Drill Press Features

mkepke

Mark
Senior User
My $0.02:

Must haves:
Reliable
Stable
Easy to use depth of plunge system
A table lift of some kind (usually a crank)
Variable speed via pulleys
Minimum 1/2 hp
Decent 5/8" chuck

Nice to haves:
Large work table
Long quill travel
Floor-type for really long pieces
Infinitely variable speed

I have an old Delta 18" Reeves drive model with 6"of quill travel waiting for a fix-up. In the meantime my Taiwanese 17" dp keeps on drilling holes as it has for the last 25 years...

-Mark
 

rcarmac

Board of Directors, Secretary
Robert
Staff member
Corporate Member
My guess is that chuck is the problem.
The 15-069 was marketed for the home workshop rather than industry. The industrial version of that 4" throw press had a better chuck and better switch and that's about it. That industrial version was $369.50 in 1979. Adjusted for today's inflation, that price would be $1408.00 today so that;s the relative quality level press you've got.

Look right above the chuck on the spindle and see if there is a threaded ring. There probably is. That ring was there to accommodate the 633C chuck that usually came with the industrial version.
I didn’t see a threaded nut. Do you have a picture at what I might should see
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
A threaded ring, not a nut. The nut would be integral with a Jacobs 633C (34-33C) chuck
Below is the threaded ring. This one is on a Delta 17-600 press, but many of the Delta 15" presses had a similar ring.
 

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    1 threaded ring - 1.jpg
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tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Was thinking about it more. For woodworking, does anyone really need less than 600 RPM? If more than a 4 inch hole, I use my router anyway. On the high end, is 2400 about enough? I never use 3600. That opens up a few more drills. Some have chucks too big to hold a really small bit. Really a MT-2 with a 1/2 is enough, but beefier drills are usually MT-3 and 5/8. I do a lot of metal work too, so holding a #40 bit matters. Good chucks are not cheap!

The Reeves drive Klutch they sell from Northern is really inexpensive, ( $700) but I don't know if it is any good, or if the quill is so lose it rattles, chuck junk, and sand falling out of it like a harbor Freight. It looks like the Rikon, but only one speed range. Shame the new Delta has nothing but horrible quality reviews. ( as we know, only about two companies make all the castings and who builds what is bid across about four companies twice a year. Quality is what the brand pays for, not the source)
 

Bill Clemmons

Bill
Corporate Member
Regarding raising and lowering a table without a rack & pinion system. I have an older Craftsman floor model and the table seems to get heavier every year. I saw this solution on a video and decided to try it. It's a cheap trailer jack from HF installed upside down on the column. It's not an ideal solution but it's better than trying to lift the table manually. At least now the DP is usable again.

IMG_0450.JPG IMG_0449.JPG
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Regarding raising and lowering a table without a rack & pinion system. I have an older Craftsman floor model and the table seems to get heavier every year. I saw this solution on a video and decided to try it. It's a cheap trailer jack from HF installed upside down on the column. It's not an ideal solution but it's better than trying to lift the table manually. At least now the DP is usable again.

View attachment 199045 View attachment 199044

Nice modification. Clearly something is always better than nothing.

I also note your USA-made Craftsman has the Jacobs 633C (now 34-33C) chuck. That was a very popular chuck for USA-made 15" drill presses back in the day.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Not for a lift, but on my old benchtop, I used a jack to support the table so it did not flex.

Looking for a decent key-chuck. Fed up with my keyless.
 

Berta

Berta
Corporate Member
I few years ago I bought a Jet bench top drill press. I wanted veritable speed without moving belts. A built in light. And something I didn’t have to stand on my toes to use. This even has a laser pointer, that I do not use.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Funny. I had to put my floor stander on a platform to get it at a decent working height. Looking at pictures on the WEB, a lot of drills sit on a small platform.

You don't use the pointer. Might I inquire why? Not accurate?
 

marinosr

Richard
Corporate Member
No rebuild kits. Getting a good 633C chuck takes some careful looking. A bad one can look good on the outside but can have worn jaws or dings around the mouth that deflects a jaw and makes the drill bit wobble.

I posted a WTB over at OWWM, and somebody sent me the rebuild kit for free! I just put the jaws in my Buffalo 15 and I now have 0.001" total indicated runout at full quill extension! I defy anybody to find a new DP at any price that's more accurate than my $120, 80 year old press. (Though it is excessive accuracy for woodworking admittedly.) The only problem is that the holes are so spot on that unless I clamp the work to the table the drill bit is picking up the work a small amount when the quill retracts... Turns out that 0.005" amount of runout before was giving enough clearance for the bit to move easily in and out of the holes.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Can anyone recommend a good MT-2 integrated quill key chuck that goes down to at least 1/16 inch under $100? I am sick and tired of my keyless chuck. Original Delta supplied was crap. 1/2 probably preferred as I don't think 5/8 will close that small.
 

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