EVS drill press

[Tom M King]

When I used it horizontally, I'd had some help from above too. That one weighs 85 pounds.

[Andy D Jones]

Use the right tool for the job...

I'm a retired Electrical Engineer with 33 years' experience in circuit board design, fabrication and assembly. For manual work/rework, prototypes or small batch production, we used an arbor press for press-fit and swaged component installation. The arbor press's accuracy, rigidity and leverage make it far better for precision pressing than any drill press, in less space and for far less money. Except for large pin count, press-fit connectors, most components required only moderate force to install; you just need consistent, straight, controlled force, applied with an accurate stop. Swaging components typically required even less force (they're usually a soft metal like brass, copper or aluminum), applied over a relatively short distance. The arbor press is the right tool for the job, and a lot cheaper than any of these EVS drill presses.

As another example, I use a Forster Co-Ax reloading press, not a drill press, for reloading cartridge ammunition. There are shooters that use an arbor press with chamber type bullet seating and/or neck sizing dies. I'm not good enough to benefit from that level of reloading precision. Full-length resizing a fired cartridge requires an incredible amount of force at the end of the stroke, beyond the capability of most arbor presses. However, reloading presses are designed to provide almost infinite leverage at the end of the stroke (where it's needed.) The reloading press is the right tool for this job.

Furthermore, adding weight on a drill press table, and then measuring the table deflection relative to the spindle, is not representative of the actual stresses and deflections that would occur when the spindle itself is applying the force to the table. When the spindle applies the force to the table, the rigidity of the entire spindle-head-column-table combination is stressed. The reaction to that stress (flexure) can be measured. The first two elements of that combination are not stressed at all in the weight-on-table test.

Additionally, if the pressure of the spindle on the table also restrains lateral motion of the spindle relative to the table, then the test is not accurately measuring potential flexing of the entire combination in a working situation. To accurately measure that, you need to decouple the force from the spindle to the table in all axes accept vertical. You could float a parallel plate on three ball bearings (between the plate and the table). Otherwise the test setup itself adds rigidity to the spindle/head/column/table combination. The ball bearings should be fairly closely spaced, evenly around the spindle, to minimize flexing in the floating plate from corrupting the measurement of squareness to the spindle. Since the spindle will be applying force through the floating plate to the table, you may need to chuck up a substantial rod that will avoid flexing itself while transmitting that force to the floating plate.

When trying to assess system rigidity under stress, careful consideration of the test setup, and its potential contributions to that rigidity, is required.

--Andy - Arlington TX

As noted while I was adjusting the table to 90 with the spindle using a dual dial indicator Starrett spindle square (makes this job 1,000 times easier) I spun the spindle square around 90 degrees to check that the table was 90 degrees to the spindle front to back. With the dial indicator of truth on the table I put my arm across the front edge of the table and leaned on it heavy. I was able to get the table to deflect .003 as measured with the indicator. So I put even more weight on it, it wouldn't budge further that's pretty stout for a drill press.

See this, yes I use my drill press for all sorts of things not just wood. Those are Keystone turrets that are mechanically swaged to a circuit board kind of like a rivet. I use the anvil set on my drill press to seat them. Look now nice and even the swage is, if your drill press table deflects under load the swage will be lopsided and off center, the turret crooked.

Attachment 463479

Attachment 463480

[Charles Coolidge]

Use the right tool for the job...

I'm a retired Electrical Engineer with 33 years' experience in circuit board design, fabrication and assembly. For manual work/rework, prototypes or small batch production, we used an arbor press for press-fit and swaged component installation. The arbor press's accuracy, rigidity and leverage make it far better for precision pressing than any drill press, in less space and for far less money. Except for large pin count, press-fit connectors, most components required only moderate force to install; you just need consistent, straight, controlled force, applied with an accurate stop. Swaging components typically required even less force (they're usually a soft metal like brass, copper or aluminum), applied over a relatively short distance. The arbor press is the right tool for the job, and a lot cheaper than any of these EVS drill presses.

