I'm planning to buy a Drill Press to make furniture; what specs should I look for?

[Minh Tran]

EDITED: I read this guide: http://www.fundamentalsofwoodworking.com/woodworking-resources/Woodworking-Articles/what-to-look-for-when-purchasing-a-drill-press.

I'd like to buy a drill press with a chuck size that will support a wide variety of drill bits (so I don't have to worry about upgrading to a model to use different bits). Does a 5/8" drill bit as big as they come?

In terms of power, I read that 1/4 to 3/4 HP is typical. I might need to drill large holes or bore small holes into metal to build a table saw fence. Do I need higher HP?

I'd like to buy from CL but I don't know what to avoid. Are there any red flags to look out for?

Best,
MT

[Bill White]

I have a floor model old (1952) Craftsman-King Seeley with a 1/2" chuck and 1750 rpm motor 1/2 HP.
I added a link type belt, and this old boy does all I've ever needed. It is a 4 speed. Change the belts to change speeds.
Built like a tank, and weighs as much too.
Bill

[Minh Tran]

Hi,

It may be a silly question but can you use that drill press to cut up to 1" diameter holes in steel? Softer metals?

[daryl moses]

Quill travel is important IMO, the longer the better. My old DP has a short stroke and it's annoying.

[Bill Neely]

EDITED: I read this guide: http://www.fundamentalsofwoodworking.com/woodworking-resources/Woodworking-Articles/what-to-look-for-when-purchasing-a-drill-press.

I'd like to buy a drill press with a chuck size that will support a wide variety of drill bits (so I don't have to worry about upgrading to a model to use different bits). Does a 5/8" drill bit as big as they come?

In terms of power, I read that 1/4 to 3/4 HP is typical. I might need to drill large holes or bore small holes into metal to build a table saw fence. Do I need higher HP?

I'd like to buy from CL but I don't know what to avoid. Are there any red flags to look out for?

Best,
MT

You can get larger drill bits with 1/2" shanks, Silver & Deming, so you aren't limited by the chuck size.

[phil harold]

Hi,

It may be a silly question but can you use that drill press to cut up to 1" diameter holes in steel? Softer metals?
That depends on the speed of the drill
surface feet per minute will determine if you can
steel limits you to 40-80 sfpm depending on the kind of steel
but in general terms this chart will determine your drill speeds
338941

[Mike Heidrick]

Keep an eye out for a MillDrill if you want an r8 collet (tons of mounting options) and a great speed range. Also gives you an x/y table that is great for mounting jis or a vise to index to. A RongFu 30 (RF30) is a round column milldrill that the head can be rotated on. It weighs in around 800lbs. There are other smaller milldrills available too. I dont think i would like a much smaller one though.

I also keep a King Seeley. Its super nice for old school DP. Its pretty plain jane feature wise but can be found cheap.

[Rich Riddle]

I recommend a floor model with a long quill throw, variable speed, and a Morse taper chuck. You can then change chucks if needed and even use Morse taper drill bits. I found an old Delta model but know Powermatic made a similar model. They last forever.

[Mike Cutler]

EDITED: I read this guide: http://www.fundamentalsofwoodworking.com/woodworking-resources/Woodworking-Articles/what-to-look-for-when-purchasing-a-drill-press.

I'd like to buy a drill press with a chuck size that will support a wide variety of drill bits (so I don't have to worry about upgrading to a model to use different bits). Does a 5/8" drill bit as big as they come?

Drill bit's can be purchased in sizes much larger than 5/8". Above a 1/2" they're "shanked", meaning that they have a section that is 1/2" diameter, to fit in the chuck. The rest of the bit length is the diameter of the bit itself.

In terms of power, I read that 1/4 to 3/4 HP is typical. I might need to drill large holes or bore small holes into metal to build a table saw fence. Do I need higher HP?

Generally speaking, the more power you have, the better of you are. In a drill press, it is matching cutting speed, bit size, and material that is most important. If you see yourself using very large "holesaw" types cutter, than you might want to consider more power. These bits have a large circumference and require power to cut.

I'd like to buy from CL but I don't know what to avoid. Are there any red flags to look out for?

Buying off of Craigslist is tough, but not impossible. I would look for a floor standing drill press, with a 'largish" table. As much quill trade as I could get. The ability to control speed, RPM's across as wide a range as possible 1/2HP minimum, and in good working condition. You may want to be a dial indicator with to check for runout, but at the minimum make sure you can turn it on and try drilling a few holes wth it to make sure that the quill assembly doesn't need to be rebuilt.
Find a new drip press that has the features that you believe you want in a drill press and base your searches off that criteria.

