Drill Press

[Dustyflannel]

Brand new here (hello all!), where would I post questions/photos regarding advise on choosing a used drill press? I have finally found a couple, maybe three to choose from in my area.

Thanks!

 

[paulsomlo]

Here in "General Tool Discussion".

 

[iajonesy]

Welcome to GJ. You are posting in the right area for the answers you are looking for. What size and type (floor or bench top) are you looking for? You will get a lot of questions and opinions for you to ponder. Good luck.

Mike

 

[brownbagg]

there a lot of twaina drill press out there, and they are ok, just dont pay over $150

 

[Dustyflannel]

Thanks so much for the replies. Sorry for my ignorance, I've not done much in the way of forums. I read them all the time but have never become a member... So, I'm just trying to follow the rules and not aggravate folks. Do I start a new "thread"?(not sure what that means) or do I begin posting the photos and info into my next post. Again, thanks for your patience.

Dustin

 

[paulsomlo]

Thanks so much for the replies. Sorry for my ignorance, I've not done much in the way of forums. I read them all the time but have never become a member... So, I'm just trying to follow the rules and not aggravate folks. Do I start a new "thread"?(not sure what that means) or do I begin posting the photos and info into my next post. Again, thanks for your patience.

Dustin

Post 'em up here.

 

[Dustyflannel]

The first is a Rockwell 15-655. The gentleman is asking $495. The item description states, "220V 3 phase, variable speed 15" floor drill press. Recently rehabbed, new clutch plates. In excellent condition."(I copy/pasted text description from advert). The second is this Walker-Turner 1112-41. I think 20". The gentleman is asking $300. Item description, "Old walker turner drill press. Will need a new motor to work."(copy/pasted). There is also a Causing for $700, but I think a 600lb. machine is too much for me. So, either way, I don't have 3phase, nor any other 3ph machines, and I'll be looking to VFD I guess. Unless, on the W-T, since the motor is bad, I could switch to Single phase when I replace the motor. Some seem for it, some against. I do like the idea of slow and reverse. But, I know nothing about these devises(VFD) and would need help in the future with setting it up. Does anyone know what the orange box is on the W-T? Is it a motor speed control or a 3ph converter thingy? Also, on the Rockwell, is it missing anything on the pinion spring area? it looks different to me, like it doesn't have the shiny spring retainer/adjuster.

Thanks so much in advance. I have learned tons on this site and appreciate all who contribute!

Dustin

 

[paulsomlo]

The Rockwell is in nice shape, but I don't know that I'd pay over $400 for it, and you have to deal w/3 ph. My inclination would be the WT and I wouldn't worry about the motor, that's easily solved. The orange box? Could be shop detritus.

 

[Dustyflannel]

The orange box is wired to the DP. I was wondering if anyone knew if it was original or an add-on. Not sure who wired that all together, but I'm sure it's code... So, are you saying WT and go single ph on the replacement? I think low on the WT is about 400rpm, and the Rockwell 425rpm. Thanks for reply!

 

[Dustyflannel]

Should I be replying directly to an individual, or the "post reply" button?

 

[Nosferatu]

Orange box is a wall-mount power disconnect.

The correct answer is to buy all 3.

 

[Dustyflannel]

Not sure what the wall mount power disconnect is for, but I think I saw a guy running a Warner & Swasey #3 or #4 3ph Turret Lathe with one. I should watch that video again, maybe it'd make sense this time. My wife is already looking sideways at me when I said "600 lb. machine". But, personally, I like the idea of all 3.. 3's a good number.

 

[Jland]

There are very few dudes that need a drill press at home with 4 points behind the decimal point run out... there are A LOT of decent quality import machines that will do everything a guy at home needs for under 100 bucks.... I paid $40 for my free standing 1989 Packard Precision 3/4 hp 16 speed press... with cobalt tip hole saws I put multiple 1” holes in 1” steel plate and it didn’t slow the f-er down at all.. you may be surprised what an import piece of **** can do for the cost of a couple of gallons of gas as opposed to something that’s a freaking car payment... just saying

 

[Maui]

As long as the bearings are in good condition I’d buy the Walker Turner. The fact that it doesn’t have a motor could be a bargaining point too.

