What to look for in a drill press?

[jackieschmidt]

I am a big proponent of finding old cast iron and making them function like new.

The green drill press is a walker turner radial arm drill. All new bearings , full disassembly , de-grease, it runs about 0.002 with a dowel in the chuck. New 1/2 horse 110 motor

The grey drillpress is a buffalo 18 same treatment , it runs just a bit less than 0.003 , new 1 hp 110 motor

They are a joy to use and i would not sell them.

You would love this. I think it pre dates WW-1. It was originally run off of a belt line.
My Dad found it in an old auction 60 years ago. He installed the “modern” drive.
We still use it.

 

[Jayplace]

Complete disassembly and 3/4 black pipe made it easier. Took all day but was quite a bit less physical effort.

4 or 5 pieces of black pipe will do an amazing job of moving heavy equipment. When i first heard about doing that I thought they were nuts, until I started moving my Bridgeport by myself.

 

[WSnyder]

I'm in the "get a mill" crowd

If you can't or won't get a mill then a Clausing Variable Speed might be one to look for. I've had one for 10-15 years now. I use it for quick and dirty and if the mill is occupied. Very nice machine.

 

[matthias]

You would love this. I think it pre dates WW-1. It was originally run off of a belt line.
My Dad found it in an old auction 60 years ago. He installed the “modern” drive. View attachment 1652690View attachment 1652691
We still use it.

I really like the dovetail on the column. And that badge is awesome. Also the 90° edge on the table is a great idea. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Jayplace]

I'm with the "Get a Mill" crowd. but not everyone has the space or can accommodate getting a mill into where it needs to go. To be clear, there is a big difference between a mill and drill press.

A drill press is good for drilling holes. They are not good for cutting sideways, they aren't made for that. The bearing surface of a drill press doesn't support sideways movement and doing so will ruin the drill press. Their support is made for vertical drilling.

 

[ELR LVR]

I am a big proponent of finding old cast iron and making them function like new.

The green drill press is a walker turner radial arm drill. All new bearings , full disassembly , de-grease, it runs about 0.002 with a dowel in the chuck. New 1/2 horse 110 motor

The grey drillpress is a buffalo 18 same treatment , it runs just a bit less than 0.003 , new 1 hp 110 motor

They are a joy to use and i would not sell them.

I know them older all steel and cast iron models command a pretty penny
I am selling my Atlas for $300 but seen one on Craigs list going for $1k :O

 

[ELR LVR]

I'm with the "Get a Mill" crowd. but not everyone has the space or can accommodate getting a mill into where it needs to go. To be clear, there is a big difference between a mill and drill press.

A drill press is good for drilling holes. They are not good for cutting sideways, they aren't made for that. The bearing surface of a drill press doesn't support sideways movement and doing so will ruin the drill press. Their support is made for vertical drilling.

This is true, drill press bearing are not designed to be loaded in that plane
but I don't care - when something needs to get done it needs to get done lol,
If it wears out I will fix it, upgrade the bearings with Niche Japan or get another one
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Theres some big huge vertical only style mills guys buy for like $500
and use them for side milling with the same idea

 

[ELR LVR]

I just checked Ebay for some Bridgeport/Grizzly, Enco Mills
Good prices but in Connecticut, Michigan etc
Still too cost prohibitive for me to ship
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Would be a cool cross country road trip though

 

[ggshoots]

If you cant get a mill look for a good used Mill/Drill. I have access to a mill but it is about 20 min away. Most times I never even make the trip as my mill/drill does the job . Small drill press never gets used and gave away my big heavy drill press to my buddy. You cant beat having a 16-24 inch table for working on and keeping things in alignment and it almost gets thrown in for free if you figure what a good drill press and table would cost you.

 

[cavedweller60]

I just checked Ebay for some Bridgeport/Grizzly, Enco Mills
Good prices but in Connecticut, Michigan etc
Still too cost prohibitive for me to ship
-------------------------------------------------
Would be a cool cross country road trip though

You're right, many of the deals on old industrial machinery are in the north and the east....a sad testament to the declining manufacturing base of our country. A great deal of our countries manufacturing businesses were here.

 

[matthias]

Don't forget to check the government surplus sites. Quality machines , various state of conditions.

 

[cavedweller60]

I just checked Ebay for some Bridgeport/Grizzly, Enco Mills
Good prices but in Connecticut, Michigan etc
Still too cost prohibitive for me to ship
-------------------------------------------------
Would be a cool cross country road trip though

I just did a marketplace search of the san fran area (not sure exactly where you live) and there are a few good deals.

 

[jackieschmidt]

We bought this baby out of Government Surplus through a dealer.

It might be a tad large if weight is an issue

 

[cavedweller60]

We bought this baby out of Government Surplus through a dealer.

It might be a tad large if weight is an issue View attachment 1652807

That's a beauty...did she come that way or did you restore it?

 

[ggshoots]

Jackie, do you think 2 guys could carry that one down into my basement? I do have a bad back. Haha

What a beast of a machine!

 

[jackieschmidt]

That's a beauty...did she come that way or did you restore it?

It came that way. The only thing we have done is make money with it

 

[Ringostar]

I probably wouldn’t get enough use from a large knee mill. I had looked at heavy duty drill presses also. I still haven’t bought anything, but if I do it would be a bench top mill like Precision Mathew’s.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Be very careful using a drill press for milling. They dont have a draw bar and when the morse taper comes loose you might have a chuck and end mill spinning in your lap.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Jackie, do you think 2 guys could carry that one down into my basement? I do have a bad back. Haha

What a beast of a machine!

Put it in your living room and it will probably find its own way to the basement.

 

[Sray53TXTN]

I had a cheap Harbor Freight drill press that had some build quality issues. So I git the bug to find an old USA cast iron version. Found one on local FB Market place, 50-60s Craftsman King-Seely. Went through it, new bearings, belt, sand, prime, & paint. It has enough umph to power through any of my hobby stuff. Fun project. It is very heavy.