ]

I got the ryobi 12" bench top from home depot. It was the slowest I could find cheap. 280rpm/$149.

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by blkTJ
I got the ryobi 12" bench top from home depot. It was the slowest I could find cheap. 280rpm/$149.

Cool, but I wanted something that wouldn't bind or break a 3/4" drill bit while drilling through hot, molten butter.