 

[Dustyflannel]

There are very few dudes that need a drill press at home with 4 points behind the decimal point run out... there are A LOT of decent quality import machines that will do everything a guy at home needs for under 100 bucks.... I paid $40 for my free standing 1989 Packard Precision 3/4 hp 16 speed press... with cobalt tip hole saws I put multiple 1” holes in 1” steel plate and it didn’t slow the f-er down at all.. you may be surprised what an import piece of **** can do for the cost of a couple of gallons of gas as opposed to something that’s a freaking car payment... just saying

I hear what you're sayin'. I've been looking for a couple years on and off and haven't found the DP you describe. I've only found (for ex.) Ryobi and Harbor Freight for less than $100. Some are asking more than they paid originally!? So last week I went to HF and bought one of the small cheapies they sell and thought, "maybe this'll work till I find a decent DP... Returned it already. There was so much play in the quill, it wouldn't make a straight hole in pine. I put a Forstner bit in it, 1/4 " and the hole at the entry was almost 3/8". I understand that this in not the machine you are describing. I just haven't come across anything like the deals that many others seem to find.

 

[Dustyflannel]

As long as the bearings are in good condition I’d buy the Walker Turner. The fact that it doesn’t have a motor could be a bargaining point too.

As to checking the bearings.. I'll have to rotate by hand, I guess? Any suggestions on this would be great. What do I feel for, or listen to? And how about the quill? Run it out all the way and see if it slops? Thanks

 

[Dustyflannel]

There are very few dudes that need a drill press at home with 4 points behind the decimal point run out... there are A LOT of decent quality import machines that will do everything a guy at home needs for under 100 bucks.... I paid $40 for my free standing 1989 Packard Precision 3/4 hp 16 speed press... with cobalt tip hole saws I put multiple 1” holes in 1” steel plate and it didn’t slow the f-er down at all.. you may be surprised what an import piece of **** can do for the cost of a couple of gallons of gas as opposed to something that’s a freaking car payment... just saying

As to the gallon of gas, all 3 of these machines are about an hour away drive for me.. in different directions of course.

 

[Steve from Socal]

I second the Walker Turner, the motor is three phase, the seller my not be able to power it? A good 3 phase motor and or inverter would make that a keeper. Step pulley machines are dead simple in a good way.

Steve

 

[Dustyflannel]

I second the Walker Turner, the motor is three phase, the seller my not be able to power it? A good 3 phase motor and or inverter would make that a keeper. Step pulley machines are dead simple in a good way.

Steve

Hi Steve, Are you thinking maybe the owner doesn't know how to hook it up and the motor may be okay? Also, when you say inverter, do you mean the VFD? The 3ph and VFD would be new to me, I'm willing but, I have no experience with. I agree about dead simple, when the owner of the Rockwell said,"new clutch plates", I always wonder and hope that they did it correctly. The WT is basically a vertical version of my old 12" Craftsman wood lathe,, a motor, pulleys and belt, and bearings mounted in a piece of iron. Nice and simple, still works great. So, if it turns out the motor is bad, would you replace with 3ph or single? With 3ph, I would obviously need the inverter/VFD just to run it. Does anyone have suggestions on a replacement motor and VFD? Places to look for these? I'm trying to calculate the total investment. I would like to go see the DP soon. Thanks!

 

[Steve from Socal]

Yes,

Many folks don't know about three phase Vs single phase.

I have 17" WT drilpress with a 3/4 HP motor, a 20 may take a 1 HP. You could find a 1HP motor just about anywhere

On edit to add,

ebay has both motors and inverters/VFD's you could use a single phase motor, not as smooth as a three phase but for a DP it likely wouldn't make much difference. A motor should be under a hundred bucks

Steve

 

[paulsomlo]

There are very few dudes that need a drill press at home with 4 points behind the decimal point run out... there are A LOT of decent quality import machines that will do everything a guy at home needs for under 100 bucks.... I paid $40 for my free standing 1989 Packard Precision 3/4 hp 16 speed press... with cobalt tip hole saws I put multiple 1” holes in 1” steel plate and it didn’t slow the f-er down at all.. you may be surprised what an import piece of **** can do for the cost of a couple of gallons of gas as opposed to something that’s a freaking car payment... just saying

I had a 12" Delta benchtop, made in China. The first time I tried to drill into some 1/4" steel, the chuck fell off, never would stay on for long after that. I ended up selling it on CL for $40. I replaced it with an 18" Buffalo, made in USA in the 60's, 335 lbs.. Bigger is better, don't worry about the weight, just dismantle it on site and bring it home in pieces.

