Looking for information on doing a drill press to mini-mill conversion

T

TwinCities

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Sep 14, 2010
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I've read some threads around the web, but they seemed to just be somebody posting pictures of their conversion. I'm taking my small 8" Northern Tool drill press with 1/3hp and I'd like to convert it to a basic 1/2hp mini-mill.

If anybody has information, or links to information, please share. I thing a poor-man's mill could come in handy when making knives.

I'm looking for how-to articles, tips, tricks, and links to readily available parts (ie: xy table) and even more important information detailing modifications that I need to make that I wouldn't have thought of.

It's either this or pawn the drill press, and I'd rather do this if nothing else for fun and educational purposes.

Thank you. :-)
 
Drill presses are not equipped for the side-loading forces required when milling. You will simply ruin your drill press. Mini-mills are available for about $500. Buy one, and keep your drill press for drilling.
 
TwinCities said:
If anybody has information, or links to information, please share.
Click to expand...

-I can sum up all the information you need in one word: Don't.

Yes, people have occasionally made cheap drill presses into vaguely-workable small mills, but it's a lot of work and a fair bit of money- and it's still only vaguely workable.

Just a few of the reasons why it doesn't work: The spindle bearings aren't designed for side loads. The quill fit to the head is usually very sloppy by mill standards- that gives you a poor finish, bad accuracy, and short tool life. Without a hollow spindle, you can't use a drawbar. Without a Morse or other taper socket, you can't use collets, and drill chucks are outright dangerous to use to hold an endmill. The cheap X/Y tables you're thinking of buying are typically loose and sloppy, have inaccurate screws, and aren't really designed for milling loads. The column usually isn't stiff enough for anything but the lightest cuts. The list goes on.

Really, don't waste your time or money. Keep the drill press as a drill, and save up for a proper mini-mill. You'll be way ahead of the game.

Doc.
 
I appreciate the fair warning, and I saw similar posts on other forums that I ran across when googling thr subject.

Let me clarify a few things though:

1) I realize that this would kill my drill press prematurely and that it is not what it was designed for.
2) I realize a lot of structural modifications would be necessary for this to work.
3) (the most important) - I wasn't planning to mill metal with this. I was actually hoping to mill various plastic polymers for the purpose of making the originals to create molds from, create a mold from it, and then use the mold to cast the real product out of silicone, resins, or thermoplastics. This would be useful (I think) for creating things like acrylic grips, decorative parts, and also prototypes for some non knife related items. Actually, the prototypes are the primary motivating factor for this.

I'm ok with it breaking quickly. I just would like to at least make a couple prototypes first and then anything knife related I make with it after that would just be gravy.

So, I appreciate the advice, and while I plan to one day have a REAL milling machine, for the moment I just want to use this drill press for the job. I should mention (and I'm not trying to brag) that the reason I'm ok with ultimately trashing this drill press is that it was my first bench tool and is getting replaced today with a 12" 3/4hp Craftsman drill press. So I figured, rather than pawn it and get practically no money for it, I'd turn it into something I can use and have use for.
 
I used a brand new Craftsman 17 inch drill press with a Grizzly XY vise to mill briefly, the precision was not there. Your frustration level will vary

-Page
 
Precision and accuracy aside, safety is the biggest concern. Without a drawbar holding the chuck in place the chance of the chuck dropping and taking off like a spinning top as soon as you side load it is almost 100%. Not only dangerous but it will trash your workpiece as well. Been there, done that as a
kid, got lucky and only hurt the workpiece.

~Chip
 
WValtakis said:
Precision and accuracy aside, safety is the biggest concern. Without a drawbar holding the chuck in place the chance of the chuck dropping and taking off like a spinning top as soon as you side load it is almost 100%. Not only dangerous but it will trash your workpiece as well. Been there, done that as a
kid, got lucky and only hurt the workpiece.

~Chip
Click to expand...
I got lucky I was plunge milling a slot when the chuck dropped so it stayed in the slot and was still in contact with the jacobs taper (ruined the taper because of galling)

-Page
 
Hmmm. Well, safety is an entirely different beast, and I'll admit that it often is a deal breaker for me. I didn't realize those issues were present with a conversion. I don't mess with safety. What else is there that can be done with a drill press that is useful (and safe), aside from using it as a drill press of course.

I was just thinking that if safety is a major issue, maybe I'll just sell a bunch of stuff that I've been meaning to get rid of and buy a real mini mill. What is the best bang for the buck as far as benchtop milling machines go?
 
I use a smallish xy table on my big drill press (Jet VS 20") for light milling. Just guard slots and pockets in micarta scales, etc. It works OK for me, no money to speak of into besides a set of cheap endmills and the table I got for $60 secondhand. You can get one from Grizzly for $90-$120. I'm getting a mill when I can afford it. I do have the anytime use of a nice Bridgeport 20 min. away for folder work...
 
