drill press recommendation...

M

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Jan 26, 2002
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i have the larger Delta benchtop model for woodworking, but i started using it for knifemaking and it's just not precise enough...the spindle is too wobbly...

can you recommend a nice benchtop model that is accurate and not too expensive? i don't need all the speed options like on the Delta nor do i need the size...it would be used exclusively for drilling small holes in steel...i'll sacrifice speed options and power for precision...

can i get something under $250?
 
The Delta is a great drill press.
The harbor freight 39.00 drill press's work just fine for making knives.
 
Replacing the factory chuck with a precision chuck from a tooling supplier does great things for improving accuracy and what first appears to be spindle wobble.

Surprisingly, the precision self tightening chucks are a real time saver and grip much better than the key chucks I used to think were mandatory.
 
I've got a 12" delta and its as precise as any other drill press I've seen short of commercial grade stuff designed for a machine shop.
The chuck on yours may not quite be on straight, they're press fit onto a tapered spindle. Table could be off also, do a search on drill press tables. Tom Mayo had a really good way to square up your table using a brass rod in one thread.

What kind of drill bits are you using? Center drills make a big difference, for getting the hole started in the right spot. Bits with different types of points ground at different angles work differently in different materials too. They might walk or flex on you when you start the hole.
 
well, i wonder if maybe i just got a bad one...there's a very obvious wobble to it and no amount of messing with the chuck seems to matter...and when i look in from the top, where the belt is, i can see wobble in the spindle and the whatchamacallit (pulley?) that the belt wraps around...

is there any way to adjust or fix that? i was thinking of upgrading to a better chuck, but seeing that spindle wobble leads me to suspect that a better chuck won't make much difference...

and it's too late to exchange it...i've had it for years - from before i knew the difference...

i saw the 10" delta at costco for $99...maybe it wouldn't hurt to pick one up...i just hate the idea of having two drill presses....
 
Sorry to hear that your Delta is messed up. I sounds like it may have had a manufacturing defect. I have a Delta that has regularly checked out with a dial indicator. Since you are familiar with the machine you might consider buying another one and checking it out when you first set it up. Keep the other one for less critical applications. My two cents.
 
Well, I don't know what to say about that. Is it still under warranty? Sounds like its gots some bad bearings.

You haven't used any rotary rasps or the like in it have you? They market all sorts of stuff thats pretty much an expensive way of destroying your drill press. They just aren't made to take a horizontal load.
 
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