What drill should i get???

Get one that runs slow if possible... big too! Or the cheapest one from Harbour Freight...

I have a big Grizzly 12 speed and a HF cheapie, they both are decent. I keep them both set at the slowest speed 95% of the time.
 
PT Doc said:
I would suggest grater than five speeds. Will be much more versatile in the end.
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I disagree. It's not the number of speeds/pulleys that counts, you only need fast and slow for knife work. I leave my Ryobi press set at it's fastest speed for drilling handle materials like wood and G10, and my B&D set at it's slowest speed for drilling metal (600RPM as I recall... I would prefer 240 or 300RPM like the one you showed, but 600 works OK).

If someone is getting into serious machine shop work and really getting picky about feeds and speeds, they're gonna want a good mill rather than a drill press anyway.
 
james terrio said:
I disagree. It's not the number of speeds/pulleys that counts, you only need fast and slow for knife work. I leave my Ryobi press set at it's fastest speed for drilling handle materials like wood and G10, and my B&D set at it's slowest speed for drilling metal (600RPM as I recall... I would prefer 240 or 300RPM like the one you showed, but 600 works OK).

If someone is getting into serious machine shop work and really getting picky about feeds and speeds, they're gonna want a good mill rather than a drill press anyway.
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I agree, the 16 speed models are the ones that give you morelower speeds.

I use 200 rpm for hole saws and such and wish I had lower speeds, but that's not strictly knifemaking.
3,000rpm ? never have gone there.
 
I do all of my knifemaking drilling with a Black and Decker 3/8" variable speed hand drill.

I feel drilling half hard blade steel requires a really slow rpm and most presses are too fast to drill without burning up bits and/or work hardening the material - which leads to burning up bits.

This is with everyday Dewalt cobalt drill / driver kit sold at HD for like $15.00 on sale.

[video=youtube;ktaUpPj8wg4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktaUpPj8wg4[/video]
 
I am a big believer in using searchtempest.com to search all of ebay and craigslist in one fell swoop. It's a great way to find tools that are close to you, and in your price range.

As for specific drill presses....

Obviously you need a benchtop model, but there's nothing to say that it has to be a new one. Watch the want ads in your area for drills from the "olden days" when things were build way better than they are today. Not much to go wrong with a drill press, and the ones built in the forties and fifties will be quite serviceable still. And, they have that classic look that you just can't get any more.

Features? I just want to make a hole. I can't remember the last time I used the depth-stop on my press, but being able to adjust the speed is a must. Other than that, whatever grabs your fancy.
 
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