which drill press?

[Arch Stanton]

I am in the process of getting some tools together to tackle my new hobby, woodwork.

I haven't built anything yet but I intend on making chairs, tables, household furniture etc.

One thing I know I need is a drill press. But which one?

I usually like to get something good but being a novice I don't appreciate the finer points of drill presses and am leaning towards the cheapest I can get at Bunnings.

I expect I will be drilling some mdf and hardwoods, no metal. I don't anticipate any crazy sizes. I want something that will drill a straight hole compared to my crooked holes produce with a hand drill.

Can someone tell me why this might not be a good idea and why I should spend a bit more money on something else.

[Big Shed]

Arch,

I have a Radial Arm floor standing drill press and find this the most useful, not only can it be wound backwards and forwards, but it can can be tilted sideways for angles drilling

Look here:

http://www.timbecon.com.au/products/drill-presses-360_0.aspx

Not endorsing Timbecon, mine is a Sherwood from Mitre 10, but it is the only picture I could find:)

[martrix]

...........dont waste your money on any bunni%%s crud:doh: ..

Spend a couple more dollars on something decent (http://www.hareandforbes.com.au/sample_2/Catalogues/Woodworking/21.html).:wink:

[Arch Stanton]

Thanks guys,

Matrix, I know there is probably plenty of reasons not to buy the budget tools but what are they?

Will they fall apart quickly?

Won't they drill straight?

Or do they just have less features?

Big Shed, the radial arm sounds good and it sounds like you get to take advantage of it's ability. I can't see my self needing those features but then I have got a lot to learn about woodwork.

I figure to either get cheap and nasty for about $100 or something half decent for just under $300. If I can convince myself that the cheapies are crappy and I do need all the bells and whistles I won't have any problems shelling out the 300 odd.

[Mirboo]

I've found it useful to have a relatively large distance between the drill chuck and the column and I reckon the capacity of the motor driving the whole thing is also important. The distance between chuck and column dictates how large your workpiece can be and you want a half decent motor so the thing doesn't stall at the first sign of work.

I bought a bench drill press from Total Tools (the DP12000 (http://www.totaltools.com.au/icat/pdf.php?id=532)) a couple of years ago that I am happy with. I think it was a bit over $300 back when I bought it.

[Slavo]

If you have the money and space, get the $300 drill press. The smaller ones don't have much grunt, which is fine if you are only drilling pine, but anything tougher they tend to stall or it takes ages to drill. The smaller ones also don't have much in the way of a table for support and are limited in a number of ways, eg, swing, spindle travel, bit size, etc

[Iain]

You can get either a bench mount or floor mount in the same model in most instances, it is your call really on this one, I have one of each but of course the floor mount will cost about another $50 and will free up some bench space.
The cheapies have a tendency to run out, meaning that the tip of the drill will not run true, often when they hit the target this will stop, the cheaper the drill the more the runout as a rule.
I managed to reduce it on mine by putting in better quality bearings and giving the chuck and the taper a damned good cleanout.
If you go to a reputable dealer they will show you what is good and what isn't.
Some of the cheapies can be OK for general WW but I would spend a bit extra and get something worthwhile, even check out ebay/trading post and see what is on offer.
The table will need to be squared to the bit too, fiddly but once done should stay that way for a while, like any machinery really, a good tune up once you get it makes all the difference in the world.
What area are you in??

Quick edit, my bench mount record runs true and the 1/2" chuck will securely hold a .5mm drill bit, I seriously doubt the cheapies can achieve anything like that.
There is an old Macbro on Ebay, looks a real dog but I bet with a little tlc it could come up really well, even if it is ugly.

[Groggy]

Will they fall apart quickly? Yes. The plasticised knobs will break and need replacement. Especially the one sholding the head to the post.

Won't they drill straight? Depends. If there is a strong pull of the grain to the bit - yes. If drilling mdf or metal, probably not. However, it IS more likely to drill an eccentric or enlarged hole due to runout issues.

