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Machine Not sure I need a drill press anymore

Machine
skippyelwell said:
It is a big old 18" Canadian Buffalo DP with wasted space on either side of it, I love using it, like the rock of Gibraltar.
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No I'm not thinking about buy the pos we talked about, I've been looking at this one,
Looks like it is in pretty good shape although I haven't seen it in person yet, it is not far from me and I have avoided going to see as I know I will start making plans to get it home.
I don't have a spot to set it up so at the moment I'm just window shopping.
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What a nice DP! You cannot possibly part with it. it's a keeper!!!
 
FWIW

I started the opposite way: I had a 8X32 mill, which made a lousy drill press (only 6.5" to the column), but it worked. Then I bought a 'real mill' an 9X49 with a maximum distance to the column of 30". Then I bought a drill press. It was to help a friend by buying it from him, but I found it was used a lot... to the point that I upgraded it to a 'big boy' drill press.

For sure, keep it, or loan it to a trusted friend with a bigger shop. You'll probably want it back after a time!
 
I have a tool cabinet on casters under my drill press table and rolled up to the column. I find it works well to hold drill bits, etc in the drawers, provides a handy place to put things while working on the drill press and if I need more travel for the table from the quill I can move the cabinet out of the way. That last part is not as easy as it once was, with the sheer amount of stuff in my shop now, but still can be done if it needs to be.
 
@skippyelwell - that is a great Drill press. I have a POS trademaster 17” that needs a rebuild beyond bearings - like spindle and related parts. BUT!!! I still use it for drilling fast fabs or wood or something that doesn’t require precision. If I had a decent one I would use it for setting up lots of projects!!

Guys with mag drills - those things can be used with huge success on long stock or just set up on a steel table as a mini drill press.

A good drill press can go a long way in the fab shop and a mag drill can do some awesome stuff - like drilling out a precision welding table top etc.
 
skippyelwell said:
As soon as I got a space of my own to work in I have had a floor model drill press, but now that I can drill on the lathe or on the milling machine I'm wondering if I need the DP anymore.
It takes up space that I could use to fit a surface grinder in.;)
In the past 30yrs I can only remember a few times where I used the full adjust ability of the DP on large items.
Really, I think that's the only advantage of a full sized DP has over a mill.
Has anyone else come to this conclusion or I'm I trying to justify a new toy for the shop?
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Hi. I have a drill press I don't use much. It came in handy the other day when the mill was tied up. Glad I kept it around.
 
Susquatch said:
That makes two of you who did that. Any other confessions out there?
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I’d like to become part of the group- because that would mean I’ve ended up with a variable speed drill press with a bigger throat.

As compensation for my drill press taking up valuable space, I’m thinking of building a cabinet the drill press can tuck into, that I can store my 3 bench grinders in. Maybe I should get rid of some of my bench grinders and then buy some decent ones.

Then I could be part of the exclusive drill press and bench grinder groups.
 
I have always had a floor model but over the years I've never drilled anything that needed that much clearance. I could very easily do with a bench top model and a drawer cabinet to put "stuff" in.
 
YotaBota said:
I have always had a floor model but over the years I've never drilled anything that needed that much clearance. I could very easily do with a bench top model and a drawer cabinet to put "stuff" in.
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I put a cabinet on the base of my floor standing press. It's held onto the press via a length of strapping that goes around the column. Works well although the drawer slides aren't up to the weight of the drills in the drawers.
 
YotaBota said:
I have always had a floor model but over the years I've never drilled anything that needed that much clearance. I could very easily do with a bench top model and a drawer cabinet to put "stuff" in.
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I made this cabinet years ago for my upright gear head drillpress. Casters are fixed so it can be pulled out for cleaning and fits over the base. I made it in the style of my oak machinist chests. Definitely been useful,
 

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I was drilling & tapping a bunch of parts on the mill the other day. I had finished setting up the tapping head when I discovered that I had missed 2 parts in the counter-sinking step. Took the parts and counter-sink out to the DP and quickly solved the problem.

Granted that a floor standing DP might not be necessary, but it sure is handy to have a backup sometimes.
 
I still use mine, sometimes more often than the mill. Especially for wood working since it's more in the wood shop than the metal shop area. I must admit I haven't used the hollow spindle and draw bar feature for MT-3 tooling since I got the mill.

And because I suffer from HSS (Horizontal Surface Syndrome) the base of the drill press is in use...

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I decided that I could sell my drill press if I got a milling machine as I didn't have money or space for both and I certainly could use the milling machine as a drill press. I got the milling machine and somehow found money and space for them both. I am now of the opinion it would have been a mistake to get rid of my drill press.
 
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