Drill press - do they work?

[The Lord Poncho]

Hello all - I have identified the need for a pillar drill to assist some accurate drilling of knife scales etc. However it will only see occasional very basic use, and I don’t wish to spend a fortune on something that will just sit unused, rusting away in the shed.

I’ve come across various ‘drill presses’ for between £20 and £35 - which are essentially frames within which you fit your standard electric drill to turn it into a bit of a pillar drill substitute.

My question is simple – do they work?! I imagine that they won’t compare with a decent pillar drill, but for drilling a few holes in knife scales etc, would it be adequate?

 

[mountainm]

Kinda - but they're not great. You tend to have issues with balance, speed control, on/off capabilities etc. (Depending on the drill). Also the tolerances don't tend to be that accurate.

Check out this at Clas Ohlson.

http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Cotech-Drill-Press/18-3054

I think it would be better for occassional use and not much more expensive.

 

[MartiniDave]

Most of the cheap ones don't run slow enough for a lot of jobs, and the high speeds are way too high.

 

[Fraxinus]

I used to use one with a variable speed drill, it worked but was a bit of a faff to stop the sliding part from waggling side to side. I ended up just using it on site to make pellets for countersunk screw holes and bought a proper pillar drill, worth the extra money if it is in your budget.

Rob.

 

[ozzy1977]

The only stand to mount a drill in to I have used is the one by Record solid cast iron, weighs a ton, but I would look for a second hand proper pillar drill probably loads on eBay

 

[jakesy]

lidl have them in next week i think £50
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=20628

jakesy

 

[John Fenna]

I use an Aldi drill stand with a Woolworths (remember them?) drill and the combo works fine for me
I have broken one - the cast alloy collar/support shattered ... but I was abusing the thing at the time trying to drill something too hard for the drillbit I had in....

 

[crosslandkelly]

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=20628

 

[Kerne]

I've used a couple of these and find that there is often a good deal of play in them. Generally fine on timber. Better than drilling steel with a hand held drill but not up to the accuracy of a "proper" pillar drill.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Ok, thanks Guys - I think I shall shelve that idea in place of a proper pillar drill then!

Jakesy and Crosslandkelly - good heads up on the Lidl offer! Very timely! I'll check my local one early next week!

 

[The Lord Poncho]

I use an Aldi drill stand with a Woolworths (remember them?) drill and the combo works fine for me
I have broken one - the cast alloy collar/support shattered ... but I was abusing the thing at the time trying to drill something too hard for the drillbit I had in....

Somewhat re-assuring, but if i can get the lidl pillar drill for £20 more, I'll give it a shot. If not, I'll go for a fallback plan!

 

[rorymax]

Buy the Lidl, or Clarke, or Draper, or Siverline or Nu-Tool or various others for £40-£60, obviously you can buy better, but any of these will be better than a jig that holds a hand drill.

Pop a drill bit into the chuck on you new pillar drill, if the bit rotates like it is doing parabolic circles then get an exchange (unlikely).

As for accuracy, buy half decent drill bits and undersize your drill holes a tiny amount, then check drill hole diameter with vernier caliper or just measure with steel ruler.

You can learn to compensate for inaccuracy for different diameter desired drill hole diameters by upping drill bit diameters as necessary, and needle files can make that final required adjustment.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Buy the Lidl, or Clarke, or Draper, or Siverline or Nu-Tool or various others for £40-£60, obviously you can buy better, but any of these will be better than a jig that holds a hand drill.

Pop a drill bit into the chuck on you new pillar drill, if the bit rotates like it is doing parabolic circles then get an exchange (unlikely).

As for accuracy, buy half decent drill bits and undersize your drill holes a tiny amount, then check drill hole diameter with vernier caliper or just measure with steel ruler.

You can learn to compensate for inaccuracy for different diameter drill holes.

Good advice - thanks!

 

[Robson Valley]

I was gifted one of those pillar drill/jig/substitute things. I found it very difficult to get the alignment for 90 degrees.
One hand on the work, one hand to operate the mechanism, one hand to depress the trigger on the drill.
Then, the electric drill is tied up in that rigging. Releasing it meant doing all of the alignment all over again.

Here, I bought an 8" tabletop Delta (5-speed) for approx $100 which has done literally thousands of holes,
rough sharpened blades, carved abalone sea shell and fine sanded all sorts of bits & pieces.
I believe it's the sole multipurpose tool in my amateur shop.
Is it possible to find someone with a serious pillar drill for such benign and occassional work?

 

[bobnewboy]

I believe that Lidl have a special offer on a drill press on Monday!

 

[demographic]

Worth bearing in mind that Americans call Pillar Drills, Drill Presses...

 

[Robson Valley]

HA! I was trying my best to translate. I bolted the little Delta drill press to a square of 3/4" plywood.
That makes it easily portable to anywhere that I can clamp it down, indoors or out.
My clamps are your cramps, yes?
Bought another one for my partner's workshop in the city = she is pleased. She bought a couple of
big & soft fiber wheels for polishing silverware.

Initially, the DP meant that for the first time in my life, I could drill holes in predicable directions.
It's worthwhile to try to find some sort of a little focussed light that shines at the job point.

 

[British Red]

Your clamps are our clamps. Cramps are something women get. Clamps are something men get.

 

[demographic]

Your clamps are our clamps. Cramps are something women get. Clamps are something men get.

Ahh, they must buy these Record ones then...


I hear it either way. Sash clamps or Sash cramps. Interchangeable and the same item.

 

[Robson Valley]

Then there are the skull cramps from overindulgence, just for the Record.

Sorry, Lord Poncho. Speaking of drill presses.
I was given a mocotaugan knife blade, made in Sheffield no less.
Of the design which was traded in North America to native fur trappers by the Hudson's Bay Company by about 1740.
For wood carving, I want to see a total included bevel angle of 12 degrees.
My SOP is to begin to cut the factory bevel down with a chalked-up chainsaw file = fast and effective.
Then 400, 600, 800, 1500 and hone with CrOx/AlOx . Not going to happen after 2X efforts.
The bladesmith put some ridiculous bevel on the flat(?) back of the blade.
I don't want them to sharpen my pencils.
So tomorrow, I put a stone in the DP, run 1700 rpm and I'll joint the entire 5.75" edge to back of the little bevel.
Then a rough 12 with that same stone (no trouble with the previous 12-14 crooked blades.)
5 minutes and I'll be all set for the freehand work. Same as repairing a badly banged up Pfeil carving gouge.
Gotta get this picture thing sorted out.