Or do they just have less features? Funnily enough they can have more, to make themselves attractive. A really good drill press will most likely just drill holes and that's about it. Less is better with DPs.

Big Shed, the radial arm sounds good and it sounds like you get to take advantage of it's ability. I can't see my self needing those features but then I have got a lot to learn about woodwork. More moving parts, more room for innacuracies. You can always build a jig.

I figure to either get cheap and nasty for about $100 or something half decent for just under $300. If I can convince myself that the cheapies are crappy and I do need all the bells and whistles I won't have any problems shelling out the 300 odd. Cheap and nasties will annoy you for ages, you will regret it. I bought a cheap and nasty, I regret it, I am looking for a real DP. Hey, here's a thought, wanna buy a cheap DP?

Seriously, don't get a crappy one, you'll be soorrry!

[martrix]

Thanks guys,

Matrix, I know there is probably plenty of reasons not to buy the budget tools but what are they?

Will they fall apart quickly? yes. A decent one with maintenance should last you a lifetime.

Won't they drill straight? possibly, but not reliably.

Or do they just have less features? yes, usually. A radial arm drill press, would be cool and very useful, but not necessary. I use a Peerless drill press that is in its second generation of use.:wink:

Big Shed, the radial arm sounds good and it sounds like you get to take advantage of it's ability. I can't see my self needing those features but then I have got a lot to learn about woodwork.

[Waldo]

G'day Arch,

Always buy something like a d/press beyond the use you anticpiate using it for, for the simple reason that if you don't one day you'll want to fit eg. a bit larger than 13mm and you can't or it doesn't have the motor to drill what ever it is or it doesn't have the travel to fit the piece you want to drill.

Buy decent gear once and you only buy once, buy cheap and you'll buy 2, 3 or 4 times to replace the same thing. IMHO I'd look at nothing below the $700 mark, but that's me.

If I was buying a drill press to replace mine it would have the same features:

• 3/4Hp motor

• 16 speed

• steel column

• keyed 13mm chuck

• floor standing or bench mount

• no plastics bits i.e knobs, they'll break

• and most importantly IMHO, an industrial model for solid steel construction.

My d/press is in it's 2nd generation of use and never had anything fixed or replaced and is without fault. It's a Klass heavy Duty d/press. I'll second what Iain said, "my bench mount runs true and the 1/2" chuck will securely hold a .5mm drill bit..."

Bunnies cheap stuff might walk out the door, only because it's cheap that it's enticing, buy it and you'll regret it.

[Arch Stanton]

Thanks again everybody. I am hearing what I wanted to hear. I never like buying cheap stuff but in a bid to stop the wood work budget blowing out I (foolishly) thought I might be able to save a few bucks here. Dad keeps telling me how cheap the tools he has are. I suppose all I had to do was look at the quality of work he produces. I wouldn't want any of it in my house.

Ok time to fine tune things.

New vs used. - new unless I see a red hot deal on good low kilometer model. Won't go looking for this but will give it some thought if I stumble over one.

Floor standing or bench. - I suppose I have the floor space and don't want it taking up room on the bench. Are there draw backs to floor standing? Can a floor standing unit be taken off a stand and be put on a bench? I don't know why I need to know that, just curious.

Radial arm - I don't know, possibly not. Will investigate further.

12 speed vs 16 speed - don't know

Waldo, I appreciate what you say about nothing under $700. However I really have to draw the line somewhere and will have to make do with something half that price.

Iain, I'm in Kew. I don't mind travelling a bit to get the right thing. Have to go out to Carbatec again later this week.

Guys, once again thakyou. I have a lot of homework ahead of me. There have been a few different brands thrown up.

[Knurl]

This time i'm gonna defend Bunnies and GMC. I bought a $299 GMC with the laser guides and it's not at all flimsy. It works well.
This table-mounted GMC has a sturdy drill plate that can be tilted to any angle and plenty of distance to the pillar. Even my tiniest little drill bit will fit the chuck. So what are the down sides?

