First Drill press ideas - what would you do?

[Tre900]

I'm at that point where I need a drill press.

I have 220 and 110 available in my workstop.

I would use it for both wood and metal but my more current issues revolve around metal for fabrication stuff around the home stead. I will also use it for motorcycle fab (if I ever get that bike project again!!).

I'm on a budget of course but I don't want to get something I will regret getting in a year.

I cant' see myself going more then $300 bucks and it has to make me coffee if I'm paying that much (I'm a cheap @#$%).

Thoughts? Brands to stay away from? anything?

 

[Davefr]

I'm at that point where I need a drill press.

I have 220 and 110 available in my workstop.

I would use it for both wood and metal but my more current issues revolve around metal for fabrication stuff around the home stead. I will also use it for motorcycle fab (if I ever get that bike project again!!).

I'm on a budget of course but I don't want to get something I will regret getting in a year.

I cant' see myself going more then $300 bucks and it has to make me coffee if I'm paying that much (I'm a cheap @#$%).

Thoughts? Brands to stay away from? anything?

Buy used USA or name brand Taiwan (ex: Jet). Don't buy Chinese.

Two must haves are rack and pinion table elevation and wide speed range. (down to around 200 RPM).

For a DP I don't see any advantage in going 220VAC unless you're into heavy duty metal fabrication.

 

[Tre900]

Buy used USA or name brand Taiwan (ex: Jet). Don't buy Chinese.

Two must haves are rack and pinion table elevation and wide speed range. (down to around 200 RPM).

For a DP I don't see any advantage in going 220VAC unless you're into heavy duty metal fabrication.

What about something like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WALKER-TURN...aultDomain_0&hash=item43bb3f0568#ht_647wt_932

 

[Tre900]

Nevermind...Called and it is a 3 phase.

 

[Steevo]

Nevermind...Called and it is a 3 phase.

The nice thing about a drill press is that the motor can usually be swapped easily, so a deal on a 3PH unit can be found, and then a low cost motor sourced to convert it.

 

[zkling]

Nevermind...Called and it is a 3 phase.

So what? That is a GREAT deal for that machine. Get a VFD or a single phase motor (each ~$100) and you will have a fantastic machine. That is if you really want a production drill press.

Those flat tables aren't the best for general home shop work as they are hard to clamp things to.

Maybe check this one out. If it doen't have any serious problems it is a good press at a good price

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/tls/3809308432.html

 

[Tre900]

Interesting...I didn't realize things like the VFD exhisted. I love this damn board. So if I get my heart set on a 3PH Drill press what's the CHEAPER option - a VFD or a 1PH swapped motor?

Should I assume the HP rating for the 1PH motor has to equal the 3PH it is replacing?

 

[rsanter]

What about something like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WALKER-TURN...aultDomain_0&hash=item43bb3f0568#ht_647wt_932

Hell I would buy this as a bitchen workbench

Bob

 

[Zeke]

The smallest, cheapest bench top models are sold by anyone and everyone. They have no power but can be handy for small work. I have one with a drum sanding attachment and a fabbed table with a hole in it. Think of an inverted spindle sander. Worth the 50 bucks I paid for it.

For metal and larger wood products, go bigger. 1/2 HP 1750 RPM minimum. 5 speeds is good rather than 3. Gear drive tables are nice, but not necessary. Tilt is good, but most tilt.

Get a good DP vise or 2 and maybe some table clamps.

 

[signcrafter]

Interesting...I didn't realize things like the VFD exhisted. I love this damn board. So if I get my heart set on a 3PH Drill press what's the CHEAPER option - a VFD or a 1PH swapped motor?

Should I assume the HP rating for the 1PH motor has to equal the 3PH it is replacing?

From my limited knowledge a VFD is the better choice because you can use it as a speed control also.

 

[cheechi]

The smallest, cheapest bench top models are sold by anyone and everyone. They have no power but can be handy for small work. I have one with a drum sanding attachment and a fabbed table with a hole in it. Think of an inverted spindle sander.

This is exactly how I use my benchtop DP. Its not quite slow enough to 'really' do metal work but I can drill a hole in plate or bar steel. There is some elongation on really big bits, like 3/8 or bigger (that's really big for the parts I make) but its great to have for sanding and wire brushes. Not going to replace a bench grinder, but sometimes you just have that weird angle or something. More than once I've turned off the grinder and moved work to the DP to finish.

So if you buy a cheap benchtop one, you probably won't regret it in a year, though if you do metal work you probably will be replacing it later due to the rpm's.

 

[Tre900]

Every time I say to myself: "Damn, I need a drill press!" its about steel. I decided to just go out and pick up an old 1955 Delta Rockwell. The guy wanted a Hundered bucks for it which I thought was high but he tossed in a single phase motor with it.

I will post pics in a little bit. Now I need to search on the VFD topic a little.

 

[signcrafter]

Every time I say to myself: "Damn, I need a drill press!" its about steel. I decided to just go out and pick up an old 1955 Delta Rockwell. The guy wanted a Hundered bucks for it which I thought was high but he tossed in a single phase motor with it.