DocsMachine said:
-I can sum up all the information you need in one word: Don't.

Yes, people have occasionally made cheap drill presses into vaguely-workable small mills, but it's a lot of work and a fair bit of money- and it's still only vaguely workable.

Just a few of the reasons why it doesn't work: The spindle bearings aren't designed for side loads. The quill fit to the head is usually very sloppy by mill standards- that gives you a poor finish, bad accuracy, and short tool life. Without a hollow spindle, you can't use a drawbar. Without a Morse or other taper socket, you can't use collets, and drill chucks are outright dangerous to use to hold an endmill. The cheap X/Y tables you're thinking of buying are typically loose and sloppy, have inaccurate screws, and aren't really designed for milling loads. The column usually isn't stiff enough for anything but the lightest cuts. The list goes on.

Really, don't waste your time or money. Keep the drill press as a drill, and save up for a proper mini-mill. You'll be way ahead of the game.

Doc.
Click to expand...


I was thinking about souping up my lawnmower for a daily driver. You gonna rain on my parade too?



TwinCities said:
Hmmm. Well, safety is an entirely different beast, and I'll admit that it often is a deal breaker for me. I didn't realize those issues were present with a conversion. I don't mess with safety. What else is there that can be done with a drill press that is useful (and safe), aside from using it as a drill press of course.
Click to expand...




Oh lots of stuff. You can use it to stir paint or epoxy, you can use it as a light duty press (not a drill press, a press). I have one that I use the table surface as a plane to sit stuff on.

you could also use it as a door stop, small boat anchor, as a counter balance when see-sawing alone. Man the list goes on and on.

I wonder if you could rig up some kind of rotisserie contraption for grilling whole chickens?

Sorry... Back is giving me fits today. Kinda heavy on the pain meds tonight...
 
I don't know how far along you are in your knifemakeing but you can never have too many drill presses. I have 4 (oops 3, I trashed one with a piece of barstock in a fit of anger)
 
sharpeknives said:
I don't know how far along you are in your knifemakeing but you can never have too many drill presses. I have 4 (oops 3, I trashed one with a piece of barstock in a fit of anger)
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only one who did things like that.
Anthony
 
sharpeknives said:
I don't know how far along you are in your knifemakeing but you can never have too many drill presses. I have 4 (oops 3, I trashed one with a piece of barstock in a fit of anger)
Click to expand...

Really? What is the benefit of having more than one drill press? I must be overlooking it because I'm new to knifemaking.
 
If you have a Tapmatic head for instance, you can devote a small drill press to that. A small precision drill press can be nice for folder work, a big gruff one is good for general shop and fabrication work, and I have one that I took the motor off, put a big flywheel/hand crank on top of the spindle, and use for a hand tapper. Works great. The way that press was built you can switch the quill-rebound spring to down-pressure instead so it feeds the tap. It also has a locking quill stop so I can lock it in the up position while setting up the work and chucking up the tap. Got it for $10. I also occasionally use it for the odd hole that I manage to work-harden while drilling. I sharpen up a bit bit real well, then give it good down pressure while turning the bit at hand-crank speed. Usually this will make things all better. It's like having a high-torque, super slow drill press.
 
I looked at the Tapmatic, that looks useful for far more than knifemaking. I'd love to add it to my shop, but I have to wonder if the drill press I'm replacing is precise enough (or even strong enough for it). The drill press I'm replacing is a Northern Industrial 5 speed mini drill press http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365427_200365427

The drill press that I ordered that will replace the Northern Industrial when it arrives next week is a Craftsman 12" drill press http://www.google.com/m/url?client=...AQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFiJOrufMO9isdV7DPAJAziVSDmrA

It's a small step up from low to mid quallity.

I'm thinking that maybe I'd be best selling it along with a bunch of other things that I've been meaning to sell and see how far the money goes towards either a proper belt grinder, OR a combo metal lathe/mill. Or at least something that I'd have clear use for.
 
Here is a test for you.

Take a 1/4'' 4 flute end mill and try to drill a hole in steel with it.

If you end up with a hole that is between 1/4'' and 1/2'' and oblonged you will see why a drill press is not a good replacement for a mill.

LOL trust me I tried it!!! 1/8'' end mill and I ended up with a 1/4'' hole

Not good for the drill press either.
 
You can get a Mini-Mill from harbor frieght dirt cheap, and a heck of a lot safer!

Drill presses are for drilling. Mills are for milling. No way around it.

It's no fun getting chased around the shop by a chuck with a SHARP end mill in it. Not to mention it wants to put a gouge in anything it gets near. AND THEY CAN CLIMB WALLS!!!

Mike
Maker
The Loveless Connection Knives
254-865-9956
 
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