As another example, I use a Forster Co-Ax reloading press, not a drill press, for reloading cartridge ammunition. There are shooters that use an arbor press with chamber type bullet seating and/or neck sizing dies. I'm not good enough to benefit from that level of reloading precision. Full-length resizing a fired cartridge requires an incredible amount of force at the end of the stroke, beyond the capability of most arbor presses. However, reloading presses are designed to provide almost infinite leverage at the end of the stroke (where it's needed.) The reloading press is the right tool for this job.

Furthermore, adding weight on a drill press table, and then measuring the table deflection relative to the spindle, is not representative of the actual stresses and deflections that would occur when the spindle itself is applying the force to the table. When the spindle applies the force to the table, the rigidity of the entire spindle-head-column-table combination is stressed. The reaction to that stress (flexure) can be measured. The first two elements of that combination are not stressed at all in the weight-on-table test.

Additionally, if the pressure of the spindle on the table also restrains lateral motion of the spindle relative to the table, then the test is not accurately measuring potential flexing of the entire combination in a working situation. To accurately measure that, you need to decouple the force from the spindle to the table in all axes accept vertical. You could float a parallel plate on three ball bearings (between the plate and the table). Otherwise the test setup itself adds rigidity to the spindle/head/column/table combination. The ball bearings should be fairly closely spaced, evenly around the spindle, to minimize flexing in the floating plate from corrupting the measurement of squareness to the spindle. Since the spindle will be applying force through the floating plate to the table, you may need to chuck up a substantial rod that will avoid flexing itself while transmitting that force to the floating plate.

When trying to assess system rigidity under stress, careful consideration of the test setup, and its potential contributions to that rigidity, is required.

--Andy - Arlington TX

An engineer you say.

[Larry Frank]

Yes, one could set up a test to accurately measure deflection. But given the size of the column, significant deflection is unlikely. I commonly will put hand pressure on something to get a feel for deflection. When someone leaned on it and only got a couple thousandths, that is good enough for me. I am not going to spend hours setting up a major test ad someone suggested. For my woodworking and minor drilling of metal, the Nova works great.

However, if someone needs much greater accuracy and ridgity, they should purchase the appropriate tool.

[Tai Fu]

I don't know if you seen this before...


They're quite large too. I think this particular machine is probably about 2 meters tall.

[Mark e Kessler]

Lordy, I was trying to keep the real engineering out of this - it is just woodworking after all but your comments are spot on...

[Curt Harms]

I have a Far East Delta drill press that was 5 speed with the lowest speed around 500 RPM. I was able to install a 1/2 h.p. motor and VFD for a little over $200. This is with a new 3 phase motor. I could have done it for less if I had spent the time looking for a used 3 phase motor. The lowest speed with adequate torque is around 200 RPM, high speed around 2200 RPM. Works quite well.

[Charles Coolidge]

I kinda want to build a guitar tube amp, but all the components are expensive as hell, especially all the transformers needed. Is there not a way to use a switching power supply similar to a CO2 laser power supply? Maybe if I can source components from Taobao...

As a matter of fact, Taobao has actually about doubled my purchasing power because their prices are so low.

Recommend you look into Ceriatone amp kits out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia they are quite affordable. Power and output transformers together with power supply filtering is a big part of tube amp feel when playing, loose, firm, stiff so stick with transformers.

[Charles Coolidge]

I just think in reality, there is more variance in the bit and bolts used than the amount of run out in most any drill press, even cheap ones.

For sure my local hardware store bits are pretty lame. I like borrowing tooling from metalworking, 3 flute drill bits for example. 4-6 flute center cutting carbide end mills. Well carbide anything vs the hardware store junk. I think woodworking lathes have a head start with the use of insert tooling. Planers and jointers are following suit with insert helical cutter heads. So why not the lowly drill press...

[Andy D Jones]

An engineer you say.

