A drill press is an essential tool for drilling precisely spaced holes or boring to exact depths. With the right set-up you can bore at almost any angle without fear of the drill bit walking or reaming the hole out of round. With the right attachments, a drill press can also serve as a router, spindle sander, mortise machine or a pocket hole machine. They are one of the more versatile machines in the shop.
Drill presses are available in two basic models:
Bench Top Drill Press
A bench top drill press mounts directly to a workbench or small drill press stand. They're compact size makes them a good choice for small shops.
Floor Model Drill Press
A floor model drill press usually has a larger chuck capaciy, more powerful motor, and can drill to the center or a larger diameter circle. They can also use a greater variety of attachments making it a more versatile than the bench model.
Size and Drilling Capacity
The size of a drill press is determined by the distance from the center of the chuck to the column. On a 15" drill press, for example, the distance between the drill bit and the column is 15". It can drill to the center of a 30" diameter circle.
The chuck capacity also determines the size of the drill press. A 1/2" chuck will accomodate up to a 1/2" shank on the drill bit.
Drill presses are also measured by the size of the motor. A higher horsepower allows you to drill larger holes through tougher material. Most drill presses come equipped with a 1/4 HP to a 1 HP motor.
Drill presses usually have the capability to produce a variety of speeds. This is done either through the arrangements of belts and pulleys between the motor and the drill press spindle, or by way of a variable speed control.
Speeds are selected by the arrangement of the belts on stepped pulleys to deliver a range of speeds between 210 to about 3800 RPM. Some drill presses have a 4-step pulley on both the motor and at the top of the spindle. These offer 4 different speeds. Drill presses with a third step pulley mounted between the motor and spindle pulley can provied 12 or 16 different speeds by varying the position of the belts.
Other considerations include the table, quill travel, and depth stops. The table on most drill presses is mounted to the column and can be raised or lowered and then clamped in place. It can also usually swivel from side to side adn 360 degrees around the column.
Quill travel is the depty to which the drill press can bore holes. The quill is what holds the spindle and travels up and down.
Depth stops control the depth of holl that is drilled by stopping the quill as it travels downward. Depth stops are goof for repetitive boring and dowel holes.
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