Drill press - do they work?

[drliamski]

That post was almost cryptic.

 

[Robson Valley]

I got a blade with a useless bevel on the back side.
I have been unable to make that into the carving tool that it has been known for, for centuries.
I'll use my little drill press to grind everything off, square to the blade.
Then, I will begin again to make a 12 degree edge on the steel.
Just one more application for the justification to own a drill press.
I hope that this is a reasonable translation. My only value might be
to save someone the puzzles with an edge that just will not "sit down" at the expected bevel.

 

[sunndog]

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.

All of this

I'v had a little pillar drill my mrs brought back from aldi one day about 7 years ago....tbh I can't believe how good its been and how much work its done. it will do full day's almost non stop no problem at all

 

[demographic]

Worth buying after you see it running with a straight bit in it.
That way you can check that its not got masses of runout (drill wobble).