It looks like the armature is missing from the motor? Unless the bearings are really bad, you won't be able to tell much from spinning by hand. Extend the quill all the way, see if there's any slop. Make sure none of the castings or pulleys are cracked, table raising mechanism works OK, belt tensioning works, etc.. Since you can't run it, that's a bargaining chip - offer $200, go from there. Bearings can be replaced.

 

[Walkers]

I have the King drill press, identical to the Rong Fu drill press from Taiwan. Just be careful not to get the Rong Fu King drill press.

 

[bubinga]

Hi Steve, Are you thinking maybe the owner doesn't know how to hook it up and the motor may be okay? Also, when you say inverter, do you mean the VFD? The 3ph and VFD would be new to me, I'm willing but, I have no experience with. I agree about dead simple, when the owner of the Rockwell said,"new clutch plates", I always wonder and hope that they did it correctly. The WT is basically a vertical version of my old 12" Craftsman wood lathe,, a motor, pulleys and belt, and bearings mounted in a piece of iron. Nice and simple, still works great. So, if it turns out the motor is bad, would you replace with 3ph or single? With 3ph, I would obviously need the inverter/VFD just to run it. Does anyone have suggestions on a replacement motor and VFD? Places to look for these? I'm trying to calculate the total investment. I would like to go see the DP soon. Thanks!

You can even get a 110 volt input VFD.

 

[Dustyflannel]

I had a 12" Delta benchtop, made in China. The first time I tried to drill into some 1/4" steel, the chuck fell off, never would stay on for long after that. I ended up selling it on CL for $40. I replaced it with an 18" Buffalo, made in USA in the 60's, 335 lbs.. Bigger is better, don't worry about the weight, just dismantle it on site and bring it home in pieces.

It looks like the armature is missing from the motor? Unless the bearings are really bad, you won't be able to tell much from spinning by hand. Extend the quill all the way, see if there's any slop. Make sure none of the castings or pulleys are cracked, table raising mechanism works OK, belt tensioning works, etc.. Since you can't run it, that's a bargaining chip - offer $200, go from there. Bearings can be replaced.

I'll be sure to check those things, thank you. About the armature, do you know if the pulleys mount on the armature shaft or is there some sort of coupling?

 

[Dustyflannel]

Yes,

Many folks don't know about three phase Vs single phase.

I have 17" WT drilpress with a 3/4 HP motor, a 20 may take a 1 HP. You could find a 1HP motor just about anywhere

On edit to add,

ebay has both motors and inverters/VFD's you could use a single phase motor, not as smooth as a three phase but for a DP it likely wouldn't make much difference. A motor should be under a hundred bucks

Steve

Steve, do you know if the pulleys mount directly on the armature shaft on your 17" WT? Do you have single or 3ph, do you have a VFD on yours? Thanks

 

[Steve from Socal]

I think the step pulley is directly mounted to the motor, it is in most drill presses. I have a three phase motor, no VFD. My shop has 480 three phase power.

Steve

 

[Dustyflannel]

I think the step pulley is directly mounted to the motor, it is in most drill presses. I have a three phase motor, no VFD. My shop has 480 three phase power.

Steve

Thank you. For me, this is a long haul investment, and I don't mind putting in a bit of extra time and money now. But, when I'm done, I just want a press that does it's job well, every time I step up to the table. I don't want to work on a piece for days and then take it to the press only to drill some wonky a*% holes in it.

 

[Steve from Socal]

Machines built in earlier times were made to last. That drill press can be "rebuilt" and last another 100 years.

The adage they don't make em like they used to applies.

Steve

 

[exmaxima1]

I'll be the guy that says to stay away from the W-T. Besides the bad motor, the front pulley looks pretty bad and you should expect the bearings of a 70-year old DP to need replacing. Many Walker-Turners use extended race bearings that cost a bundle. Plus, a simple motor change will not get you the low speeds you would like for drilling metal or using hole saws---you need a center pulley or a 3P motor with VFD. By the time you do all that it would be more expensive than the Rockwell.