1. The under-side of the drill plate has stiffening ridges that make hand-clamping a pain-in-the-@#$% so I need to build a DP table and fence for it...soon!
2. The speed changing is done by switching belts under a screw-down cover. Does anyone know how to make changing speeds a quick and easy process? This is my main gripe!
3. Hole-saws jam in the wood unless you take small bites - I think because I use too fast a chuck speed (see 2).

No flimsy bits and it sure gets a rough treatment! The laser guide is wonderful...how did we live without one before?

[Groggy]

1. The under-side of the drill plate has stiffening ridges that make hand-clamping a pain-in-the-@#$% so I need to build a DP table and fence for it...soon!

Get some automotive metal bog instead. Fill the slots with some offcut wood shaped to fit and wrap the wood in plastic. Turn upside down, fill with bog and smooth off so clamps have a nice flat surface. Allow to set and remove offcuts from the slots (this is why they are wrapped in plastic). Viola! Problem solved - post pics for forum.

2. The speed changing is done by switching belts under a screw-down cover. Does anyone know how to make changing speeds a quick and easy process? This is my main gripe!

Remove screw from screw down cover. That's about all you can do, other than to put a quick release lever on the motor mount bolts. (you can tack weld a small piece of round stock to the bolt to make a lever).

3. Hole-saws jam in the wood unless you take small bites - I think because I use too fast a chuck speed (see 2).

Nope, probably just the motor is not powerful enough, unless you are feeding the saw too fast. The workpiece MUST be clamped down firmly.

No flimsy bits and it sure gets a rough treatment! The laser guide is wonderful...how did we live without one before?

For the last century or two you mean? We just lowered the bit to touch the mark, raised a mm, then turned it on - what am I missing? :?

[bsrlee]

There are new drillpresses coming out this year (here already?) from Delta and Powermatic (Jet), which have constantly variable belt drive using the same expanding pulley system that is used in wood lathes such as the MC900/1100 series. You just push/pull a lever on the side & the rpm of the chuck changes - they all have an electronic readout on the front of the head.

Also supposed to have a longer vertical quill feed & extra large tables with pull out wings, replaceable inserts, mitre/clamp tracks, lasers.

Still won't stop you drilling the hole in the wrong place tho', and cost a fair bit of $$$.

[Iain]

There were two tool places in Richmond, not sure if they are still there, one was not far from Dimmeys and upstairs on the same side of the road and the other was in Church St not far from Bridge St (same as DImmeys, or is that Swan ST?).
If you are off to Carbatec you are within a few minutes of Woodworkers Warehouse in Braesid4e and Hafco in Dandenong, probably worth the extra hour or so.

[Arch Stanton]

Iain,

I'll definitely check out the Woodworkers Warehouse and Hafco. I bought a very sexy bandsaw from WWW and I found the people great to do business with.

In the meantime I have ordered a copy of #48 Australian Wood Review. It has a comparison of half a dozen drills which fit my newly defined criteria.

I have narrowed my search down to a non radial, floor standing drill press.

[Markw]

Hi Arch,
This topic has been fairly well covered previously as many who are new to machines seem to want to buy the cheapies.

Try this thread

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=34338

It may answer some of your current questions and some of the one's you haven't thought of yet - like where and how to mount the DP.

[SilentButDeadly]

http://www.hareandforbes.com.au/sample_2/Catalogues/Woodworking/21.jpg

We've got the SPD-20B and, while it is cheap and a little rough around the edges it isn't a bad toy. It is the same as those offered by every other man & dog at around this price point. Main drama is that the chuck is not of German precision and there can be drawout issues if the work piece isn't totally flat but in all truth it does all that is exepcted of it.

I wouldn't use it to regularily drive mortisers, holesaws and other drill press attachments though.......:no:

[Knurl]

Thanks for those great ideas Groggy. Especially the quick release lever. Brilliant! I wondered how I could get to that silly screw esp as my DP sits on the bench and it's a really heavy bugger to move.

