Drill Press Question

[Patty Hann]

One Drill press spec is "Distance from the spindle to the Base".
So is the distance measured from the spindle to the top of the base, or to the bottom of the base?
A DP base is at least 2 inches high. And I'm kind of short.
That 2+ inches might make a "comfort" difference to me. (I'd have to stand on a riser :rolleyes:)

[Bill Howatt]

I would say to the top surface under the spindle. The measurement is likely intended for those that want to know how tall of a piece they can fit under the spindle (hopefully, they will remember to subtract the exposed drill bit length. Another question might be if it includes the depth of the chuck or just the bare spindle.

[Patty Hann]

I would say to the top surface under the spindle. The measurement is likely intended for those that want to know how tall of a piece they can fit under the spindle (hopefully, they will remember to subtract the exposed drill bit length. Another question might be if it includes the depth of the chuck or just the bare spindle.

Thank you for the reply.
I also wondered if the measurement assumes a chuck is in place.
Anyway, I looked at several different manufacturers for that spec and they all spec it as "spindle to base", so I assume that measurement is without the chuck.

[Bill Howatt]

Bare spindle to base might make sense since larger bits can have a Morse taper and not require a chuck.

[Bill Dufour]

Bare spindle with no chuck gives a longer distance and lets them charge more for a bigger machine. i always wondered about lathe center to center distance. I assume shortest dead center they can make fit.
Bill D