Newbie Drill press question

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Tjstampa

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Mar 25, 2019
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I looking at drill presses. My current project is making a forge out of a propane tank. (FYI i know it is currently empty and a friend at a welding supplier purged it with co2) how big of a press would you suggest. I am thinking of a floor model as by the time I make a stand it would be almost the same cost. How low should the rpms be for metal?
 
Get the largest machine you can afford. I use a benchtop model, which is fine for me. But I also have a milling machine if I need to make larger holes.
 
Tjstampa said:
Followup question what would i need to look out for in a used drill press
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see if you can run it, bring a small drill bit and piece of steel and check the runout (how much the bit wanders when starting a hole without a center punch) of the chuck.
you will also be able to check how worn out the chuck key is when doing this
 
Tjstampa said:
Followup question what would i need to look out for in a used drill press
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I would look at the chuck condition (and how difficult is might be to change the chuck by model), belt condition, and if possible, see if you can drill a hole in steel with the used model. Wood or aluminum will not be as likely to show issues with runout. A solid table with a mechanically sound way to get the workplace perp to the drills center is as important or more important than how well he unit turns the tool 👍
 
Bigger is better. Auctions are a good place to find one. As mentioned try to use it first.
Look for an X Y vise too, they're really handy
 
I was able to get a 15 inch Ridgid 16 speed. Not the best but not the worst for a great price. I could not detect any run out in the drill. I am sure there is some but for starting out I thought it is not a bad start. Thank you for the advice which kept me away from another one
 
Tjstampa said:
I looking at drill presses. My current project is making a forge out of a propane tank. (FYI i know it is currently empty and a friend at a welding supplier purged it with co2) how big of a press would you suggest. I am thinking of a floor model as by the time I make a stand it would be almost the same cost. How low should the rpms be for metal?
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A few rinses with bleach will kill that propane odorant smell.

There's no harm in drilling slower than optimum.
the larger the drill the slower

Especially if you intend to use a hole saw, slower.

My drill presses have 3 pulleys and take a 1740 rpm motor down to 250
 
Another option is finding a really good industrial drill press with a bad motor. They are often stupid cheap and sometimes free.
Swap out the no-good single-phase motor for a 1HP 3-Ph motor and run it on a VFD. You will get 0-1800RPM at the turn of a dial. You can set the belts and pulleys for super high torque on the low end.
Adding a $20 magnetic RPM meter is easy if you want to know the exact speed.
 
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