My Mag Drill for Woodworking

[Keith Outten]

I know this is kind of outside the box but I have found this to be a real life saver on more than one occasion. The Magnetic base drill is a common tool in the construction trades and it can be an option for woodworkers as well. Those who have very small shops that have very limited space and those who have a need to drill holes in the center of large sheets might give this one some consideration.

A drill press with an unlimited throat distance, that can use both twist drills and hole saws, and requires no floor space. You can clamp a piece of steel plate or wide flat bar to any non-magnetic surface and use this machine. Its not for everyone but its a versitile option for some that helps get the job done when a drill press isn't capable.

The specs:
Baileigh Industrial Model MD-6000
Motor: 1800 Watt
Max Cutter Diameter: 60mm
Max Cutting Depth: 50mm
Max For Twist Drill: 16mm
Speeds: 260 or 460 RPM
Includes a Coolant tank and hose.
.

[Mark Bolton]

That's a tool I've long looked for at an auction. Would be very handy for sure. Always been too pricey new. I've just never had a job that justified the retail price but one can always hope.

[Frederick Skelly]

Man, Id like to have one of those. I dont know how many times Ive had to kluge up a method to do what that tool does. Didnt know it existed. Ill keep watch for one now! Thanks Keith.
Fred

[Mike Henderson]

I looked up the price and the places I found that carry it have it at almost $1K.

Mike

[Mark Bolton]

There are several off brands that run in the 400 range that Ive seen over the years but its kinda like the harbor freight syndrome, underpowered motor and worse an underpowered magnet and slop in the travel.

Most of the very nice ones that I see new are well over a grand especially when you get into the super nice versions with x/y adjustment when the magnet is energized. Were out of the woodworking realm there but when your boring horizontally or overhead its really nice to be able to lock the magnet and do your fine adjustment. Without that option most guys wind up shifting the machine with a dead blow hammer.

[Ed Labadie]

Yup, very handy thing to have in the shop.... :D

Ed

[Keith Outten]

Ed, its good to see I'm not alone :)
.

[Ted Calver]

Those speeds are just right for large forstner bits. I can see that being a useful metal/wood tool and, if you compare it to Festool prices, $975 is not unreasonable. I'll put one on the wish list.

[Mark Bolton]

I do think you do need to have some metal working component associated with having a mag drill though. There are far cheaper options to do what Ed is showing in his picture. For instance, while its not going to have the power of a mag drill, you can pickup an inexpensive bench top drill press and cut the post down into a few different lengths to have a project mountable drill press that will accommodate various bit lengths. Its not as slick but it can be had for under a hundred bucks.

They are most definitely handy but being in the trade and working fairly often with metal but not daily I have never found the need to break off a grand for one (its not my nature to buy one of the lesser models).

If I found one at an auction though that was going for even remotely reasonable money I'd be pretty aggressively going after it.

[Scott T Smith]

Keith, that's an interesting concept that I had never considered. Thanks for sharing.

[ian maybury]

It's a pity they don't have more by way of speed ranges, as it's the sort of thing that could really take off if offered with the option of a properly designed work table/stand.

I've been digging for a quality drilling solution lately, and notice that even in Germany there's little by way of decent presses on offer. It might be a mistaken impression, but it seemed from a few bits I saw that it's quite popular over there to use the equivalent of a high quality/high accuracy presumably power drill mounted on a good quality press. Take a look at the middle of the three videos at the bottom of this page - from about 6.17 onwards. The drill isn't great (and he's burning the holes because he's running the Forstner too fast) - but the stand looks solid and very adaptable: http://www.fine-tools.com/roubo-hobelbank.html Mounting a drill table off a Wokmate or a bench with it (or bringing the stand to the work) has potential too.

I wonder whether if with enough investigation that it might not turn up that there is even more woodworking suitable stuff available?

Here in Ireland/UK it's a desert. I can't even find a woodworking oriented drill press like the big Delta of any sort new anywhere. (other than perhaps the variable speed Jet - but it's only half way there, and the reports on quality are very mixed) There's a few British made old iron brands like Fobco that were excellent, but they are getting very old now - and because of the myth around them there's silly money being asked for junkers. As in around €1,200 for anything that's complete even if it's very rough looking. Up to duble for a good one.

[Peter Kelly]

http://www.flott.de/en/flott/products-metal-machine-tools/flott-drilling-machinery

There's a Flott dealer in Leicester (http://www.damar.biz/latest_products.cfm) if you're interested. Might actually be cheaper to pick one up in Germany though.