I will post pics in a little bit. Now I need to search on the VFD topic a little.

Sounds like you got a good deal with the extra motor. You shouldn't need a VFD if you use the single phase motor.

 

[Tre900]

I haven't done any sort of swap like this before.

What should I look out for?

 

[signcrafter]

Are the motors the same RPM? If so you will need the same size pulley to keep the speeds the same. If the old pulley won't work with the new motor you will need to get one that will and work with the size belt you have. Also the motor will have to be mounted so that the pulley lines up with the other pulley and belt.

 

[Jim C.]

I'd go look for an older machine from the 1940s or 1950s. Old drill presses made by Delta, Atlas, Powermatic, Walker Turner, are fantastic and were built to last. I know there's still a good supply of used parts on the private market (eBay, internet, etc.) for many old Delta drill presses. The price for these old machines is usually very reasonable too. You can probably count on having to do a little work on them, but it's well worth the effort. I wouldn't even remotely consider buying a new drill press because there's so many good used machines out there.

Jim C.

 

[signcrafter]

I'd go look for an older machine from the 1940s or 1950s. Old drill presses made by Delta, Atlas, Powermatic, Walker Turner, are fantastic and were built to last. I know there's still a good supply of used parts on the private market (eBay, internet, etc.) for many old Delta drill presses. The price for these old machines is usually very reasonable too. You can probably count on having to do a little work on them, but it's well worth the effort. I wouldn't even remotely consider buying a new drill press because there's so many good used machines out there.

Jim C.

Couple posts up he says he picked up a 1955 delta Rockwell.

 

[Tre900]

Okay, here she is. On the head it has the model "DP 225" however the clamps along the base have other DP numbers.


It seems as if the other owners had replaced the power cord at least.

Now its time to google a bit and find some documentation on this.

Remember its my first press so please feel free to tell me what I'm looking at should any of have some time to share your experiences.


$100.00 plus a 1PH motor that looks to be off of a compressor..I will try to get a pic of that up next.

 

[Voi]

Okay, here she is. On the head it has the model "DP 225"...

I just recently traded for the same press. Haven't played with it much yet. My tinkering time generally comes during the summer when my boys play on the driveway and I'm keeping an eye on them.

Is the largest pulley in the front the same diameter as the largest pulley in the back? Or is the front one larger?

If the front one is larger then you have the generally preferred slow speed set up. The respective speeds are (courtesy of previous post by WWIIjeep):

680-1250-2400-4600 rpm for the high speed pulley.

470-780-1300-1950 rpm for the slow-speed pulley.

I think mine is also a 1955 version. Gray color instead of green. Came out of a local high school.

 

[Tre900]

this one was repainted. Its not very good close up.

Is that slow enough for metal?

 

[Voi]

Is that slow enough for metal?

I've heard some prefer an even slower speed than the 470 RPMs produced by the slow speed pulley on these older Deltas. But I haven't tried it yet so I'm not sure.

 

[All]

I like 120 rpm for big hole metal, which my Grainger/Dayton branded made in Taiwan 9 speed production floor standing drill press has. The head casting is visually quite similar to what you have. Many of the castings of these drill presses are similar... as if the design was made a century ago and copied ever since.

An important key to drilling straight holes is the stability of the rotating elements. Not sure if your new to you Delta has a Morse Taper 3 or what, but getting that chuck to spin straight and true would be my first priority.

The best drill is a mill.

An important key to drilling holes where you want them is being able to hold, clamp, and fine tune reposition the work. Mills have XY tables, so I picked up an XY table for my DP.

Using a two axis drill press vise can be just as good. I went with the table (also from Grainger) because it had longer travel, and had T slot clamping, like the drill press table itself.

I wanted to separate the actions of clamping the part down, versus repositioning the part. Many vises require the part to be loosened on every reposition. When the part is reclamped, inevitably the part has an opportunity to move again as the clamp is torqued to hold the piece. With the T slot table, the part can be very slightly and precisely repositioned because the entire table is being cranked via a low gear turning ratio, without touching the part that is already secured to the moving table.

Your new press has T slots in the table. A set or two of machinists t slot blocks and fingers will hold down many things. I paid more for my XY table and T slot clamps than I did for my entire drill press.

 

[Tre900]

Well right my current delima is if I want to go VFD or swap to the single phase I got in the deal. Trouble is, there's no information on the Singe phase motor!!

How can I test the 3 phase to even see if it COULD be reused?

 

[Voi]

Well right my current delima is if I want to go VFD or swap to the single phase I got in the deal. Trouble is, there's no information on the Singe phase motor!!

How can I test the 3 phase to even see if it COULD be reused?

I have a local cabinet shop and a local machine shop that let me test stuff out on their three phase circuits. I just had to ask.

Since you have 220V in your shop I'd at least look and see if you can find a used 220V input VFD at the HP rating of your current three phase press motor. As I understand it the HP rating of the VFD can be higher than the HP rating of the motor. In other words, a 1/2 HP motor could be run on a 1 HP VFD.

There are also 120V input VFDs but they are scarce on the used market and more expensive than a 220V input VFD of the same HP rating.

