Thread: Drill press question

Originally Posted by McNulty

Hi folks
What is the advantage of a pedestal drill if the throw/max depth on the machine is limited? is it just for drilling large, bulky or longer items or is there some other benefit I am missing?

It's mainly for the larger, more awkward items, and that it doesn't need bench space.
It's a bit of nuisance but you can still drill longer holes with even a limited throw by raising the workpiece/table

if you look closely at the bench models then add a larger (and then longer) bit and then add a vice or table to the DP table you will see you don't have a lot of room even for the usual things underneath.

I'm not sure what you asking? Are you comparing a floor standing pedestal drill versus a bench top pedestal drill? or comparing to a hand drill?

A floor standing pedestal drill you can usually rotate the table as opposed to swing side to side. If you put it at 90deg you can clamp long items to it for end drilling.

Some bench top models don't have a table they use the base as a table. If your creative and mount the bench top version on the very edge of a bench you may be able to swivel the head on the pillar at right angles to the base and be able to drill over the end of the bench effectively getting the same height as a full height drill.


If you are comparing to a hand drill the main feature is being able to drill at set angles be it square or set at an angle, accuracy and depth stops, controlled feed rate.

I went the floor base model but did not bolt to the floor. I used a couple of weights on the bottom and it does not move. I had one long piece hanging over the edge and needed to get several holes along the length at a certain angle. I fixed the table at that angle and attached clamps and supports to get the holes done. There was one other time that I needed to do something with a large piece in the last 5 years.

Some bench top models don't have a table they use the base as a table. If your creative and mount the bench top version on the very edge of a bench you may be able to swivel the head on the pillar at right angles to the base and be able to drill over the end of the bench effectively getting the same height as a full height drill.

This is what I thought, eliminating the need for full height pedestal as most work would not be large.

Thank you for all the help

Alan

Good Morning Allan

I went for a bench model, but my bench space is too limited and too valuable to leave the drill press there permanently, so it lives on the floor near the bench. Thus whenever I use it I have to lug it onto the workbench or assembly bench, or work on the floor. Or I get lazy and use the hand held drill and later regret the loss of accuracy.

Now I wish I had gotten the pedestal drill, and it is on the wish list.



Fair Winds

Graeme

I went for the bench model, and mounted it with the head overhanging the bench so I can swing the table to one side if I ever need more height, but so far I never have; and don't ever expect to. The overhanging head means it has to be bolted down so it doesn't tip over.

The main downside is that it is too high. I cut a bit off the shaft to make it a better height for drilling but I still have to use a stepladder and stand on the bench to change the speed which is very awkward and so only gets done if it is really essential.

It was a bad idea, if I was buying again I'd get a floor standing one.

Yes, I can empathise with Graeme. I first bought a bench-top DP, because I had a very cramped little work-room, and thought a bench-top would cost me less space. I bolted it to one corner of a bench where I thought it would be most out of my way & still useable. Well, it may have been the best spot, but it still managed to get in my way, and make some jobs very awkward.

Eventually, I bought a pedestal model, and quite apart from the extra work room, longer quill throw and rotatable table, the big revelation was that I could tuck it into a tight spot, where it causes minimal disruption, and I can still use it for 99% of drilling operations where it sits! Because I do need to move it about once a year for a job that won't fit with the drill in its normal living spot, I haven't bolted mine down, either. Given the mass of the thing, & that it's used mostly for drilling wooden items & metal bits that are relatively small, tipping isn't likely, but to appease the safety-conscious, I do intend to make a broad base which I can fit into a mobile frame so I can move it more easily and make it safer. It won't need to be all that much bigger than the cast-iron base of the drill to give it sufficient stability. I have only had the drill for about 15 years, so I'm sure that sometime in the next 15, the base job will rise to the top of the priority list - with a bit of luck, before it falls on me.....

Whatever you decide, make sure you have enough work-room under the head. The small, inexpensive bench-top models have very restricted room, as has already been pointed out. Many woodworking drills are long, and you could easily find you don't have enough room to fit a thicker piece of wood, and the necessary drill bit in the space available. Rotating the drill head over the edge of the bench is feasible, but unless you make up some sort of accessory table, you have lost the advantage of having a drill-press, so you might as well just buy a good hefty hand drill and get a stand for that, if they are still available.
Cheers,

I've been considering investing in a drillpress for some time. What is the H & F brand ? I'm in Brisbane can anyone offer any advise in terms of brands/models that are serviceable and available in the Brisbane area ? I have a budget of (no more than) $500.00.

Much appreciated. (didn't want to start a whole new thread).

Oz, as always, you get what you pay for. There is a little bit of variation between the 'house brands', but not much, in terms of quality. I've got H&F machines & Carbatec machines in my shed, and they are pretty much blow for blow in quality & price. Both places have been equally good at looking after me post-purchase, & I have no complaints on that score. Main thing is to keep in mind what you want to use it for. If precision engineering is your thing, you probably need to spend much more than $500, but for a machine that will manage woodworking tolerances well enough, you should be able to come in on-budget.

If I were looking for a new DP for myself, I would be after a couple of features in particular that suit woodworking jobs. These are: as much room between chuck and pillar, and as much quill travel, as you can buy for the budgeted money. Unfortunately, the more you extend either, the more it magnifies any inaccuracies in machining or construction, so make sure the quill extends smoothly and is still solid at full extension. It's very hard to check how square the head is to pillar & table in the shop, but at least make sure there is adequate table-adjustment possible in all planes. A rack & pinion table is mandatory, in my view, and few pedestals come without them, but make sure it operates smoothly, particularly the ability to swing left & right - some cheapies have very crudely-machined collars that catch the ends of the rack when you try to swing the table, which can be annoying. In extreme cases you could damage or even break the rack if you are rough with it. On my DP, the pinion shaft binds when I crank it under even minor load - it's a pretty crudely-made part, and the only way to permanently fix it will take a lot of work. I have a friend with the necessary gear, & one day I will be driven to attend to it, but it's only at the annoying stage, not critical, so it may be some time before I get that particular round tuit.

Apart from that, a reasonable range of speeds is all you need (most have more than enough imo), a lockable quill is nice, but not essential, unless you are planning to do regular machining with it, which is not a really god idea as DPs aren't built to take lateral loads, though occasional light loading (like my slitting jig) shouldn't stress them too much.

That's my 2c,
Cheers

Thanks Ian as always you are a wealth of knowledge.

It would be 99.9% used for woodworking purposes. Will digest your advice and start looking for something in earnest.

Cheers,

Scott

Thanks for all the good information.
Looks like I need to fork out for the pedestal drill.


Alan

Get yourself a drill press table and you'll wonder how you worked without it.

Originally Posted by IanW

I do intend to make a broad base which I can fit into a mobile frame so I can move it more easily and make it safer. It won't need to be all that much bigger than the cast-iron base of the drill to give it sufficient stability. I have only had the drill for about 15 years, so I'm sure that sometime in the next 15, the base job will rise to the top of the priority list - with a bit of luck, before it falls on me.....

Now that is too close to home for comfort . The only difference is that I have only owned mine for 10 years, and I have had the parts for the mobile base ready to go for probably 3 years. It just never seems to get to the top of the "to do" list.

Cheers

Doug

Originally Posted by Shutterbug

Get yourself a drill press table and you'll wonder how you worked without it.

Ooooh, I like that. Looks a lot better than the bare table. Wonder how long it would take me to forget to put some sacrificial wood down and ruin that lovely top....