The Rockwell looks much newer and the variable sheave drive typically gets below 300 rpm (depending on the motor rpm), while the necessary VFD would do even better. Or replace the motor with a 1140 rpm single phase unit and be done with it.

 

[seber]

I'd stay away from the WT. It is a solid machine but they had a tendency to lock up the lower bearing and destroy the spindle. You won't be able to check that without a tear down but you may see it if you put a dowel in the chuck and check for runout. The Rockwell is a gem and I would not hesitate to pay the full asking price if it checks out. The VFD would not only give you infinite speed control on top of the high torque from the mechanical speed controller but being three phase it can be made to run in reverse. A damn handy thing to have. That means easy centering of drill bits in center punch divits, power tapping, and a few off the wall uses. Having used a multi step pulley unit when I was younger, I would never go back to that. I spent more time changing speeds than drilling holes.

 

[exmaxima1]

..... The VFD would not only give you infinite speed control on top of the high torque from the mechanical speed controller but being three phase it can be made to run in reverse. A damn handy thing to have. That means easy centering of drill bits in center punch divits, power tapping, and a few off the wall uses....

I've done power tapping in a mill (using back gear) with the reversing switch, but never with a VFD. Can they reverse quickly enough for tapping in a drill press?

 

[seber]

I've done power tapping in a mill (using back gear) with the reversing switch, but never with a VFD. Can they reverse quickly enough for tapping in a drill press?

No. You need to kill the power then reverse the switch drum.

 

[exmaxima1]

No. You need to kill the power then reverse the switch drum.

That does not seem practical for tapping.....

 

[Whitworth]

Rockwell 15-665 hands down favorite for me. After it has new clutch plates

But seriously; a really nice, heavy duty drill press, @$500 I'd ****** it up. If you can get for a little less, better still.

 

[shawhite]

No. You need to kill the power then reverse the switch drum.

Most vfd I have dealt with have a setting for instant reverse.

 

[Steve from Socal]

The Rockwell is nice BUT, it is a 15" drill press, IMHO that is a bit on the small side. For optimized work that is a fine drill, as a general all around it is limiting. The WT may have issues just like any of the others. My 17" walker Turner came out of the Beechcraft factory vintage Korea war era and still works fine.

I have the WT and a 20" Buffalo both from industrial plants that are not restored and work just fine. I have a Delta 15" that was in my garage at home, never use it. I do have a radial drill that I use for large hole drilling. Hole saws I use in all the above regularly.

For a home shop where one machine is the only machine I want the most flexibility and the WT with a VFD would be that.

Steve

 

[nadogail]

Get Chummy with someone who has a drill press and find out what will fit your needs and budget. I bought my drill press from the backpage of a magazine in the late ‘70s, I it still does what I bought it for, the cheap chuck has been replaced by a Jacob’s but I am still as happy with my Drill Press as I was the day it arrived. The label says it is a Cummins from Taiwan

 

[brownbagg]

. I paid $40 for my free standing 1989 Packard Precision 3/4 hp 16 speed press...

my twain was $50 used in 1991 and yes its a twain copy but it has done everything i ever needed, daily. i bought a belt in thirty years

 

[NUTTSGT]

You might want to search Govdeals for a drill press. You can find some from schools that didn't see high usage.

 

[Jland]

The Rockwell is nice BUT, it is a 15" drill press, IMHO that is a bit on the small side. For optimized work that is a fine drill, as a general all around it is limiting. The WT may have issues just like any of the others. My 17" walker Turner came out of the Beechcraft factory vintage Korea war era and still works fine.

I have the WT and a 20" Buffalo both from industrial plants that are not restored and work just fine. I have a Delta 15" that was in my garage at home, never use it. I do have a radial drill that I use for large hole drilling. Hole saws I use in all the above regularly.

For a home shop where one machine is the only machine I want the most flexibility and the WT with a VFD would be that.

Steve

I picked up a radial arm drill press.... 36 freaking inch swing... loved that thing just never used it so of course when I needed room I sold it...