BTW I feed the hole saw fairly slowly so I wonder why I get burned wood. Maybe I need a better hole saw that doesn't bind in the cut.

The bog approach to fixing the table is a novel idea. It may be easier to fit an add-on table and fence with toggle clamps fitted.

Is it normal to only get about 6 cm of throw for the drill? Most of my drills are longer.

[old_picker]

I bought on of them cheap TTI jobs from total tools 18 months ago my first real tool.
I bought a bunnies cheapy and exchanged it twice it was so crap and then got a refund after the 3rd one.

mmm ya get what you pay for and at $300 the TTI works ok
I have fiddled with it a lot and it does a fair job.

Since I bought it i got some other quite expensive tools [BS TS Router etc] I know what the higher price tools offer and i like it. It's called quality - good steel and strong fittings plus everything mates perfect. Have a look at the higher price tools first then decide. If i was buying one now I'd spend at least double the $300. Its a pretty important tool so my advice is dont go too cheap

[Groggy]

Is it normal to only get about 6 cm of throw for the drill? Most of my drills are longer. Thats about normal, though you may want to check and make sure the stops are wound back where they should be. This is about the limit for consumer grade DPs. Longer throws require more accurate machining, and therefore greater cost.

[Iain]

I though about 150mm was closer!!!

[Groggy]

Whoops, I thought that said 6 inches! Yes, Iain's right, you should have about 80-150mm (3-6") of throw.

[Gumby]

hhmmmm, Arch Stanton.

Interesting name. :wink:

Clint fan are we ? :)

[Gunnaduit]

Back onto the drill presses, if you get a Hafco SPD25A pedestal drillpress, like I did, the $420 isn't really the end of it. You need to add at least $140 to get decent aftermarket parts.

It won't be really sweet unless you then buy a good chuck, for example a Jacobs 34-06 1/2" chuck with Morse-Taper-to-Jacobs-Taper drill chuck arbor A0206, which together cost me $190. Otherwise you'll have run-out problems on the cheap chuck. A 1/2" chuck is sufficient, larger drills have a 1/2" shank anyway.

Then change the rather ordinary V-belts, putting a NuTLink A-section belt onto at least the front spindle, 1 metre of this costs $40, you'll use about 700mm of it. The back belt dosn't need to be so fancy, but a good conventional belt is worth it, probably you'll find it is an A24 or A26 belt, costs $8 or so. The better belts quieten the drive a lot.

Capping it all off, a halogen worklamp with magnet base (to stick onto the side of the drill press) at about $140 increases luminance around the work area.

Something else, you might check the spindle runout with a dial gauge when you buy the drillpress. Mine was ok, but the vendor siad that they aren't all good. Don't know how you get to pick and choose but an off spindle would ruin the whole thing. Hard to get the bearings out, that wouldn't really be a practical retrofit.

On mine, I'm tall and have to raise the pedestal about 250mm to get the work to a comfortable, back-straight height. I have been using a piece of 4" dia. cast-iron dunny pipe from the junkyard as a spacer at the pedestal base, the flange bolted straight on (yeah, yeah, washed it first). But it does contribute to vibration of the pedestal shaft, which I'll eventually dampen by fitting a big offcut of ginormous steel I-beam when I can pick one up cheap sometime, instead of the dunny pipe.

[Arch Stanton]

Everyone likes Clint

[Gumby]

Everyone likes Clint

Yeah true.

I'll just keep your secret to myself then. Those who know, will know. :wink:

[Groggy]

I'll just keep your secret to myself then. Those who know, will know. :wink:http://www.geocities.com/ug97057/goodbadugly/bones.jpg (http://www.geocities.com/ug97057/goodbadugly/bones.jpg)

[Stuart]

Long time, no see

[Doughboy]

I have a WWII Ajax. Never had any problems with it and I dont see any happening too soon either. Built to last and will prolly see me out.

