PORTER CABLE 12-Speed Floor Drill Press (smallest drill bit)

[Floyd Cox]

Can someone tell me the smallest drill bit that can be used in Lowes Porter cable 12-Speed Floor Drill Press with the 5/8 chuck?

Thanks .. Floyd

[Al Launier]

Not trying to be facetious, but whatever will chuck up tightly, and must add (most importantly) whatever speed is appropriate to provide the correct SFPM for the material you are drilling. My "guess" for the smallest size though would be 1/16" dia. Have you tried CS at PC? I doubt if Lowes would know.

[Charles Taylor]

In an unsuccessful attempt to be helpful, I downloaded the owner's manual from the P-C site. The manual doesn't give any details on the chuck, but it does include the French and Spanish translations of the scroll saw manual. :rolleyes:

The manual does provide a drill speed table with bit sizes down to 1/32", but that isn't the same as an affirmative statement on the chuck's minimum capacity.

[Phil Thien]

Most of the 5/8" chucks found on consumer-grade stuff will accommodate 1/32" bits. If you need to go smaller, you can use a pin vise as an adapter. I have an older pin vise and I'm amazed a bit at the concentricity of the arrangement of the bit in the pin vise and the pin vise in the chuck.

[john bateman]

I bought that press 3 years ago. Mine will tighten down on a 1/16" bit, but not a 1/32". I just checked.

[Floyd Cox]

1/16 Will work, thank you guys for helping out.


I bought that press 3 years ago. Mine will tighten down on a 1/16" bit, but not a 1/32". I just checked.