Need Opinions.... Drill Press

[Corey Hallagan]

I have a fifteen year old Craftsman 15 inch Drill press - floor model. It was sold as a 1 HP model (for what that is worth) and I forget how many speeds, I thought 16 maybe? Anyway, it is in top condition and looks like new as I cover my equipment when not in use with big clear garbage bags. It is also on a mobile base.

Here is the deal, I am considering selling this DP. The reason is it takes up a fair amount of space. I do not use it alot,however when I need it I need it. My uses for a drill press are primarily for some spindle sanding and of course precision drill and for hogging out wood with a large forstener bit for clock movements and fit ups. So... question is, can I do that same stuff on a say 199.00 Delta benchtop etc.? This would allow me to mount it to another benchtop and free up space for something like a Bandsaw in the future or maybe a planer or something like that. I would need to be able to get close to $200.00 or not much less for the drill press.

So will a benchtop do what I need it to do and do you think I could get 180. - 200.00 for my floor model or should I just keep it?

Thanks,
Corey

[Vaughn McMillan]

Corey, I get a lot of mileage out of my <$100 Delta benchtop DP (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=40162-32764-DP200&lpage=none), and from your description, it sounds like you could do quite well with a benchtop model. I don't know used tool prices well enough to know if the $180 - $200 range is a reasonable expectation for your old one. I'm sure other Creekers will weigh in on that aspect.

- Vaughn

[Joe Mioux]

Keep it.

I can't imagine how a floor DP is going to take up more space than a bench top.

If you need space how about putting your current DP on rollers

JOe

[Bernie Weishapl]

Corey I have the DP 200 Delta Drill press. I use a 3 1/8" forstner bit in it for larger clock movements. It is no speed demon but works for me. Amazon I think has these for about $96 with 1/4 hp motor or the DP 300 with 1/3 hp for about $170. I tried them both at ACE Hardware and I could tell a dimes worth of difference. It is not going to drill like a 1/2 to 1 hp floor model but if you are wanting to hog out wood FAST with a 2" or larger forstner bit you had better keep your floor press. I put mine on the lowest speed and drill slow. By the way Corey my Grizzly G0555 is now in the place where my floor drill press was.

[Corey Hallagan]

Joe, when you have room on a bench top that you have already and waiting, I would put one on the benchtop and have the entire space available where the DP was. My DP is on a mobile base, however in my opinion a DP is one tool you want to move as little as possible. I put it on it as it made it easier to relocate when I was redoing my shop. Drill presses are extremely top heavy and easy to tip, it is not something I want to move alot to avoid injury or damage.
Corey

[Joe Mioux]

Corey

You have the exact opposite dilemma I have. I own a bench top drill press, a Delta 12" DP. I have it on a portable bench. I would much rather have a floor model.

JOe

[Corey Hallagan]

Sounds like it Joe. If my shop was bigger, I wouldn't give it a thought and would keep it. My shop is just the front of a 1 car garage and a minivan gets parked in it as well so I utilize the space if front and down the side. I am trying to put as many items on the benches along the wall for those items I can't put on a bench. I will just have to see how it goes.
Thanks,
Corey

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Vaughn, Bernie. I am not worried about hogging material out fast however, I do need to be able to use a 3 1/8 forstener bit in oak without burning up the motor or over heating it. If you guys do this kind of work on your benchtops then I don't see any reason to not make a switch here. Thinking about it :)

Corey

[Harry Goodwin]

Corey: I was told years ago that you need a floor model to use mortising attatchment. I bought the attatchment and never used it ha, ha. It is good for my machine vise. In a small shop it can be used as a support for other machines. So think long and hard before you dispose of it. Harry

[Randy Meijer]

The "footprint" of your floor model is not really much bigger than that of a bench top model unless you get one of the tiny ones. If you are just trying to free up up floor space and have excess bench capacity, here is an idea. Don't know if it would work.....never heard it suggested before. Disassemble as much of the DP as is necessary and cut off as much of the post as is appropriate and turn that floor model into a bench top. It certainly will be a little bigger than a normal bench top; but you will have the extra motor capacity of the bigger DP and you will not take a financial hit loss on the old DP and price of a new one. I would like to hear from others as to whether this is a practical alternative or not???

[Bernie Weishapl]

Randy I have seen that a couple of times only not cutting the stems down. I have a friend of mine who took and cut a slot the size of the stem of the DP in the top of his bench and the bottom shelf about 1' from the corner. He cut the slot deep enough that the bottom of the DP was even with the edge of the bench. He slide the saw into the slot and clamped it on both shelves which made it rock solid. I must admit it works like a champ and he still has his bigger press. He wanted to do like I think Corey wants to free up precious floor space. When he moved his drill press that is where he put his new bandsaw. I don't see why that wouldn't work though.

[Perry Holbrook]

I know this sounds crazy, but I have seen pictures where people have hung their floor model DP from the ceiling. In order to do this you have to be able to flip the head assembly on the shaft, then bolt the base to the ceiling. You will need to figure out a method of raising and lowering the table. In addition to saving space, this gives the DP an almost unlimited swing capicity.Perry

[Corey Hallagan]

Intersting ideas guys! Thinking about how I can acomplish chopping the thing in half :) I like that idea, but sounds like alot of work... either it would be a smashing sucess or fail miserably ruining a good drill press :(
Bernie, that is a good idea as well but kind of won't work with the bench I have planned. Still trying to envision the drill press mounted from the ceiling. I think we have a piece of exercise equipment around here that would work with that!!

Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yea I know Corey if you are going to put drawers under the bench that would be out. He just has the bench top and a shelf about 6" off the floor. It does work great. Just a idea. Good luck Corey. By the way Corey I will PM you with a picture of the back of the spline jig tonight.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Corey couldn't figure out how to put pictures on PM's. So will send them here. Here is the back of my spline jig. The fence on the back slides on my fence on the table saw. I am still looking for the spline jig for boxes. Hope this helps.

[Corey Hallagan]

Excellent Bernie! Very nice, I like that jig. Got my wheels going now!

Corey

[Randy Meijer]

.....I have a friend of mine who took and cut a slot the size of the stem of the DP in the top of his bench and the bottom shelf about 1' from the corner. He cut the slot deep enough that the bottom of the DP was even with the edge of the bench. He slide the saw into the slot and clamped it on both shelves which made it rock solid.

That might be an alternative; but many benches have drawers or other structural members that would interfere with such an arrangement.

[Joe Mioux]

Hey Corey:

With all this talk about cutting, why not just cut a slot in your bench and slide you floor DP into the slot.:)

Joe

editied: P.S. OOPS never, mind I just read a couple of earlier posts.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Corey couldn't figure out how to put pictures on PM's. So will send them here. Here is the back of my spline jig. The fence on the back slides on my fence on the table saw. I am still looking for the spline jig for boxes. Hope this helps.
Bernie, here's a link to a thread discussing how I did a spline jig for boxes. I've learned to use a piece of sacrificial 1/4" ply on the outfeed side to prevent tearout, but it works well for splined miters on boxes and frames both.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23905&highlight=sledding

- Vaughn

[Hank Knight]

Corey, my Dad had a sweet WWII era Walker Turner bench top drill press. It was a wonderful machine - simple, powerful and solid as a rock, and considerably larger than the average modern bench top drill press. It was stolen with most of his other tools 20 years ago. I see them on eBay occasionally, and I've come within an inch of buying one for the very same reasons you're looking at switching out your floor model. If I ever decide to make the switch, I'll wait until I can find a Walker Turner. I don't think the new machines can hold a candle to the "old arn."

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks Vaugh. Looks good.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks guys, still thinking about it but really leaning towards selling it.

Corey

[Dev Emch]

Corey...
Boy is this going to sound sick. Just got a report from the auction front back in New Jersey. I guess the good news is that I could not get out there today so its one of those coulda-woulda deals.

But a drill press identical to Lou's went for a mere $100 dollars. Yup, a full bore, walker turner radial arm drill press complete with the T slot table and all the fixins.

BUMMMMMEEERRRRRRRR..... You win some and you loose some.... as the military says.... You need to act on ACTIONABLE intelligence!

[Phil Ordway]

My experience with a late model Delta is "They don't make them like they used to." I would get a dial indicator with a mag base and wait for a vintage Walker-Turner, Powermatic, Rockwell, Atlas etc. drill press with the motor and capacity you need. Check the runout with the dial indicator. The vintage machines were better made!

[Corey Hallagan]

Good lord Dev! Some guys have all the luck aye!

Corey

[Corey Hallagan]

OK, the decision is in. I am keeping my big drill press. In fact, I have had enough of this cramped set up. I am putting my foot down. The garage is now mine. The car is out. She can park her van out side. That's it. I will now be getting a nice planer and jointer, a band saw, the table saw will be in the middle of the space with an outfeet/assembly table. So what if she has to go out and start a cold car! What's more important here!! I am looking thru the Grizzley catalog and.................oh hi honey... what uh.. I was just kidding.. really, seriously was ... wait don't .. WHACK!!!! Stop I was just .. WHACK WHACK ... Kidding. Honest I was... I love my little.... WHACK WHACK ... shop....... WHACK WHACK......later guuuyyyyyyyssssssssssss

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yea Corey and if she is like mine she is not using a broom or fly swatter!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[Hank Knight]

Losing control like that can get you killed!

[Corey Hallagan]

LOL.... I should be fully healed by Monday! Bernie, you got it. I always wondered why she had be make that big paddle shaped thing with holes drilled in the end.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yea and her favorite saying is, "I will put a knot on your head you can't wash off in the bathtub." OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH that hurts.:D

[Dave Richards]

Corey, would it be possible to make or adapt a cabinet to put on the base of the drill press? My thought is that if you make a cabinet to replace some existing cabinet (or adapt the existing one) and use it as a base under the drill press you could accomplish two things. First, you could reduce the total footprint of your shop stuff. And b. you'd improve the stability of the drill press as a mobile tool increasing the safety when moving it around.

It sounds to me as if you don't need the height benfit of a floor-standing drill press, at least very often.

Maybe this would solve your problems.

Oh. And don't worry too much about the bruises. If she hits you enough you'll build up callouses and it won't hurt so much. :D