Best,
MT

Good luck with hunt. It may take some time but there are good machines for sale on Craigslist.

[glenn bradley]

Plenty of opinions on this; here's mine for what its worth.

Quill travel beyond 4" is nice but, not critical to me. On today's lesser quality machines the less the quill is extended, the better. I would take a 3-3/4" quill travel on a machine that had minimal runout and good vertical quill stability over a 6" that did not.

Variable speed is a luxury but, most VS machines I see do not run slow enough for woodworking; I would not want to spin a 5" circle cutter at 300 RPM.

Despite some good examples, most drill presses require an additional table for woodworking. These are easily built and there are many great examples on the forums.

When you are looking for a large enough capacity chuck don't forget to check the minimum size bit that it will take.

[Chris Fournier]

I think that Glenn nailed it. Of course I'd say buy the biggest swing that you can afford.


Plenty of opinions on this; here's mine for what its worth.

Quill travel beyond 4" is nice but, not critical to me. On today's lesser quality machines the less the quill is extended, the better. I would take a 3-3/4" quill travel on a machine that had minimal runout and vertical quill stability over a 6" that did not.

Variable speed is a luxury but, most VS machines I see do not run slow enough for woodworking; I would not want to spin a 5" circle cutter at 300 RPM.

Despite some good examples, most drill presses require an additional table for woodworking. These are easily built and there are many great examples on the forums.

When you are looking for a large enough capacity chuck don't forget to check the minimum size bit that it will take.

[Brad Patch]

Minh,

With all due respect avoid cheap Asian made machines. They simply are not up to the quality of vintage American made machines. Their fit and finish as well as absence of very useful features are a deal breaker. Most vintage machines have a split head, that can be adjusted to compensate for quill wear. They will most likely have a provision for locking the quill at any predetermined depth, some floor models will have a provision to raise and lower the table using a crank As others have said more quill travel is an advantage. Some Asian machines have provisions for up to 12 speeds, which would seem to be an advantage, but the speed mechanisms are cheaply made and introduce vibration. Unless you plan on drilling very large holes you really don't need a real slow speed. I have owned four presses the first was a Rockwell radial which offered a lot of versatility but at a cost of poor rigidity, The second was an import which lacked important features, The third was a vintage bench model Walker Turner, a wonderful tool which I would still have if I had the space. I now have a vintage 17 inch Delta floor model model, has all the required features and is built like a tank! .

[Keith Weber]

I recommend a floor model with a long quill throw, variable speed, and a Morse taper chuck. You can then change chucks if needed and even use Morse taper drill bits. I found an old Delta model but know Powermatic made a similar model. They last forever.

Mihn,

I have to agree with Rich. Bench models are usually under-powered, and that one time you want to drill a hole in the end of a a 3-foot piece of wood or metal, you'll wish you had bought a floor model. Variable speed is a luxury, but the chances that you'll run your bit at the proper speed increases greatly with variable speed. Swapping belts is a pain when you're trying to get stuff done in a timely manner. Chances are you'll just leave it at an intermediate speed and call it good enough for most of you applications. Short quill travel drill presses are annoying to use. I would by vintage US before a new import.


It may be a silly question but can you use that drill press to cut up to 1" diameter holes in steel? Softer metals?

For holes of that size, you usually don't use a conventional drill bit. It just requires too much material removal, which takes time, effort, and costs more in terms of dulling of bits. You would usually use hole saws or annular cutters. Learn to clamp stuff down (either to the table or in a vise). Drill presses appear to be pretty safe, but the bit can grab the workpiece in a heartbeat and turn it into a knuckle-bashing propeller that can break bones. Gloves and drill presses also don't mix. The glove can get caught up in the spinning bit, and pull you into it. If the drill is powerful enough, it can twist your hand or fingers off.

Your name sounds Vietnamese. Do you live in the US, or do they have Craigslist in Vietnam?

[phil harold]

For holes of that size, you usually don't use a conventional drill bit. It just requires too much material removal, which takes time, effort, and costs more in terms of dulling of bits.
Wow
I would disagree with that statement
with proper feed rate, lubrication, and horsepower there should not be a problem drilling a 1" hole in steel
if you are planning on doing a lot of heavy duty drilling or swinging large diameters you might be interested in a complex drilling machine
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand-29-inch-x-8-inch-Table/G0705?utm_campaign=zPage

[Rich Engelhardt]

Some Asian machines have provisions for up to 12 speeds, which would seem to be an advantage, but the speed mechanisms are cheaply made and introduce vibration.+1.
I got sucked into buying a 12 speed GMC bench top thinking the 12 speeds would be great.
Changing speeds is such a chore, I refuse to do it. I set the DP on the middle speed and now have a single speed DP.

