[OP]
Contributor
Hola and happy Friday! Hope everyone (except me) is taking some time off.
Another tool for the 'passively looking' category is the Radial Arm Drill Press.. What brands / models are considered quality for purchasing used?
I'm seeing Rockwell (of course), Walker Turner, Donau (looks really nice)... Thoughts?
Yes, I have 3 phase!
Contributor
Delta, Walker Turner, and Rockwell, all made industrial radial arm drill presses, but they are HEAVY! We have a Delta and a Rockwell at work, probably 50 years old and they require a fork lift to move them. A working DoAll would be a bit much for a home shop.There's also a Grizzly model at work, probably 30+ years old, and it will accurately put a hole wherever you want it in lighter materials.
I see them on Craigslist from time to time, and they're not that expensive, but you would need to be able to replace the bearings and any worn parts yourself, if it were necessary. And be able to pick it up. For some reason, sellers on CL, selling heavy equipment, all have bad backs and can't help move the machine.
Have you considered a lighter duty milling machine? Those are for sale everywhere, and while they may not be able to hold machine shop tolerance accuracies any longer, they would make a perfectly good drill press for wood.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
[OP]
Contributor
clearly you don't me if you think I don't fantasize about having a knee mill or equivalent. I used to work in machine shops, I'm well aware of how big radial arm drills can get.
I'm see used prices on ebay (probably high) of around $1500 for a nice used one.
Yes, I have 3 phase!
Contributor
A Rockwell Radiall DP I restored a few years ago:Originally Posted by andrew whicker
[IMG][/IMG]
Contributor
As always, it all depends on your use.
I have the benchtop Grizzly
https://www.grizzly.com/products/gri...ll-press/g7945
Works great but I don't use it everyday. Being able to drill an acurate hole 17" from the edge at any angle comes in handy, especially for splayed leg projects.
Contributor
Those things take up a lot of room.
Contributor
Not as much as you might think: see picture above. Slightly more room needed front to back.
Contributor
Just a warning to those who might be thinking about a light weight unit.
I had a Delta bench unit that was small enough to be in a woodworking hobby shop, and it worked fine drilling holes with normal drill bits, but when I tried to do angles, or especially drilling larger angled holes for a shop stool, the column flexed enough to not be accurate. It also flexed drilling holes in steel if the head was extended more than 7" or so.
Remember, the farther out from the column the head is, the more force is on the column, and angles make it worse.
Two years and I sold it.
Last edited by Rick Potter; 12-22-2023 at 1:11 PM.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
As Rick points out, these things need to be beefy to do any but the lightest work accurately. Here's a good starting point
radial drill press.JPG
Just funnin' with ya.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Contributor
I've never had a flexing issue.
I'm also one who believes that a drillpress is a drill, not a press. I don't ever apply lots of pressure, if it won't drill easily within reason, the bit needs attention.
I've seen guys almost hanging on the handle trying to get a hole drilled (any episode of Forged in Fire). While a certain amount of pressure is needed and of course varies with bits, materials etc. There should never be a need to apply enough pressure to "flex" any part of the tool, especially the tube which IMO, can't be "flexed"
https://www.roguefab.com/tube-calculator/
Any play comes from between the castings and the tubes, primarily the radial.
Personally. I think the entire subject about flexing is overblown. Not that it can't/hasn't happened, just overblown.
[OP]
Contributor
That's a just a small guy when it comes to machine shop work.
Yes, I have 3 phase!
[OP]
Contributor
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312249403635
This is closer to the size I got used to being around. They're kind of odd tools. Not accurate enough to match mills. They got used for drilling holes that didn't require a lot of accuracy to take workload off the mills. Ours wasn't used that often.
Yes, I have 3 phase!
Contributor
Happy holiday season!
I have both a standard drill press (craftsman) and a delta radial arm. I would say it is 50/50 which one i pick. Radial is nice for deep depth from an edge hole. Never done it, the manual shows that i can rotate the head 90 degrees and drill things from the ground up. Picture a 6' board from the floor standing up. Not sure what it would take to make me try that, has not come up in the several years since I got it.
My experience,
Chris
Contributor
This is the type that shows up the most. The difference between a 15" and a 32" would be 17" additional needed front to back if I have that correct.
images-1.jpg
Last edited by Cameron Wood; 12-22-2023 at 2:40 PM.
Contributor
I have this one as well. It's a great DP. Someday I'll have it on a cabinet with a clamp/vice so that I can drill into longer items. I haven't started the design yet so that could all go out the window. As far as it being a nice drill press it totally does what I want/need.
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