Of course swapping to a motor you already have will be cheaper yet but you might not get as low of a speed as you want.

A third option is a treadmill motor. Single phase input and variable speed control.

If I were in your situation I'd be looking at the VFD option first, especially since you have 220V.

 

[gte718p]

The vfd is nice because you can dial in any speed you want. Never have to change the belt. You also get instant stop.

 

[Glacial_Speed]

Visit vintagemachinery.org for info or manuals on your drill press.

If you have 220V (or more likely about 246V) then the single phase motor might be cheaper than the same HP 120V motor. I got a 1 hp/230V/single phase off ebay that way.

The single phase motor you have, is there any info on it at all, any tag or plate to say things like what is the rpm? Maybe a model number or a manufacturer?

IF you go the VFD path then I've seen some teco FM50 units at factorymation.com for pretty good prices, (no affiliation, just looked into it at one point).

 

[ejm1961Tbird]

Skil 3320-02
$118 on Amazon

 

[Tre900]

Visit vintagemachinery.org for info or manuals on your drill press.

If you have 220V (or more likely about 246V) then the single phase motor might be cheaper than the same HP 120V motor. I got a 1 hp/230V/single phase off ebay that way.

The single phase motor you have, is there any info on it at all, any tag or plate to say things like what is the rpm? Maybe a model number or a manufacturer?

IF you go the VFD path then I've seen some teco FM50 units at factorymation.com for pretty good prices, (no affiliation, just looked into it at one point).

No, sadly there is nothing more the a "caution" sticker on the 1PH I got. It has a red over load button and the cord connections are exposed.


I never thought about taking just the motor to a shop that might use 3 phase. Great idea!

 

[Tre900]

Skil 3320-02
$118 on Amazon

Yeah, don't think for a second I didn't look at this one. I would be the simple way out for me. I'm learning a ton about electrical motors and that's the hidden value here for me.

This thing is old school, I really like the idea of having it as the cornerstone of my work shop tools.

 

[Tre900]

turns out the shaft is the wrong size on the replacement motor.

Fail.

 

[A_Pmech]

turns out the shaft is the wrong size on the replacement motor.

Fail.

Is the shaft too big or too small?

It's an easy fix if the new motor shaft is too big.

 

[Tre900]

yes, the new shaft is a 5/8 and the 3 phase motor is 1/2. What's the fix?

 

[A_Pmech]

If you drop it in the mail and Paypal me some beer money plus return shipping I'll ream the bore and broach a new keyway to fit your 1ph motor.

 

[carbon]

Sounds like the poster already got a press, but for others, I have to share what I did.

My requirements were:

• floor model (don't want to eat up my bench space)
• low speeds for metal and for big wood bits
• cheap
• longish quill travel

The only two that came close were the Porter Cable 15" PCB660 at Lowes and the Grizzly 14" G7944.

Relevant differences between the above:

• PC goes down to 300rpm; Grizzly to 140rpm
• PC quill travel = 4"; Grizz = 3.25"
• PC is $329; Grizz is $434 w/shipping (I got the PC for $270; that's what they offered me after they refused to take a HF 20% off coupon and the price was $300 at the time); I've seen the Grizz as low as $375 on sale.
• PC is 8amp (1hp); Grizz is 9amp (3/4 hp). I know that doesn't make sense but that's what their web site's list as the amp/hp numbers. I think it's a wash.
• PC has 13-15/64" square table; Grizz has 11-3/8" square table
• PC has a 3 yr warrenty; Grizz = 1 year.
• PC is has 1 more inch of throat depth.

I bought the Porter Cable. For me, 300rpm was low enough, I really like the longer quill travel. The whole machine is metal, including the pulley cover, which is old school. And then I bought an awesome Albrecht chuck so I don't have to use a friggin' key.

 

[454ragtop]

VFD FTW! Don't change the motor. Pretty unlikely the 3 ph motor is toast, they are much more reliable than a single phase motor - no caps, start switches or windings. A 115 volt VFD in the size you need is very reasonable, will give you variable speed, reverse, braking, motor protection, it's the way to go. Says you're from "Wooster". is that Worcester MA?
Jim

 

[Tre900]

Got it tested..motor is good to go!!

Wooster is a small city in Ohio. Still learning about vfd option.

 

[Tre900]

Looks like I am good to go with the restoration of this beast and I'll eye up the VFD market the closer I get to having it completed. Thanks everyone for your help and offers to take action for beer money - my kinda dudes.

 

[rogersmithiii]

Here's my source for Variable Frequency drives. You need one that converts single phase 220 to three phase 220. ID the HSP of your motor, and buy a VFD that can handle that size motor.

 

[Tre900]

Here's my source for Variable Frequency drives. You need one that converts single phase 220 to three phase 220. ID the HSP of your motor, and buy a VFD that can handle that size motor.

Do you have a link? Perfered vendor or brand? Its a 1/2 hp.

 

[454ragtop]

This would work good http://dealerselectric.com/item.asp?cID=0&PID=4545 Also note, a 1 HP drive like this is only $15.00 more, would give you some head room if you ended up needing more HP down the road.
HTH, Jim