Do you need a drill press? (Drill press basics #1)

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Do you need a drill press? For almost any kind of craft work, my answer is "yes!" Drill presses give you power, precision, accuracy, and repeatability that you will never get from a hand-held drill.

[emilyrobinson]

Im a blacksmith who only does occasional wood related stuff, so a somewhat different set of needs and tools, but I didnt know just how much I needed a drill press until I got one. I bought a floor model one made back in the 80s in taiwan out of a shed for $20, and did a little wire wheeling, oiling and replaced the rack on the side. Best 20 Ive ever spent tool wise, its not the greatest press but ive found myself using it super often and now that I have it I find myself taking on different projects than what I thought I could reliably do without it. I picked up and restored an antique press made specifically for blacksmiths recently and cant think of not having at least one in the shop.

[friedmule]

Your question is wrong. No shop owner ask if he needs a tool, only where to find extra space to place it. And what excuse to use if he is married. :-)
Great video, thanks for sharing!

[GoatZilla]

Bonus: the "press" part of the drill press is useful as a... press. Like for insertion/removal of press-fit parts like bearings/shafts.

[BrokenCurtain]

Years ago, I had to build a loft bed for myself (was living in a tiny apartment with a high ceiling and had to save space).

This meant drilling a bunch of holes in pieces of wood in my father's workshop.

But my dad is one of those "just use an electric drill" types, so he didn't have a drill press.

Luckily, I found a cheap one at a local hardware store and brought it home. Then I built the bed and assembled it in my apartment. It was about 2 meters high and rock-solid. My dad helped me with the assembly and must have been impressed with the result, because my drill press got bolted to his workbench and hasn't left his workshop since then. He's still using it regularly. :)

[Benjamin-ug]

First off, I have to say, I have been subscribed to you for at least 4 years. I have enjoyed learning from your videos. With that being said, I am in a Trade School here in Oklahoma to be a Machinist, and one of our assignments is to watch a YouTube video on how to operate a drill press. I click on the link. Low and behold it is your video! I find it awesome and cool that it is you, Rex, teaching future Machinists how to use a drill press. Great job!

[tryoung]

A good drill press is a dream to operate. I'm running an old drill press my grandfather used, and it's deadly-accurate. The other day, I drilled a hole through a piece of 4x4 cedar using a 1" spade bit - drilled 98% of the way through till the point poked through the other side, turned the piece over, lined the hole and the point up, finished the hole - and it just lined up perfectly and straight, no mismatch, with no blow-out (damage to the wood). It's difficult to get that kind of accuracy with a hand-held.

I've even used my drill press as a make-shift lathe when I needed to turn down a small piece of aluminum rod.

[CleaveMountaineering]

An old 11" Delta Homecraft drill press was my first mounted machine, and I don't regret it. It really opens up a lot of options for precise work, and is not just limited to drilling holes!

[mattg]

Man I just like listening to Rex talk. Seriously. Great video.

[bertkutoob]

There are two types of shops:

One type has a drill press. The other is still going to get one.

I have a 0.2HP, 3 speed, 45yr old table model and cannot imagine not having it. It's all I need but my mouth waters at the thought of a 0.5HP, 16 speed with lazer sights

[darkwarlock]

I wanted to congratulate you on being able to transition into content creation. I don't have the money to contribute right now, but you deserve it. Keep up the good work.

[johncaulfield]

Here's a tip for cutting metal with a HSS drill bit because the sfm is different for different metals. In general we use a certain percent of 382. That never changes. The tougher the metal the lower the percentage. For example, when cutting carbon steel we use 60% of 382. 60% of 382 is 229. So let's drill a 3/8 inch hole in plate steel, this is how we find our speed.. 3/8 converted to a fraction is .375, so that give us: 229 divided by .375 which equals 610. 610 is our speed. For a 1/4 inch hole we get: 229 divided by .250 which equals 916. That's our speed for a 1/4" drill. See what I'm doing here? Find the closest speed in your drill press speed chart that's equal or slightly slower to the required speed. Never run a faster speed then the speed value you find from the math. For aluminum you can use flat out 382 to divide the drill bit by. Stainless Steel requires about 50% to 40% slower. So 50% of 382 is 191. Use 191 to divide the drill dia. by when cutting SS. I hope I didn't over complicate things but you'll save on drill bits instead of burning them up.

[Hellsing]

Ive never seen any of you're videos before. But I have the exact same drill press that is in you're thumbnail. A 1948 Atlas that I completely restored a few years ago.

Great video. When I purchased my first drill press it made a huge difference in not just quality but also in efficiency.

[flashgordon]

I have eight drill presses in various sizes. Six are vintage made in USA, three of those are sensitive drills, two are Taiwan units used for light milling. I like drill presses!

[maxleadleybrown]

My only slight gripe is loose use of terms like power and force. The power of the drill press is pretty fixed as the motro spins at a pretty fixed speed. What you get with the belts is variation in speed and torque. Speed down, torque up. You are right that battery drills do just reduce power to the motor to lower the speed.

[FearsomeWarrior]

The cut where you're spinning that circle cutter is the best.

[thomasgreen]

I bought my current drill press. About 10 years ago. I had cheap one before that, it was way under powered and hard to work with. Believe it or not, I bought my current one at a thrift store. It was made by the Buffalo tool company, my best guess is that it was built in the early 1950’ s. It does not have a tilt table but there are ways around that. The motor is easily replaceable. The chuck can be replaced as well, it has a tapered shaft, much like you would find on a wood lathe. So changing them out for a different chuck could be done in just a few minutes. I love the fact that it is really heavy, my guess is 250 pounds. That is helpful when you are drilling bigger holes. I am amazed at how well it is built. It is built to be handed down from one generation to the next.

[RealWolfmanDan]

Sure it comes with greater power, but does it also come with greater responsibility? Thank you, I'll let myself out.

[johnfitzgerald]

I have an old, manual, "egg beater" drill. It was my dads. I have used it for decades. It is cordless yet never needs charging. It provide excellent control and avoids those run away moments. It never burns the wood. Indeed, when sterile it is often the preferred tool for surgical procedures. It gets into tight spots that electric drills are often to bulky to work. It will never break or wear out. It's only drawback is that it requires that the drill bits are well maintained and kept clean and sharp. But then, drill bits should always be kept clean and sharp. It is, by far, one of my most proudest possessions.

[marcosmota]

Refresher for me. I bought a Craftsman drill press, and I live in an apartment. I have never had to change the speed from the factory setting. Even if you're OK getting by with a hand drill, always get into the habit of making a jig. I needed to drill plate steel for a sun room door and it made the difference between slashing my hand and not...

[magicdaveable]

My drill press is dual purpose. It has a 3/4 hp motor and it is also an oscillating sander. I searched for several months to find it. I saved $150.00 over buying a new one. I also have a portable drill press that has a Milwaukee 1/2" Hole Shooter mounted in it. Just like my newly rebuilt but old Craftsman table saw that cost me $50.00. Next on my agenda is a high quality Radial Arm Saw. I will look until one becomes available. I remember the late 1950's when my Dad bought a real DeWalt radial arm saw. I used it more than he did and I was only 10 years old. He also had a Shop Smith. His wood working skills were really impressive for being a Physician.