Drill press

[Askme42]

Was thinking about maybe taking a look at one of these.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/4816647357.html

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/4810298935.html

 

[uart]

Do you want it mainly for woodwork or for metalwork too?

If you're going to be drilling a lot of metal then you might be better looking for something that can get slower speeds than 700 RPM. My little DP only goes down to 600 RPM and I often wish I could go slower.

 

[Askme42]

Do you want it mainly doe woodwork or for metalwork too?

If you're going to be drilling a lot of metal then you might be better looking for something that can get slower speeds than 700 RPM. My little DP only goes down to 600 RPM and I often wish I could go slower.

Ok thanks. It would likely be mostly metal. I wondered about that. I saw 4 different speeds which I figured was good but thanks for the info.

 

[zkling]

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/4797365485.html

 

[Askme42]

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/4797365485.html

Here's another problem I have I don't know enough about drill presses to know what the good older ones are.

Guess I need to read up some more here.

 

[uart]

Ok thanks. It would likely be mostly metal. I wondered about that. I saw 4 different speeds which I figured was good but thanks for the info.

Yeah lower speeds help a lot when drilling steel. Different speed charts vary a lot, depending on the quality of the tooling and whether it's production work or hobby/prototype stuff, but at 700 RPM you're probably looking at about 5/16", maybe 3/8" max, into mild steel without stressing anything too much. Much less for harder steels.

This speed chart is often referenced here. It's fairly conservative (I've seen other charts that do allow faster speeds than this one), but it gives a rough guide.

 

[tool_scrounge]

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/4797365485.html

+1 on this one. It is probably a post 1957 version judging from the belt guard. Great drill press. Best of the three proposed by far if it is in good condition.

 

[sgs236]

I have had several machinists tell me as rule of thumb to watch your chips as your drilling. If you are getting long strands of chips, then you can probably drill faster. A lot of small tiny chips means you are probably drilling too fast. I took a machinists class a couple of years ago, and they explained that you want to avoid the real small chips as that puts a lot of heat into your bit.

 

[uart]

Here's another problem I have I don't know enough about drill presses to know what the good older ones are.

Guess I need to read up some more here.

I don't know a lot about older models either, but the main things to look for if you want lower speeds is either a really big arsed pulley at the front (usually see a big bulbous front on the pulley guard) or an extra shaft/pulleys between the motor pulleys and the main spindle.

+1 on this one. It is probably a post 1957 version judging from the belt guard. Great drill press. Best of the three proposed by far if it is in good condition.

There's a thread here showing a restored Buffalo #15 which gives some better idea of what it could be like. I notice that it's min speed it 460 RPM even with the fastest motor option (so could be even slower depending on the motor). This would make a much better metal work DP than the 700 RPM min ones in the opening post.

Restored Buffalo #15: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130630

 

[Spinnacak]

If you are interested in an older Walker Turner floor model in the STL area I can send you some info. This area is good for finding tools, just be patient and look in the usual places.

 

[schor]

Try to find a press with 3 pulleys which can get you down into the lower speeds for metal drilling.





Also, many older presses do not have a table lift which can be a problem.