Mike Cruz
08-20-2009, 12:42 PM
Okay, as part of my recent Gloat aquisition, I got a 15" free standing Craftsman (I don't like to own Craftsman, but I also don't look gift horses in the mouth...) Drill Press. I considered keeping it and selling my Delta 12" 11-990 bench top Drill Press. Looking the Craftsman over, I found two problems with it, which lead me to want to sell the Craftsman and keep the Delta.
First, the drill that was left in the chuck wobbled. I figured it was just bent, so I removed it and put one of my drill bits in it. It wobbled too. I thought, uh-oh, the shaft on this thing is bent...useless. But, at a closer look, I saw no wobble in the chuck area at all...hmmmm. I tried another bit, and it wobbled. Hmmmm. This time, before putting in yet another bit, I loosened the chuck at all 3 of the chuck locations. Then reinserted my bits again. Guess what...perfectly straight! All of my bits...AND the one that came with the DP. Woohoo, one problem solved one to go...
Secondly, while the table moved smoothly up and down, no matter how much I cranked on the table clamp, the table was loose as a goose. Pretty much a deal breaker there. (Darn Craftsman, I thought...) Then I looked closely and thought, AHA! there is a nut missing on the other side of the table bracket that the table clamp is supposed to run into...thereby allowing the table clamp to "grab" on to something. A closer look revealed no insert or whatever for a nut. Hmmmmm...then it hit me like a ton of bricks...the table clamp was started on the wrong side!...into the threaded side. It needed to pass through the side with NO holes and THEN into the threads. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I've decided to keep the Craftsman...at least until I find a steal on CL to replace it...
First, the drill that was left in the chuck wobbled. I figured it was just bent, so I removed it and put one of my drill bits in it. It wobbled too. I thought, uh-oh, the shaft on this thing is bent...useless. But, at a closer look, I saw no wobble in the chuck area at all...hmmmm. I tried another bit, and it wobbled. Hmmmm. This time, before putting in yet another bit, I loosened the chuck at all 3 of the chuck locations. Then reinserted my bits again. Guess what...perfectly straight! All of my bits...AND the one that came with the DP. Woohoo, one problem solved one to go...
Secondly, while the table moved smoothly up and down, no matter how much I cranked on the table clamp, the table was loose as a goose. Pretty much a deal breaker there. (Darn Craftsman, I thought...) Then I looked closely and thought, AHA! there is a nut missing on the other side of the table bracket that the table clamp is supposed to run into...thereby allowing the table clamp to "grab" on to something. A closer look revealed no insert or whatever for a nut. Hmmmmm...then it hit me like a ton of bricks...the table clamp was started on the wrong side!...into the threaded side. It needed to pass through the side with NO holes and THEN into the threads. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I've decided to keep the Craftsman...at least until I find a steal on CL to replace it...