Is this a good deal on a drill press?

[keith micinski]

I don't really need a drill press but this looks like a good machine to me for the price. What do you guys think?
http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/tls/1948854154.html

[Brad Wood]

I'm sure the Delta of that era is probably far superior to anything in the 10" size you could buy new for somewhat comparable prices.

I always hate it when someone asks about a tool and the replies always say "save you money and buy bigger". Sometimes space and cash flow dictate we do what we can, believe me when I say I can sympathize with both (money and space that is)
That said, I run in to more situations where my 10" bench top press is simply too small for the job. The biggest issue is the amount of space between the chuck and work surface, and plunge depth.

So - I'll just say it. If at all possible... if space permits and your current need can be put off until the cash flow is addressed (if an issue), go with a floor unit.

[keith micinski]

Thats kind of what I was thinking except I have made it 15 years without having a drill press and I know if I get a floor size unit it will just sit there taking up space.

[Dan Karachio]

I think we are all different, but I have passed up on a number of these precisely because a floor stander takes up less space in my shop - the way I work, it does. It looks too cool though.

[Bob Aquino]

Thats a very nice little press, and if the PO did it right, you are getting his labor for probably about 5 bucks an hour. Go for it.

[Van Huskey]

IF it is big enough for you then it is a good deal and very cool to boot.

[keith micinski]

I was wondering if I was the only one that thought it looked cool? It seems silly to buy a tool because it is old and looks cool but I frequently find myself doing that. I offered him a 100. I figure if I can get it for that surely I can make it worth owning.

[Myk Rian]

I bought a floor model in Otsego for $150, all rusted up. And that was a 2 1/2 hour drive, one way for me.
All you need is a longer column and the bigger base to make a floor model out of it. They are available.
I've seen them on owwm BOYD recently.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=159885&d=1283176099 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=159885&d=1283176099)

[keith micinski]

I actually have a spot on a homemade stand I built for some other stuff that I think would be a perfect height for it.

[Dan Karachio]

I was wondering if I was the only one that thought it looked cool? It seems silly to buy a tool because it is old and looks cool but I frequently find myself doing that. I offered him a 100. I figure if I can get it for that surely I can make it worth owning.

How about looks cool and is *new* for a reason. I have about 4k in Festool that fits that description! (I kid Festool, I do like the stuff). For $100, that would be a very nice DP. I bet it is solid as a rock.

[keith micinski]

Lets hope he responds. I get a lot of People on craigslist that don't like to reply once they place an add for some reason.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have made it 15 years without having a drill press and I know if I get a floor size unit it will just sit there taking up space.
A drill press is a lot like a pneumatic nailer in this respect.
Once you get one & use it, you wonder how you got along for so many years without it.

I have a benchtop & am always keeping an eye out for a floor model when the right one at the right price comes around.

Here's hoping the seller responds & takes your offer.

Then you can post both a gloat and ask about making a table for your "new" /old (& really cool looking) drill press!

[Jim Rice]

I think its a good deal. Old Deltas, Rockwells, and other presses of a similar nature are well worth the money. The exception is the press that has sat in the weather for many years.

Jim R.

[Paul Johnstone]

Thats kind of what I was thinking except I have made it 15 years without having a drill press and I know if I get a floor size unit it will just sit there taking up space.

If you get a benchtop one, it still takes up space on a bench, or you have to lug it off a shelf..

I have my floor drill press on a mobile base for those rare occasions I have to use it.

I guess it depends on the type of work you do on whether you need one or not.. I like using Euro hinges. I also like to be able to drill a row of holes the same distance from the edge of something. In general, if I can get a piece on the drill press, I will use it, as it is far easier and more accurate than doing it by hand.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Looks like a great deal to me.

If you want to learn more about that era - owwm-dot-com to search for photos and info.

[keith micinski]

Well so far no response and now I am actually starting to want the darn thing because I thought up a few projects I could use it on.

[Myk Rian]

Just in case you get/got it, here is the column and base.
http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=81831

[keith micinski]

I am hopefully going to pick it up tomorrow. I am going to see how it fits on this stand I already have built and see how that goes.

[Donny Lawson]

I think it's a great buy since it's old. They just don't make them like they used to. Back then they were metal and was built to last a lifetime. Now they are plastic and made in China. Old machines are well worth restoring.
Donny

[keith micinski]

Well, here it is and I couldn't be happier. I ended having drive an hour and forty minuted one way to get it but I think it was worth it. This thing is a beast. It is a bench top model but really all that means is it has a shorter tube and takes up less space. It's not like the difference between a bench top model and a floor model today. It fits perfectly on this top and is out of the way but easily accessible when I need it. The previous owner has his own machine shop in his garage and replaced the bearings and the rest of the Mechanical components are all there and look like they are in perfect working condition. To be honest with you this thing looks like it is in almost new condition considering it is older then I can even guess. I guess it was a different color but I think I am going to keep it this color because it matches my mortiser perfectly. One question I do have, what speed am I supposed to run it at to drill in wood? Faster or slower?

