Super drill press - Holy cow!

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
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I dropped by Woodcraft and found out about this drill press. It was on sale, so I took a look. Piecey, but what a full ability machine. This is a DVR drill with so many features it is insane. 2HP when connected to 220VAC, 1.75 on 110VAC. 6" travel, tapping, slow start, etc.
Here are all the specs and features.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...94439431&_bta_c=avh0nh8klw81vd3b0rj8d2wnzu50v

i just spent a bunch on tools and equipment, but this is definitely on the list for future equipment.
 
The direct drive and digital control features are SMART and remind me how deficient my own drill press is :(
BUT - there was no talk of the other features that make a good drill press - the mechanics of raising and lower or tilting the table, quill run out etc. Would want to see more. Off to a good start though.

Ray
 
I have the same motor/setup in lathe format and it is magnificent. The digital control ensures that the RPM stays where you set it, regardless of load. The lathe is 100-5k RPM, smooth and quiet. And because it is direct drive, the thing is dead simple to keep in perfect alignment.

If this press is to the same spec, I am sure it is great. I might buy one but I have an old clausing that is pretty awesome too.

I am going to guess that Stacy saw said press at the same woodcraft location I bought my lathe from. (Norfolk)
 
Looks like they took a modern mag drill and put it on a pedestal
 
The folks said it was rock solid as far as runout because of the direct drive. I didn't look at the column closely, but I suspect it is the same as all pedestal presses with a ring and rack setup.
 
I came across this if anyone is interested and lives in the Richmond VA area. Have no idea as to who is selling it or their legitimacy.

DEAL SPOTTING NOT ALLOWED - link removed
 
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I've been studying LittleMachineShop's direct drive mini mill. This was on a recent thread. Seems to me it would do all the drill press type things a knife maker could want plus more. I've asked Santa to bring me one. Meanwhile I have my standard drill press I have owned for over thirty years and a tiny, made-in-China mini drill press. Accuracy could be better.
 
That thing is pretty wicked... I want one. Right after the mill, surface grinder, decent mig/tig setup, disk sander etc. etc. etc....
Sigh so many tools so little time!
 
If I was not just hit with a grand in emergency dental work...

It would be a blast to just play with it and see what all you could get done.
 
that looks more the drill press for us but i dont like the fact they are talking about milling sideloading the 3Mt that has no drawbar seems like a crash waiting to happen
 
butcher_block said:
that looks more the drill press for us but i dont like the fact they are talking about milling sideloading the 3Mt that has no drawbar seems like a crash waiting to happen
Click to expand...
It looks to have a threaded spindle. I have a similar feature on my Clausing press. A matching collar on your jacobs chuck or other MT tooling allows a positive lock under side loads. This obviously limits its use in side load applications to some degree, but from the pictures, it looks like their ER collets use this retaining thread.

I have used the clausing with significant side loads without issue (in the case of my press, the collar is spindle mounted and it uses a jacobs taper with a threaded bit of the chuck for a positive lock), though because you ahve to chuck the bit in, I only have used it for the lightest of hand milling operations (like IFB, corian, etc).
 
Stacy I have that exact drill press, I’ve had it for over two years now without a single issue, and I’ve kept it outside in a covered porch the whole time because I didn’t have space. I was assured the weather changes would not effect the electronics and they were correct there hasn’t been a single issue with cold or hot temps, I use it for wood and metal, it runs super smooth compared to a conventional drill press, it’s a huge motor compared to standard drill presses you would find in a hobby shop. Variable speed control works great and there’s some other electronic features that are very useful. Digital readout for depth and digital depth stop as well as manual stop. I would highly recommend this machine for anyone looking to upgrade or replace a full size drill press.
 
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