I picked up a used 20” drill press today. The seller kept the lube system off of it. He has a hole threaded in the corner. Any ideas what it would take and I would need to put something back on it? I looked at some kits on Amazon but I haven’t came up with a great idea.
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Adding lube system to drill press
- Thread starter alex2929
- Start date
nadogail
Well-known member
I use a Harbor Freight magnetic parts tray to hold some cutting oil and an acid brush to lube my drill bit. The magnet keeps the troy from falling.
That little bit of cutting oil, spread with the Acid Brush, gives me enough lube for drilling and the mess is minimal.
That little bit of cutting oil, spread with the Acid Brush, gives me enough lube for drilling and the mess is minimal.
matt_i
Well-known member
I think you're making a mistake. Coolant gets all over, will make an oily mess, dry out or get nasty bacteria in it if water-based, have to constantly mess with the concentration. Water based will stain the metal surface, rust under the vise and between the interface of column and table-arm.
I would put a plug in there and drip some tap magic (or edge lube of your choice) onto the hole. Avoid the smoke, its not good for you long term.
Main thing is to keep heat down by keeping drilling speeds low and using pilot holes for large bits to keep the center web from rubbing its way thru. Edge tools are expensive and the lesson will be repeated until it is learned.
I would put a plug in there and drip some tap magic (or edge lube of your choice) onto the hole. Avoid the smoke, its not good for you long term.
Main thing is to keep heat down by keeping drilling speeds low and using pilot holes for large bits to keep the center web from rubbing its way thru. Edge tools are expensive and the lesson will be repeated until it is learned.
fsae0607
Well-known member
Agree with the others to keep it off. Get yourself a Spillmaster container, fill it with your favorite cutting oil and use an acid brush to apply. Perfect for a drill press.
Water-based cutting fluids are a pain in the *** and messy. At my last job, they were required to use water-based coolants in the CNC machines for EHS reasons. We could tell when the EHS guy was swapping out the fluids on the machines because the whole facility smelled like ***. Bacteria breed in the coolant.
Water-based cutting fluids are a pain in the *** and messy. At my last job, they were required to use water-based coolants in the CNC machines for EHS reasons. We could tell when the EHS guy was swapping out the fluids on the machines because the whole facility smelled like ***. Bacteria breed in the coolant.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Or do a cool mist system. We converted all of the large HEM saws, drill presses, and Bridgeport's to cool mist or similar type systems. The savings in the oil was huge and the mess much, much less. Blade life increase as well which was on every ones mind. Still mind blowing that such little oil in comparison to flood coolant could increase blade life that much.
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Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Steve Summers on YouTube recently put together a coolant system for his power bandsaw. I suppose a system for a drill press would be functionally similar.
The threaded holes are usually standard NPT (National pipe thread), look in the plumbing section at big box store.
But I agree with the others, a coolant system, (flood, mist or fog buster) will just make a royal mess all over the place.
And for regular drilling ops you just need some oil applied with a small brush.
But I agree with the others, a coolant system, (flood, mist or fog buster) will just make a royal mess all over the place.
And for regular drilling ops you just need some oil applied with a small brush.
metalmagpie
Well-known member
I believe that is a drain hole in your image.
If you are production drilling with solid carbide tooling then flood coolant makes sense. It should certainly be possible to fabricate shrouding that will keep coolant on the table so it will drain back down into your reservoir. However, on most home shop drill presses flood coolant would be massive overkill. Drip coolant, mist coolant, cutting oil you spray or dab on, these are all more common.
I suggest you use your machine for awhile and then think about adding coolant or not. And if you do use a bucket and a pump, put a lid on your bucket because anything sitting on the floor next to a drill press is going to catch a lot of chips and you really don't want those in your bucket.
metalmagpie
If you are production drilling with solid carbide tooling then flood coolant makes sense. It should certainly be possible to fabricate shrouding that will keep coolant on the table so it will drain back down into your reservoir. However, on most home shop drill presses flood coolant would be massive overkill. Drip coolant, mist coolant, cutting oil you spray or dab on, these are all more common.
I suggest you use your machine for awhile and then think about adding coolant or not. And if you do use a bucket and a pump, put a lid on your bucket because anything sitting on the floor next to a drill press is going to catch a lot of chips and you really don't want those in your bucket.
metalmagpie
FredWanaker
Well-known member
for an occasional hole no. Just dab or drip a little oil on the hole as you drill it. If you are going to go into production and drill hole after hole after hole then you might consider it. They are messy.