small dp

[madoc1]

I need a small to medium bench drill press. only needs to handle up to about 3/8
-1/2 any recommendations? thx.

jim

 

[oldldh]

How much do you want to spend???

 

[jakemac]

only needs to handle up to about 3/8 -1/2 any recommendations? thx.

jim

Steel or Wood ?

 

[larry_g]

Also how small of a bit? Smaller bits have to turn faster with a more sensitive feel.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[madoc1]

larry, probably as small as 1/16.

jake, primarily metal

oldldh, no more than $200. did find a 1941 delta for $100, not sure it works. would be neat if it does.

jim

 

[the1nonlyjl]

I see dp seems to be pointless to have. I myself have one...hardly used. I would better off sell it to get $$$ back. if i use drill and clamp set up to make it look like dp would be more practical. Just saying!

 

[454ragtop]

I see dp seems to be pointless to have. I myself have one...hardly used. I would better off sell it to get $$$ back. if i use drill and clamp set up to make it look like dp would be more practical. Just saying!

This makes no sense if you want straight accurately located holes.

 

[the1nonlyjl]

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Milescraft...gclid=CLKZ_J3888QCFdgQgQodyVAA_w&gclsrc=aw.ds


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vintage nut]

I have a couple drill presses, and hardly use hand drills. Drill press is faster, easier, safer, more accurate, better for your bits, basically better in every single way, apart from really big parts. I probably use a hand drill for 1 in 100 holes, and the drill press or milling machine for the other 99.

Also, get a good (generally means old) one. One of ours is a 1944 delta 14", and it still has less run out than a lot of new ones....

you can never have too many tools

 

[LordPsychon]

The Skil benchtop drill press is decent but not stellar, clocking in at $129. I agree with vintagenut that Milescraft presses are mostly good for scrap metal meaning they're worth more melted down.

 

[vintage nut]

It seems a couple posts dissappeared?
I'm not sure what was wrong with what I said about those things being pretty useless compared to a real drill press...
I'm sure they are alright for hobby work, but not for fabrication. I'd like to see how well they do drilling 50+ holes in 1/2" plate... That was just normal work for my old delta.

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Easily 50+ holes in this, whole thing is 1/2" plate. I couldn't imagine having built this without a proper drill press. Milling machine was helpful, but not necessary

you can never have too many tools

 

[LordPsychon]

It seems a couple posts dissappeared?
I'm not sure what was wrong with what I said about those things being pretty useless compared to a real drill press...
I'm sure they are alright for hobby work, but not for fabrication. I'd like to see how well they do drilling 50+ holes in 1/2" plate... That was just normal work for my old delta.

you can never have too many tools

Yeah, what happened? I agree that they're not much use to heavy machinists or repetitive work and I saw nothing wrong with what you wrote.

 

[vintage nut]

Now this is a drill press. 16" beaver. Old 1950s canadian cast iron. The base on it is solid. Thing is easily 250 pounds

This was 125 bucks on Craigslist....

you can never have too many tools

 

[LordPsychon]

Now this is a drill press. 16" beaver. Old 1950s canadian cast iron. The base on it is solid. Thing is easily 250 pounds

This was 125 bucks on Craigslist....

you can never have too many tools

That...is one heck of a drill press.

 

[vintage nut]

Yeah, what happened? I agree that they're not much use to heavy machinists or repetitive work and I saw nothing wrong with what you wrote.

Oh well, not worth worrying about.
If it happened it happened

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

That...is one heck of a drill press.

Not exactly small haha
But it is technically a benchtop machine, and did cost what a new plastic one would.
I'll go grab a picture of my dad's old delta

you can never have too many tools

 

[Gotcha640]

Guy asks for a small dp and you guys start suggesting industrial mills. Sheesh.

I got a 10" ryobi for $100 that has been great for wood and small metal (mostly related to car and motorcycle restoration). It's small enough I've had it on a flip top table, out of the way when I need the bench space. My best friend has been dragging his dad's floor standing delta drill press from house to apartment for years and usually uses the cordless drill,because the big dp is stuffed in a corner somewhere. I could probably hide mine in the kitchen.

Edit: I'm going to design a drill press/kitchen aid flip table now. Thanks Garage Journal.

 

[vintage nut]

Bit of a story behind this one. Although it's currently in western canada, it actually came out of the physics department machine shop at Dartmouth college in new Hampshire. My dad went to school there, and actually bought this at a surplus machinery dealer in Hanover before he moved back to canada.

