Drill press and table recommendations

[Derek Cohen]

Prashun, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of dialing in the ideal speed for the drill bit. This not only is in the interest of edge longevity, but also avoiding burning. The Nova makes this extremely easy, taking all guess work out of the task. You can dial in all types and sizes of drill bits, and in all types of media, at the push of a button. Linked to this is the ease of variable speed - the hassle of changing belts is removed with the direct drive of the Nova. This means that you are more likely to set up the correct speed rather than rely (as I used to do) on a single, average speed for all tasks.

Am I trying to sell you on the Nova? I guess so … I do not know of a comparable drill press outside a Powermatic or the small Bosch. But it is more than just variable speed - it is all about setting the speed with a computer. Nova also make a smaller, less expensive model than the Voyager, called the Viking. Of course, the cost of the latter is still likely to be higher than most Chinese-made DPs, but it is a game changer if you can run to one (I am aware that these are a significant outlay, and not a priority for many). And I have not mentioned all the other features.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Prashun Patel]

I am sure you are right Derek. But burning is not my problem. I have a small drill press now that I have used for 15 years. The quality of the holes are fine for me.

The nova solves a problem that I do not have.

I am trying to set up angled drilling and vertical positioning easier.

[Thomas Wilson]

I have the Delta 18-900L. I bought before the Delta changed ownership. It was out of production for a while but is back now. It has 18” between chuck and post and 6” travel. The table tilts on two axes, side to side and front to back. Two belts, three pulleys, five steps per pulley. The tension release on the middle pulley makes belt changes easy enough. I mostly leave it on the max speed which is good up to 5/16 I think. I follow the table of speeds printed inside the cover. The price is running $1840 or so.

It is a solid tool.

[Mike Stelts]

With no reservations, I recommend you buy the Nova. An expensive way to learn the importance of drill speed, and an easy way to choose the right speed. I couldn't believe what I was missing by not changing the belt on the pulleys as much as I should; now, I push a button. Meanwhile, you get a great drill press that makes batch jobs a breeze. I couldn't believe I was paying so much for a drill press (moment of weakness) and now I can't believe that I waited so long (years of regret).

[Rich Engelhardt]

Variable speed adjustment is the number one qualification for me. Changing belts is a pain and like Jim I found one low speed and change only when I have to. All DPs allow for changing table angles but getting them back to dead zero quickly and accurately has not been developed yet to my knowledge.

Quick speed changes is the reason I went with a Wen 4214T. It's so nice to just move a handle to change speeds. My only complaint is that it only slows down to 580rpm.

For setting tables to 90* - I stick a 4 1/2" hole saw in the chuck and use that to quickly set the table.

[Derek Cohen]

I am sure you are right Derek. But burning is not my problem. I have a small drill press now that I have used for 15 years. The quality of the holes are fine for me.

The nova solves a problem that I do not have.

I am trying to set up angled drilling and vertical positioning easier.

Prashun, speaking of drilling angles, I suspect that you have drilling chair mortices in mind? If so, I prefer to make a subtable at the desired angle. This makes for very fast changes as well as making the process less intrusive ...





Regards from Perth

Derek

[Larry Frank]

I have had a Nova Voyager for quite a few years and smile when I use it. I was shocked to see the current price which is about two grand.

I bought it to replace my Jet drill press which had too much quill slop. The Nova has almost no run out. I do not use a lot of the features but the speed adjustment is great. However, everyone decides which tool works best for them.

I like Derek's solution for drill angles and I have done similar to make small wheels.

I would love to have a drill press table that will go up and down with a button push.

[Andrew Templeton]

I have nothing but good things to say about my Jet JDP-17. I have looked at the Nova numerous times and played around with it, but I never found the desire to swap up to the Nova which is significantly more expensive than the Jet I bought on sale several years ago. Normally I have the desire to climb into more expensive tools than I need, but this is one of those tools I just cannot see me ever using enough to justify the difference in price. I think the reason why you see so many of these Jets out there is they work great at a reasonable price.

[Scott T Smith]

I have the Delta 18-900L. I bought before the Delta changed ownership. It was out of production for a while but is back now. It has 18” between chuck and post and 6” travel. The table tilts on two axes, side to side and front to back. Two belts, three pulleys, five steps per pulley. The tension release on the middle pulley makes belt changes easy enough. I mostly leave it on the max speed which is good up to 5/16 I think. I follow the table of speeds printed inside the cover. The price is running $1840 or so.

It is a solid tool.

I have this same drill press in my wood shop, and have been pleased with it. When I bought it I vacillated between the Delta and the Powermatic variable speed version, but I ultimately decided that the Delta was better for my needs.

Having said that - the Nova sure looks nice and would be worthy of consideration. In my metal shop I have a variable speed Ellis drill press, and the Nova seems like a woodworking version. The only thing that I did not like about the Nova was the run out in the chuck that was obvious in one of the video's.

[Derek Cohen]

Run out on my Nova was measured with the chuck. The result was negligible runout …





Regards from Perth

Derek

[Alan Lightstone]

Prashun:

I don't need to jump on the bandwagon for the Nova Voyager (OK, I can't help it, I love mine), but that being said, I really like Derek's approach to angles.

As far as height adjustment is concerned, don't most if not all drill presses have a similar height adjustment mechanism? Never really thought about it. Just the ones I have owned were all pretty similar.

What I really struggle with is a convenient way to clamp workpieces to the drill press table. Outside of a homemade table I made with cross t-tracks, none have worked well for me. I love the Woodpeckers fence/dust collection setup and the drawer underneath, that drawer makes clamping difficult.

[Ole Anderson]

Two features I couldn't live without: a quill lock and a geared table lift.

[Justin Rapp]

I also have a Jet, it's a 17" forgot the exact model number but i've hat it for over a decade. It's belt driven and while it isn't a big deal to change the speed, if I was to invest in one today it would be electronically controlled. I also have a woodpecker drill table (not the new DP-pro). Price was about 150 buck or so when I bought it and included hold downs and clamps so it wasn't worth building my own.

[Steve Demuth]

I am aware of all the reasons not to like Delta tools, but I nonetheless recommend the Delta 18-900L for your situation. I've had one for about five years, and it has been a rock solid, reliable and robust machine. It has two axis table tilt, a heavy duty table height adjustment rack with cranked pinion. Spindle runout is about .001" and the depth stop is handly and easily adjusted. And while the advocates for the Nova will say changing belts for speed adjustments is a hassle, I don't see it. It takes about 30 seconds on the Delta - a pretty minor part of any setup. My only gripes on the Delta (which I bought new) are that the fit and finish on the chuck were not good, the gooseneck on the built-in LED light is about 6" too short for good positioning on many setups (so I use off-tool lighting sometimes), and the laser crosshairs are a worthless frill to my taste. All pretty minor and easily fixed.

And, as an added bonus, compared to the Nova, it's all mechanical. I am not anti-electronics, but I do avoid them where the added value of the complexity and fragility they add is marginal.

[George Yetka]

I have the pm2800 and do like it. I got it right when the original Nova came out. It seemed the logical choice at the time as the Nova was too new. I would probably get the Nova today. The Pm2800 has an easy to adjust speed wheel with a digital display. so speed control is easy but not digital. The factory table was workable but I recently built a table and added the woodpecker fence to it. I think no matter what your choice you will need an auxilary table for woodworking, whether it be complex or simply a sheet of ply with 2 tracks in it