A Couple Handy Tricks With A Drill Press

[Cagey]

Did you know you can use your drill press as a lathe?

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[Logrinn]

That was really cool and useful. Thanks for sharing. Now if I only had a drill press ...

 

[Cagey]

Well, if you ever feel the urge to gather up some stationary power tools, a drill press (some call it a "pillar drill") should probably be number one on the list. Very handy tool. Even if you don't have a dedicated "shop" area, they're a good thing to have around.

 

[AirCap]

Mr. Ford is a national treasure.

 

[swarfrat]

That banjo is pretty cool.

 

[BigSteve22]

Saw that video today, good stuff!  :icon_thumright:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Just make sure your drill press chuck has good tight tolerance.  My harbor freight 5 speed has a chuck that drifts slightly.  I'll likely transition it into a drill sander and replace it with a Craftsman.

 

[Cagey]

Craftsman power tools aren't what they used to be. Be sure to check out anything you're looking at very thoroughly before you buy one. Chances are pretty good it's from the same place as the Harbor Freight units. You're probably better off looking for a used version of something you might not be able to afford new. Older Delta and Rockwell units, for instance, are very good and unless used in a production shop, should be nearly as good as new. They're designed to be accurate and long-lasting even when used extensively.

 

[swarfrat]

Yeah, I wouldn't expect anything, up to and including round column mill/drills to have any substantial side loading capability on the bearings.  One of the reasons I DO buy HF, is I figure it's ALL crap any more. You can spend 2x thinking you're getting better grade stuff, but it's just got a different color label on it from the same factory.

 

[Cagey]

The side loading thing is a real concern. There's an old saying: You can drill with a mill, but you can't mill with a drill.

The bearings are different, and in different places.

 

[AirCap]

Don't forget good old Clausing drill presses....

 

[Cagey]

No doubt there are a lotta good ones out there. What's nice is that good used tools often come from estate or business liquidations where for the same money as a sketchy in-name-only tool, you can get a real beast that'll kick some serious ass. Contractors go out of business all the time - it's so common it's almost part of their business model. They'll bite off more than they can chew, choke, go bankrupt, and start all over again the following month under a new name. It's practically criminal.  In between, shoploads and officeloads of tools/furniture go out at pennies on the dollar.

 

[Tomatonator]

I just bought a Sher ABD216 unit used for a good price for the guitar I'm putting together and if I can't justify keeping it after that I'll get my $ back selling it again. Apparently there were a bunch of people who called after me wanting to buy it too