Pete

[BobL]

BTW I feed the hole saw fairly slowly so I wonder why I get burned wood. Maybe I need a better hole saw that doesn't bind in the cut.

I have found that the reason you get a burn is because the teeth on holesaws tend to fill very quickly because they cannot clear their own sawdust away and end up continually rotating in their own sawdust.

If you have a compressor you can blow the sawdust away from the outside as the hole saw cuts but this does not clear the dust on the inside of the cut and will not clear the sawdust stuck between the teeth. What I do is cut a little and then back the hole saw out and hold a piece of scrap wood against the sides of the hole saw teeth to rub the dust off that sticks between the teeth. Repeat till about half way and then flip the piece. This avoids breakthrough and gives you a nice clean cut and reduces burning.

A soft brass wire or stiff bristle/nylong brush drawn across the teeth while the saw rotates is more effective than a piece of wood to remove the sawdust.

[Knurl]

Good tips BobL. I'll try those suggestions. Makes sense.

BTW I'm very dissappointed to hear the earlier comments because my bench DP only has 6 centimetres of throw....that's 60mm (less than 2.5 inches). Nowhere near the 80 -150mm. The 6cm is on the scale and I measured the throw!

So that's perhaps a reason not to recommend the GMC to others. The machine is only 4 months old, too. :no: I was wondering why I have trouble drilling thicker stock. And, I suspect there's nothing I can do about it, except replace it.:(

Well. There you go. You get what you pay for.

[Groggy]

BTW I'm very dissappointed to hear the earlier comments because my bench DP only has 6 centimetres of throw....that's 60mm (less than 2.5 inches). Nowhere near the 80 -150mm. The 6cm is on the scale and I measured the throw!
If it makes you feel better, the piece of junk I have is also a 6cm throw.

Well. There you go. You get what you pay for.Why can't we just learn this lesson once? :rolleyes:

[Stuart]

Just went out to measure mine, because I have always been very disappointed how little it has. Measured it to be 80mm, which from a practical point of view is pretty crap.

Unfortunately, from the H&F catalog above, it looks like that is the norm, unless you buy the biggest unit.

I think I will be upgrading sometime, and I know a lot more now about what I should look at:

1. Much more throw! 80mm is crap (60mm is a joke - sorry) Actually, 80mm is a joke too.

2. A better chuck. My one jambs often - don't know why, don't know what to do about it. Have taken to pounding the crap out of it with a wooden mallet till it frees up.

3. Speeds are a waste of time. A few speed choices is fine, but other features are so much more important. Speed changing isn't the easiest of tasks, so only do it when absolutely necessary, and as such, only use about 2 or 3 speeds at best. There are 16 on the drill press - don't think I will ever use them all :roll:

4. A much bigger table.

Guess I'm not very happy with my one at all. (No, it isn't GMC - it's a Woodman or something like that - won't buy another one though).

[Knurl]

I've got to find some redeeming features of my GMC.

The chuck is one of the better features. Not sure what "jams" but the GMC never gets stuck except when I use the ol' hole saws. The chuck is excellent and snug, grips tight and doesn't drift.

As to the GMC DP plate/table; it has a nice feature with two outfeed guides that pull out and lock on either side of the main table. Great for clamping longer workpieces.

BUT 6cm. Oh dear! We better stop there....someone will think we're comparing the length of something else.

[Stuart]

Won't be mistaking it for a discussion about mine then :D

[Mirboo]

The good, the bad and the ugly of drill presses hey. :;

After reading all of the above, I'm starting to get an inferiority complex about owning a TTI DP12000. I've got to say that it has done everything I've asked of it so far but I accept that there may come a day when it doesn't. The spindle travel on mine is about 80mm, this has presented a problem only a couple of times but greater than 80mm would obviously be better. The biggest Hare & Forbes has a travel of 120mm. (http://www.hareandforbes.com.au/sample_2/Catalogues/Woodworking/21.pdf) Does the extra money you'd spend to get a unit like the Hare & Forbes PD26 get you a drill with tighter tolerances and less runout etc. or does it just get you a bigger drill that still suffers the same problems as the smaller models?