A simple 5 speed would be much better for my needs.

[Prashun Patel]

More critical is your choice of bits. It doesn't take a lot of power to drill holes for most woodworking applications. When it does, I have always been able to finish off with a hand drill or to use a router instead.

I have a benchtop DP. Some floor standing models allow the table to tilt vertically which allows drilling into the ends of longer stock.

Critical for me is an easily adjustable table that holds its setting. Look for slop in the table if you buy used.

Also, bring your own bits (good bits) and watch for run out on the quill.

[Keith Weber]

Wow
I would disagree with that statement
with proper feed rate, lubrication, and horsepower there should not be a problem drilling a 1" hole in steel
if you are planning on doing a lot of heavy duty drilling or swinging large diameters you might be interested in a complex drilling machine
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand-29-inch-x-8-inch-Table/G0705?utm_campaign=zPage

Oh, Phil! My comment deserved a "Wow"??? Seriously? You can disagree if you like, but I cut through heavy steel almost daily, and if I had to cut 25 or 50 holes 1" diameter through 3/4" plate steel, I would be using an annular drill bit, not a conventional drill bit. Proper lubrication, speed and feed rate are important for any drilling operation -- that's a given. If you think that cutting ALL the metal from a large hole uses the same energy and effort as removing the outer 1/8" of the hole, then you clearly lack an understanding of simple physics. Maybe we just have a different idea of what heavy duty is -- that Grizzly that you linked is a toy that I wouldn't consider heavy duty at all.

[Ole Anderson]

I agree, using a conventional 1" drill bit (Silver and Deming) on steel is tough, even on a larger 5/8" sized drill press which I used to own, I have done it and it is a chore. And if you are drilling thin material you will likely get a triangular shaped hole. If you really need to do that I would suggest moving up to a Mill/Drill machine or using a good quality hole saw. When they put a 1/2" chuck on a DP, it is really saying it is optimized for maximum 1/2" conventional bit in mild steel. 5/8" chuck, 5/8" hole. Yes you can go bigger, but it starts becoming difficult, the rig just can't deliver enough torque and it will stall when it starts to get a burr.

Some will disagree, but for me a DP without a quill lock is a stopper. I use mine almost every time I do a setup, or use a sanding drum. My DP doesn't have a table lift crank though and I wish it had one. This 25 year old Craftsman I bought new looks goofy with the narrow belt but I have used it for production and am only on the second belt. The mill/drill has seen some production too swinging a 3" surfacing mill with the power feed table.

[phil harold]

Oh, Phil! My comment deserved a "Wow"??? Seriously? You can disagree if you like, but I cut through heavy steel almost daily, and if I had to cut 25 or 50 holes 1" diameter through 3/4" plate steel, I would be using an annular drill bit, not a conventional drill bit. Proper lubrication, speed and feed rate are important for any drilling operation -- that's a given. If you think that cutting ALL the metal from a large hole uses the same energy and effort as removing the outer 1/8" of the hole, then you clearly lack an understanding of simple physics. Maybe we just have a different idea of what heavy duty is -- that Grizzly that you linked is a toy that I wouldn't consider heavy duty at all.
IMO hole saws just aren't precision tools...

[Pat Barry]

I'd want a machine with good low speed operation (I rarely change speed on my machine - its a belt system with multiple front and back pulleys and I'd rather live with the low speed operation for the work I do), a half inch collet, a throat depth of at least 10 inches, a machine that will allow you to drill holes into the ends of relatively long posts (ie. 4+ foot working height).

[Keith Weber]

IMO hole saws just aren't precision tools...

I couldn't agree with you more -- but neither is a twist drill in a drill press. If you want precision, you use a proper milling machine and reamer to finish off an undersized hole (they come in increments of 0.0001") -- or use a boring head if you don't have reamers as big as your hole. But none of this applies to a woodworker wanting to drill an occasional hole in steel. Every bit has its place, it's up to the user to select one that balances the required speed, cost, and accuracy.

For the O.P. -- You might also consider good-quality step drills if the thickness of your steel is less than the bit step depth. They make a nice, round hole, and cut with significantly less effort than a single, big twist drill, and they're much faster than swapping through increasing bit sizes. Lenox makes a good quality step drill, IMO. Irwin and Harbor Fright not so much.