Do you have a drill press if so what do you use?
- Thread starter ZGOZZ
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Yes, I have a drill press, and it hardly matters what you use, since all of the "affordable" ones are made by the same company in China.
That is, look close at all the labels, plates and casting stamps. You'll see KKF or KFW almost guaranteed. You might see KW too or just KF. Its all the same place, known as King Keng Fu or just King Foundry Works, or King Keng Foundry or Keng Works or King (or Keng) Foundry. Its all the same place.... and a huge state-run place it is too! They make everything from drill presses, to table saws... tools of all kinds, milling machines, lathes... motorcycle engines... car and truck engines and transmissions, housewares (mostly China market consumption), clocks, kitchen appliances... and of course... AK-47's, SKS's, and other larger more fun military hardware.
KKF is a huge huge state conglomerate. It is Chi-Com personified. And, all the "store brands" in the USA are really the same stuff. Even some Delta and such... are KKF.
Having said that... there are differences in models and features, so choose as you need.
Dont get caught up with lots of speeds. Five or six speeds is fine. Do get something with about 1/2 HP motor or more.
Do check the one you get for squareness. Be prepared to do some creative file work on the table's/support's edges to get a good level. Do be prepared to refit crappy hardware - handles and knobs and such. Do be prepared to change out to some decent fasteners on the thing too.
Get what you like, check it for squareness and go with it... improving as need arises.
I got a "Home Depot Brand" in about 1990, refit it, leveled it (that was the fun part... hadda shim the head but its do-able!). I'd not trade it for another, its reworked too well now... just right, and gets used all the time. Cost back then... maybe $70, not much more than that today it seems.
That is, look close at all the labels, plates and casting stamps. You'll see KKF or KFW almost guaranteed. You might see KW too or just KF. Its all the same place, known as King Keng Fu or just King Foundry Works, or King Keng Foundry or Keng Works or King (or Keng) Foundry. Its all the same place.... and a huge state-run place it is too! They make everything from drill presses, to table saws... tools of all kinds, milling machines, lathes... motorcycle engines... car and truck engines and transmissions, housewares (mostly China market consumption), clocks, kitchen appliances... and of course... AK-47's, SKS's, and other larger more fun military hardware.
KKF is a huge huge state conglomerate. It is Chi-Com personified. And, all the "store brands" in the USA are really the same stuff. Even some Delta and such... are KKF.
Having said that... there are differences in models and features, so choose as you need.
Dont get caught up with lots of speeds. Five or six speeds is fine. Do get something with about 1/2 HP motor or more.
Do check the one you get for squareness. Be prepared to do some creative file work on the table's/support's edges to get a good level. Do be prepared to refit crappy hardware - handles and knobs and such. Do be prepared to change out to some decent fasteners on the thing too.
Get what you like, check it for squareness and go with it... improving as need arises.
I got a "Home Depot Brand" in about 1990, refit it, leveled it (that was the fun part... hadda shim the head but its do-able!). I'd not trade it for another, its reworked too well now... just right, and gets used all the time. Cost back then... maybe $70, not much more than that today it seems.
SkuttleFunk
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before closing my shop, I sold several of my bigger tools since they were too expensive to ship cross-country
that said, I did have an older ShopSmith that was the ultimate drilling machine. Not only could it drill vertically like a standard drillpress, but I could also drill horizontally - the latter is the perfect way to drill for a side mount jack tunnel in a body and trussrod adjustment hole in a neck
all the best,
R
that said, I did have an older ShopSmith that was the ultimate drilling machine. Not only could it drill vertically like a standard drillpress, but I could also drill horizontally - the latter is the perfect way to drill for a side mount jack tunnel in a body and trussrod adjustment hole in a neck
all the best,
R
SkuttleFunk
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yes, on every bass I ever built (listed in no specific order) -
* drill neck mounting holes and mounting ferrule recesses in body blank
* remove most excess wood from neck pocket before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* remove most excess wood from pickup cavities before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* drill mounting holes for bridge
* drill holes for control pots
* remove most excess wood from control cavity before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* remove most excess wood from battery cavity before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* drill tuner holes in headstock
* drill threaded insert holes in neck heel, and switch bits to hand-turn insert into neck heel
* drill magnet recess in wooden cavity covers and body
* drill jack hole in body side
* drill trussrod adjustment tunnel in heel of neck
* drill side dot marker holes in side of neck
* drill face dot market holes in fretboard
* when paid enough ... drill thru-body stringing holes and ferrule recesses
before I had an oscilaing spindle sander, I also utilized my drillpress to hold various sizes of sanding drums so I could sand the body side contour
before I had an arbor press, I also utilized my drillpress to hold my fret press cauls when pressin fretwire into the fretboard
I know there's more that I missed, but you get the idea
all the best,
R
* drill neck mounting holes and mounting ferrule recesses in body blank
* remove most excess wood from neck pocket before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* remove most excess wood from pickup cavities before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* drill mounting holes for bridge
* drill holes for control pots
* remove most excess wood from control cavity before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* remove most excess wood from battery cavity before cleaning up with a router and pattern bit
* drill tuner holes in headstock
* drill threaded insert holes in neck heel, and switch bits to hand-turn insert into neck heel
* drill magnet recess in wooden cavity covers and body
* drill jack hole in body side
* drill trussrod adjustment tunnel in heel of neck
* drill side dot marker holes in side of neck
* drill face dot market holes in fretboard
* when paid enough ... drill thru-body stringing holes and ferrule recesses
before I had an oscilaing spindle sander, I also utilized my drillpress to hold various sizes of sanding drums so I could sand the body side contour
before I had an arbor press, I also utilized my drillpress to hold my fret press cauls when pressin fretwire into the fretboard
I know there's more that I missed, but you get the idea
all the best,
R
Wana_make_a_guitar
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My dad made a frame for his really big drill ( which i've forgotten the name of, hammer drill comes to mind) and you just place it in there, screw some things tight, and use it as a drill press.
It's very noisy.
It's very noisy.
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