1944 14" delta milwaukee. A bit smaller and lighter than the beaver, but still easily 200 pounds. I recall him telling me that he had the dealer put a dial indicator on it when he bought it (early 90s) and it had about a thou of runout. Can't even find a new one that good anymore... And that's after nearly 50 years in a machine shop!
Seen another like it (although a rusty version) on Craigslist for 80 bucks...

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Yeah, some pretty disrespectful posts went down. You are completely right, drill presses are indespensible when it comes to everything. Exceptions would be mag drills and on site or quick n' dirty work.

Sweet belt grinder by the way!

I'm still looking for a mag drill. Those things are sweet!
And thanks! I was getting into knifemaking, and figured since my dad has a machine shop I'd build my own grinder instead of buying it. I found drawings online (eerf grinder) had a local waterjet shop cut out the parts, then a bunch of layout, drillpress work, and metal lathe work making the wheels, and I had a nice 1.5 hp 2x72 grinder for about 600 bucks.

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Guy asks for a small dp and you guys start suggesting industrial mills. Sheesh.

I got a 10" ryobi for $100 that has been great for wood and small metal (mostly related to car and motorcycle restoration). It's small enough I've had it on a flip top table, out of the way when I need the bench space. My best friend has been dragging his dad's floor standing delta drill press from house to apartment for years and usually uses the cordless drill,because the big dp is stuffed in a corner somewhere. I could probably hide mine in the kitchen.

Edit: I'm going to design a drill press/kitchen aid flip table now. Thanks Garage Journal.

I was just suggesting another option for the same price as one of those. It all depends what your doing. The op mentioned drilling 1/2" holes in steel, and to me thats big drill press territory
Edit: just looked at the picture of the beaver again, and found where my missing C clamp is.... Didn't even notice it until posting the picture.... LOL

you can never have too many tools

 

[zkling]

Look for a used 15" bench machine with standard table. The one you reference for $100, is a 17" delta and while they are nice machines, that one is very rough and going to require lots of work to get going. Plus the base is sketchy.

 

[jakemac]

larry, probably as small as 1/16.

jake, primarily metal

oldldh, no more than $200. did find a 1941 delta for $100, not sure it works. would be neat if it does.

jim

I used to have a small 8" Delta model 11-950 That I bought new in 1990. I used it for 20yrs until I traded it for my grandfather's old 15" Craftsman.

It was (and still is) a pretty good DP for what it was (and I used it hard), although repeated 1/2" holes would probably tax it to the limit and burn out a lot of bits. Still, it might be something for you to check out.

 

[goforride57]

I bought a 10" WEN basically brand new off craigslist for 50 bucks. I don't have any complaints. Never heard of WEN, I don't suggest going out of your way to buy one, but it seams like a nice unit.



I believe the guy I got it from said he got it off amazon.

You couldn't give me one of those old POS drill presses with the exposed belts. No thanks. You drill press nuts are nuts. Why suggest something so old, And heavy?

 

[vintage nut]

I bought a 10" WEN basically brand new off craigslist for 50 bucks. I don't have any complaints. Never heard of WEN, I don't suggest going out of your way to buy one, but it seams like a nice unit.



I believe the guy I got it from said he got it off amazon.

You couldn't give me one of those old POS drill presses with the exposed belts. No thanks. You drill press nuts are nuts. Why suggest something so old, And heavy?

The old ones definitely are not a "pos".... Use one and see what I mean. The big one I posted actually has a cast aluminum cover for the whole top enclosing the belt, I just keep it off because its annoying to change belts.
You really want heavy in a drill press. Thats what makes them solid enough to handle heavy work. I have used ones like yours before, and also new full size units, and having used both I would take my old ones any day. Just really no comparison how much better they are

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Maybe I'm biased as an old iron nut, but I'd much rather have a big heavy industrial duty machine, than a little chinese paperweight...
If I suggested a camelback drill press, you might actually have a point. Although very cool, they are admittedly excessively primitive

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Great for really big holes, but not really much else. They do generally have power feed though.

I'd love one for big work if I had the space...

you can never have too many tools

 

[madoc1]

thx. everyone. vintage, there is an old delta like yours on cl in Austin, but a friend just gave me one he picked up at an auction. said it runs but needs a switch and refinish. when I get it I will post a pic.

jim