The Brobo drill presses (http://www.brobo.com.au/index_files/Page595.htm), which I have no experience of but have heard only good things about, all have a spindle travel of 101mm. I don't know what these Brobo units cost but I've heard that they are expensive. You'd maybe need to dig up someones stash of gold coins before you could afford one.

[BobL]

I have the second biggest (heavy duty) floor mounted H&F/Timbecon DP with a 1 kW motor to which I have added my own version of a weighted table riser. As far as a what sort of machine is it, I would classify it as an "OK precision - bruiser" - it has the same precision as the medium duty chinese DPs but can take a lot more punishment before it seems to go out of whack.

Because I do a fair bit of metal drilling I find the speed range (160 - 3000 RPM), especially the low end, more useful than its 16 speeds. Probably because more pulleys are used, more speeds seems to equate with wider speed range. For example; in 3/4 HP range of chinese DPs, the 5 speed radial arm drills typically have 500 to 2500 RPM while the 12 speed models do 180 to 2740 RPM and the 16 speeds do 220 - 3480 RPM.

When I first got the DP I did make a wooden table for it but got sick of removing it when I wanted to use a cross slide vice and coolant to drill metal. Now I leave the cross slider vice permanently in place and use removable sheetmetal/leather faced jaws in the cross slide for clamping/drilling small pieces of wood. I find the cross slide vice is as good and in some ways better that a DP table.

If I need to use a wooden table I have a 400 x 500 mm platform which as a 400 x 100 x 50 mm cross piece of jarrah screwed to its underneath. I clamp the cross piece into the cross slide vice and then clamp the panel to that. Because its a floor mount DP I still have plenty of room under the chuck to do this.

[Mirboo]

I called Hare & Forbes to get a price on a Brobo drill press. They told me the 8SN is $2470 for the bench mount single phase version and $2700 for the floor mount single phase version. This price is inclusive of GST but does not include a drill chuck. :o

[Knurl]

BobL - any chance of seeing some pics of your cross-slider?

[Arch Stanton]

Groggy, I love the photo.

[fraserbluff]

I have just purchased a Rexon (Taiwan) DP500 Pedestal Drill. It weighs around 135kgs with a 1.2KW motor. It is fitted with a 3MT & keyless chuck and has 12 speeds (125 to 3500rpm). Its chuck travel is 120mm with an adjustable full length threaded external depth stop.

And it cost me a grand.

I looked at the H&F PD26. I didn't like the depth stop arrangement, and the crank for raising and lowering the table didnt work as it should. Also the handles/arrangement that raised and lowered the quill were not as rigid/heavy as the Rexon.

The only thing it doesn't do is have a rotating table. To overcome that I have a compound slide.

Two things I look for in purchasing tools as a rule (especially machine tools). What does it weigh and what does it cost. The drill press was for ever as far as I was concerned. Specifically the thing that I looked for was what happened when you put a bit of pressure on the work pieced with the chuck spindle. The less you pay the more flex you have between the table and the headstock. This is not so critical for drilling wood and alike but it is for steel work.

cheers

Donald

[Groggy]

Groggy, I love the photo.Why not use it as your avatar? It IS Arch Stanton after all :wink:

[Iain]

It may not be, there were 200,000 close relatives:wink:

[Groggy]

I have just purchased a Rexon (Taiwan) DP500 Pedestal Drill. It weighs around 135kgs with a 1.2KW motor. It is fitted with a 3MT & keyless chuck and has 12 speeds (125 to 3500rpm). Its chuck travel is 120mm with an adjustable full length threaded external depth stop.

And it cost me a grand.

I looked at the H&F PD26. I didn't like the depth stop arrangement, and the crank for raising and lowering the table didnt work as it should. Also the handles/arrangement that raised and lowered the quill were not as rigid/heavy as the Rexon.