Yes. Apparently we agree on something.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Brian Holcombe]

Checked the spindle on my Kira drill press, didn’t even register on my gauge which reads to .0005”, so next time I’m at my other shop I will pickup the .0001” indicator for novelty.

When the Albrecht goes on I will read the runout with a carbide pin.

[Andy D Jones]

I have read this thread and quite a few similar ones. I have hd the Nova Voyager for a couple of years now and really like it. I understand that some do not like all the electronics and I guess I kind of understand that. The one thing that I do not care for is the fact that the Nova only table tilts 45 degrees and I think that this is a major flaw. However, the Voyager does have a substantially more powerful motor and wider speed range.

I put together a table comparison of the two drill presses based on the data on their respective websites.

Attachment 463306 Attachment 463307

Thanks for the informative summary!

One minor correction: the Voyager's selectable option for maximum allowable speed is a non-volatile setting (set once and forget), and does not change the lowest allowable speed. Therefore the number of speed ranges for Nova is effectively one, since one setting can reach all possible speeds (unlike the two ranges on the PM). The advantage goes to Nova for that row.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Charles Coolidge]

Maybe the default top speed for the Nova Voyager is 3,000 rpm because...wait for it...the top recommended speed for ANY drill bit size or style in Wood Magazine's drill press speed chart for Softwood, Hardwood, Acrylic, Brass, Aluminum Steel is 3,000 rpm. lol So much for the Nova's extended 3,100 to 5,500 rpm. The PM EVS tops out at 3,600 rpm.

As for the Nova's "substantially more powerful motor) it's a whole 2 amps difference. My random orbital sander is 3 amps. And the Nova Voyager lacks a low gear.

[Tai Fu]

Only time you need 5000 rpm is if you are milling in a CNC machine with correspondingly high feed rate (1000mm/m feed rate for example). Otherwise that speed is pointless and drill presses use ball bearing, which is not suitable for milling at all.

Maybe if you want to drill 1mm holes in wood or aluminum. But I find these holes better done with a dremel tool.

[Edward Weber]

If you can divorce machine setup from woodworking setup tolerance or wood movement you will begin to understand where my thoughts are here. I want the machine setup as tight and accurately as possible.

Fixturing setup tolerance depends on the application, often enough my setup needs up to be very accurate for certain work. It’s just a distraction from getting the machine setup properly and doing so should be done to tolerances far tighter than then utilized in woodworking.

IE, do you want your saw blade to wobble .005” just because it “doesn’t matter” according to fact that wood moves? I assume no.

same goes here, I don’t want to cut holes .005” oversized just because.

I already addressed all of that is my previous post.
The only point I was attempting to make was ,
You can chase the elusive .000infinty or you can adjust things as close as you can (as your tools/budget permit) knowing that there will be movement afterwards. Also knowing that any misalignment of .oowhatever more than likely won't make any difference at all in the cut or the final product.The difference between .005 to .007 is not going to matter in most woodworking situations
If (in the perfect scenario) I drill the perfect hole in a piece of wood, it's only perfect for an instant. The fact that there is now a hole has changed the internal stresses of the wood, it has allowed ambient humidity in, it may have weakened the wood and so on and so on. It is now, no longer the perfect hole one worked so hard to achieve.

So, sure, you can separate machine setup from wood movement, I agree but where do you stop? When does it become not worth it to align your tool to machinist levels, knowing that after any alteration, whether it be planing, sawing or drilling, the material itself can change. Is it a thousandth, a ten thousandth or a hundred thousandth?

Also drill presses are named such, because here in the states they resemble the look of an arbor press. Other places they are often called pillar drills. Meaning the word press isn't a part of the name or description of the tool.
The bit should cut the wood with minimal effort, which is partially why most woodworking drill presses are less than 1HP. There is no need to have a table built like a bridge or any need the pull with all your might causing bit or table deflection. If you're seriously worried about the table or head deflecting due to too much force being applied, it's either the wrong tool for the application or you're using the proper tool incorrectly.
Remember, woodworking