[Karl Card]

we all know there are not many electrical items you can buy at HF that are very good. However I came across a HF floor drill press number 43389 and I believe it even comes up on a list of the "good" things you can get at HF. I got mine used for 50 bux and I really like it. I can actually drill thru very skinny pen blanks and know that I am going to drill straight. No run out that is noticable and even has a built in light and oiler. The light does come in handy I tell ya.

[Myk Rian]

One question I do have, what speed am I supposed to run it at to drill in wood? Faster or slower?
I use mine mostly at the second from slowest speed, with the belt on the second from the bottom pulley.
The rpms I have measured at the spindle are:
4350
2450
1300
750

[keith micinski]

Damn Myk, that base would have been nice and I could have got the guy to drop it off at my house. Oh well.

[John Packwood]

I use mine mostly at the second from slowest speed, with the belt on the second from the bottom pulley.
The rpms I have measured at the spindle are:
4350
2450
1300
750
That's what I do as well. It works well for forstner bits. Mine is an old Royal with a 1/2hp moter. It came with a 1/3hp 3phase.

[keith micinski]

So I started using the drill press finally and I noticed that the chuck has about an 1/8th of an inch of play in it up and down. The guy said he had replaced the bearings and the drill runs really nice but I cant figure out what he could have missed that is allowing that motion in the shaft. It is actually kind of nice because you can set the bit down on the work and center it without it cutting in if you are a little off. Any thoughts on where to go to see why the slop is there?

[Myk Rian]

Run the quill down and look for the collar on the spindle. There is a set screw.
Loosen the set screw, holding the spindle so it doesn't fall down.
Put a block of wood under the chuck and run the spindle down with a little pressure on it. Slide that collar down all the way and tighten the set screw. Do not place the screw where it will tighten into the groove, but somewhere else on the spindle shaft.

Also, see if the top and bottom retainer nuts are on it, and tighten the bearings into the quill.
http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad222/MykRian/Delta%20DP220/quill.jpg

[keith micinski]

Thanks Myk I'll check it out.

[keith micinski]

For some reason the previous owner had either not tightened the drive collar low enough or it had slipped down. Either way that was it. Thanks again Myk.

[Will Overton]

One question I do have, what speed am I supposed to run it at to drill in wood? Faster or slower?


It depends on the bit and the wood. Wood magazine has a free, downloadable speed chart.

http://images.meredith.com/wood/pdf/drill-press-speed-chart.pdf

[keith micinski]

Boy I love this board. Thanks Will.

[george wilson]

We had that model Delta at work. The only thing I had against it is the 2 handle lever. 3 handles are so much easier to get hold of with 1 hand to feed down more than 1 revolution. You can whack yourself in the jaw or tooth if it gets away from you.

[Myk Rian]

As I understand it, there was a 3 lever option for that DP. I haven't seen one for sale yet.

[george wilson]

I would just make a hub that goes on the end of the shaft,and drill and tap 3 handles into it. You could use wood for the hub if it were hardwood,and extra large.

[Callan Campbell]

My Delta DP220 was my first machine tool. Bought at a school auction, had no chuck and the table has the "arc of shame" as people call it:rolleyes:. They're tough units, I have basically no run-out at either end of quill travel. Enough power to do what you want, but the lack of drilling space when compared to a floor model for long/tall items is a problem.
Changing belt speeds is not as easy as later designs since there is no center pulley to cam in or out, nor is there a lever to pull the motor back into the head once you loosen up the lock bolts. You have to manually work everything and come up with your own ways of holding the motor/belt tight while you tighten the 2 bolts on the support for the motor. But, with a cast iron guard, and all metal parts everywhere, it's a tiny tank in its own right!:D
They're NOT light for their size as you've already found out since you picked it up, all that metal comes with a "weight" price if you were planning on moving one around alot. I still have the old Delta, sitting next to my 20" new Delta because my wife doesn't want to part with it since her late Dad helped me buy it. But, unless I'm running a 2 stage drilling operation between both machines, it never gets used.
I've always been a bigger fan of floor model DP's since they are more versatile in my mind, but for 15yrs this little Delta was my only stout DP workhorse before I started buying floor models to supplement my DP line-up. At any rate, enjoy your new Drill Press.

[keith micinski]

My belt is loose enough that I don't have to loosen anything to change speeds just walk it onto the next step pulley.