The only thing it doesn't do is have a rotating table. To overcome that I have a compound slide.

Two things I look for in purchasing tools as a rule (especially machine tools). What does it weigh and what does it cost. The drill press was for ever as far as I was concerned. Specifically the thing that I looked for was what happened when you put a bit of pressure on the work pieced with the chuck spindle. The less you pay the more flex you have between the table and the headstock. This is not so critical for drilling wood and alike but it is for steel work.

cheers

DonaldA man after my own heart. I've had my eye on the same beast for a while now at Total Tools. Did they give free delivery? :D Just confirm, that one has a squarish table?

[alanm]

I have the SPD-25A HAFCO pedestal drill press and it does the job.

But it has the basic flaw of column flex or wobble. It may be a 80mm column "heavy duty" drill, but it still wobbles a fair bit, even when bolted to the floor. Drilling is OK, it would be nicer to have it more sturdy.

An 80mm throat is heaps for most drilling that requires or benefits from a drill press. Large sheets can easily be done with a hand-held drill and drill guides for 90 degree-ness (see Timbecon).

Maybe the wobble is good and acts as a dampening effect on bad vibration and the negative feelings are just bad and wrong perception.

At least I'm happy with the drilling results. BUT only after tossing the absolute JUNK (warped, twisted, non-alinged) v-belts Hafco supply as standard. Such a pity they did this the saving of a couple a dollars.

[Arch Stanton]

Why not use it as your avatar? It IS Arch Stanton after all :wink:

Good idea.

I did a quick search and found another Arch Stanton using a version of the same pic.

I hope he feels flattered that I have pinched his image and used it as my own. :)

[fraserbluff]

A man after my own heart. I've had my eye on the same beast for a while now at Total Tools. Did they give free delivery? :D Just confirm, that one has a squarish table?

I got it from Just Tools. I picked it up. I bought a heap of other stuff at the same time. It has the squarish table and the external threaded depth stop. Unfortunatley I bought at the same time a morticing kit (also by Rexon) but it will not fit the Quill (65mm I think) so I will need to return it shortly. A bit of a PITA from here!

cheers
Donald

[Groggy]

Unfortunatley I bought at the same time a morticing kit (also by Rexon) but it will not fit the Quill (65mm I think) so I will need to return it shortly.I wouldn't bother about the morticer kit, I have only heard one person say they were worth it (out of at least 30 or more spaced over a few years).

[Stuart]

First time I used mine in anger (ie "for a real job" for you landlubber types), the whole body of it split where it attaches to the drillpress. Pretty frustrating, as it was well out of any reasonable warranty period. Just hanging onto it now in case I ever buy a morticing machine (and need the chisels for that).

Can't even repair it, cause it is all cast iron, and that is a bastard to weld, even if I had the gear.

[BobL]

BobL - any chance of seeing some pics of your cross-slider?

I'm not sure if you want to see just the cross slide OR the cross slide + table.

My cross slider is the same as this one (http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=60_8460_8480). NB Carbatec has them at a good price at the moment.

Cheers

[fraserbluff]

First time I used mine in anger (ie "for a real job" for you landlubber types), the whole body of it split where it attaches to the drillpress. Pretty frustrating, as it was well out of any reasonable warranty period. Just hanging onto it now in case I ever buy a morticing machine (and need the chisels for that).

Can't even repair it, cause it is all cast iron, and that is a bastard to weld, even if I had the gear.

If the cast iron was half a reasonable quality I would use oxy/acet & bronze to repair it.

Donald

[fraserbluff]

I wouldn't bother about the morticer kit, I have only heard one person say they were worth it (out of at least 30 or more spaced over a few years).

It was my intention, short term, to return it and swap it for a 14 inch rip saw blade. Probably more use to me.

Donald

[Arch Stanton]

Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. I was easily persuaded to give the cheaper drills a miss.

