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Drill Press Basics
Drill presses are
great at drilling repetitive holes. That being said, it’s not all they
do, and all drill presses aren’t created equal.
Before you buy
one, you need to know what you’re buying it for. Do you want to
drill mainly in wood or metal? Or both? Will you be drilling mainly
perpendicular holes or holes at an angle? How thick will the pieces be
that you’re drilling into?
You need to know
the answers to these questions, and possibly others, before you make
your purchase. Keep in mind that buying the wrong drill press will
probably cost you time and money, and will definitely increase
your frustration. And no one really needs more frustration.
Benchtop or Floor Model?
Drill presses
come in various sizes. Most models are variable speed, but I have seen a
few off-brands that are single speed. Variable speed is, by far, the
better choice. It gives you more flexibility to drill into more types of
materials at the correct speeds.
Most home users
will do fine with a benchtop model, rather than a larger floor-standing
press. One advantage of the benchtop model is that you can attach it to
any height table to make it the right working height for you. As a
shorter guy, I can tell you that the “standard” height for most
equipment is too high for me, and that makes it harder to use – and more
dangerous.
On the flip side
– a taller guy may want his drill press, or any other equipment, higher
than “standard.” If you’re tall, machinery that’s too low will tend to
give you a backache so keep that in mind as you purchase equipment and
organize your shop.
Basic Drill Press Features
Most drill
presses will have the following minimum features:
- A ˝” chuck
- A tilting
table
- A variable
height table that cranks up or down
- A way to
vary the drilling speed
- A stop to
set the depth of the hole (if it will be a blind hole and not all
the way through)
Look for these
features at minimum. If you buy a machine with one of these important
features missing, I guarantee the time will come that you’ll be
frustrated and unhappy with your choice.
For additional
information and tips, check these pages:
Basic
Drilling
Drill
press tips |