I now have a shiny new Carbatech CH-16N. It's all assembled with only one piece left over, some wedge thing. The instruction are a bit thin.

It looks good. I haven't given it a real work out yet.

I've got to work out the speeds tommorrow.

[Groggy]

I now have a shiny new Carbatech CH-16N. It's all assembled with only one piece left over, some wedge thing. The instruction are a bit thin.
The "wedge thing" is a drift to knock the taper loose - don't chuck it! (pun intended :p)

[BobL]

Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. I was easily persuaded to give the cheaper drills a miss.

I now have a shiny new Carbatech CH-16N. It's all assembled with only one piece left over, some wedge thing. The instruction are a bit thin.

It looks good. I haven't given it a real work out yet.

I've got to work out the speeds tommorrow.

One! - only One? :no: something must be wrong mate - that can't possibly meet the blokes shed code of conduct.:oo: For punishment you are required to wear pink slippers while drinking a pink tinged non-al wine from a champagne glass with a straw, and holding your lefthand pinkie acock, in full view of at least one other member of WWF! :D

[Arch Stanton]

Maybe I can redeem myself in the real men code of conduct stakes.

The real estate agent came around today to inspect the property and I had a band saw complete with saw dust in the middle of the lounge room.

[Groggy]

Maybe I can redeem myself in the real men code of conduct stakes. :2tsup: You're back! Ya had us worried there for a sec :wink:

[BobL]

Maybe I can redeem myself in the real men code of conduct stakes.

The real estate agent came around today to inspect the property and I had a band saw complete with saw dust in the middle of the lounge room.

Arch - that is freakin awesome! The only thing that could possibly beat that was, as a kid, our next door neighbor used to overhaul his chainsaws in his lounge room. Everything was washed in petrol so there were little jars and tubs of petrol everywhere. His wife was a chain smoker so she was not allowed into the lounge so used to watch TV standing at the doorway with a fag behind her back and usually a kid on her hip! Ah . . . those were the days.

[echnidna]

First time I used mine in anger (ie "for a real job" for you landlubber types), the whole body of it split where it attaches to the drillpress. Pretty frustrating, as it was well out of any reasonable warranty period. Just hanging onto it now in case I ever buy a morticing machine (and need the chisels for that).

Can't even repair it, cause it is all cast iron, and that is a bastard to weld, even if I had the gear.

I broke mine a few years ago in the same place.
So I wrapped a piece of 1/8" strap right around the outside of the casting.
I drilled holes in the ends that line up with holes in the casting so the clamping bolts tighten it all up and hold everything together.
I also drilled a hole mid way and tapped a 1/4" bolt into the casting as a locator.
The repair works quite good.
The key to getting good results from the drillpress morticers is in eliminating play & slop in the drillpress and your clamps

[echnidna]

I prefer the bench mounted drill press.
Mines bolted to the edge of a small cabinet.
I can twist the head 90degrees so I can get the clearance of a floor mount.
The cabinet is my storage area and holds a few things including a couple of nailguns as well as my chisel mortice attach etc.
The drawer holds drill bits, spade bits forstner bits etc.

So in the footprint of a floor mounted drill I can keep all my accessories.
With a floor drill the extra bits would have to be stored elsewhere.
So I would have even less usable space in my shop

[MurrayD99]

I wouldn't bother about the morticer kit, I have only heard one person say they were worth it (out of at least 30 or more spaced over a few years).

Make that 31 if you want.... Not a solution to the problemo

[Iain]

It's all assembled with only one piece left over, some wedge thing.

You will discover what it's for when you have forgotten where you put it:D
Shall I tell him, naaa, feeling like a shyte stir today:wink:

[Acolyte]

Thanks for the info Arch, I was looking at buying a drill press in the $300 price range and the CarbaTec CH-16N seems to be well regarded - what did it cost you and will CarbaTec generally give you a good deal or is the sticker price the price you pay? I know TTI will generally take a few $ off the big ticket items...