What do you guys use a drill press for?

[pslamp32]

I'm sure this is a stupid question but, I can't think of any good reason to buy a nicer DP for woodworking. I'm very new to WW so I read alot about different tools and can't seem to find a big need for this tool. I'm trying to prioritize my shop needs. I have a Band Saw, small bench jointer, contractor's TS and am in the market for a planer. I have 2 hand me down DPs in the shop already and I never have a need to use them. I preordered a Domino and should have it April 1st or very soon after. This should take care of most of my M&T needs I hope. You see, as a noob, there are so many things you need, and with a budget I'm always weighing tools against another. I see DP tool gloats all the time. Help me understand the error of my ways! .

 

[Monty]

Pretty much any drill press will drill a straight hole for you. If you don't use your benchtop tools then you probably won't use a larger one. No sense buying bigger until you outgrow your smaller tools.

The question is why don't you use your drill press? I use mine all the time, but your projects and your style of work may differ. The biggest advantage of a drill press is the ability to drill precisely aligned holes with reproducible results. Since you have a table to work with, you can use a fence and stops to align all your workpieces for consistent results. For angled boring, you can set the angle precisely, instead of "eyeballing" it.

The primary advantages of larger drill presses are power (won't stall with big forstner bits), quill travel (if you find yourself needing to drill through more than about 3" thick pieces of wood), and swing (if you find yourself needing to drill a precisely aligned hole in the middle of a piece of wood that's more than about 10" wide). I decided to upgrade my DP when I started having to deal with stalls and thicker pieces of wood.

 

[DaveO]

Drilling straight square hole, occasionally spinning a large piece of wood around at a high rate of speed, and some sanding. I use mine a lot but it is almost required in pen turning, and since I don't have a OSS, yet, I use sanding drums on mine to refine curved work.
I agree with Monty, that if you don't find yourself using the ones you've got, then you probably won't need to purchase a new one...right away.
Dave

 

[walnutjerry]

Peter--------The larger drill press will have more speed selections for the various bits and materials you drill through. I used my old Sears Craftsman many times as an overhead router (it would turn up to 8500 rpm). DP is a must with Forstner bits. Monty pretty much covered the advantage in drilling repetitive holes with fence set up. I plan to use the DP set up with the euro drilling head to drill holes for cabinet doors--lots of advantages for a good drill press----if you are going to use it.

Gear your purchase to your intended use.

Jerry

 

[SteveColes]

General rule for me with both DP and router tables. If you can move the piece to the table then drill or route it there. Only if you can't, then use a hand held drill or router.

 

[rickc]

For what I do, I echo Dave's earlier comments! While I don't use it very much, it is definitely one of those tools that when I need it, I find it so nice to just turn to it and set it up. I had small benchtop for a while, and found at least half the time it was underpowered.

It is also a nice shop addition to stub my toe on when I don't pay attention! :roll:

 

[sapwood]

I use a drill press frequently.

The reasons are:
• Repeatable accuracy and depth control
• Ability to utilize large bits (forstner/circle cutters)
• Variable speed
• Power to drill metals
• Low maintenance and high reliability
• As stationary power tools go, they aren't that expensive

However, as Steve suggested . . . a portable drill is essential if you need to take the tool to the workpiece.

Roger

 

[DavidF]

When I started out some 20 years ago I bought what I could afford which was small "hobby" DP. I would say the two things that frustrated me the most was the quill travel and the post to bit distance. I bought the Delta floor model with a mortising attachment and find it does for almost everthing.

 

[cskipper]

I use a drill press for drilling pilot holes for the inside cuts in my scroll saw pieces.

 

[John Reeves]

What drill press?

 

[NCPete]

Is that anything like a bench press?? cause I use them to build my muscles:slap:

 

[DavidF]

Is that anything like a bench press?? cause I use them to build my muscles:slap:

I used to call it a "pillar drill" until the guys on this site kept giving me that blank look:lol: I'm so American now I'll be drinking Bud light out of the bottle soon! no I take that back - that will NEVER HAPPEN!:lol:

He says sitting alone in a hotel room drinking a Corona extra out of the bottle while looking at NCWW's how sad is that??

 

[John Reeves]

Peter,

NO, NO, NO! That is when you have strapped yourself to the ceiling with a drill in each hand cause you can not move the piece. You are going to press the drills down into the piece. The piece is clamped to your work bench. Bench press!!

 

[Nativespec]

I like to hang my drop cords on it. I have a Triton cordless drill with a plunge base that helps with plumb holes.

 

[MikeH]

...occasionally spinning a large piece of wood around at a high rate of speed....
Dave

That sounds dangerous Dave! :saw:

 

[NCPete]

Peter,

NO, NO, NO! That is when you have strapped yourself to the ceiling with a drill in each hand cause you can not move the piece. You are going to press the drills down into the piece. The piece is clamped to your work bench. Bench press!!

and to think I just gave away my rapelling rig:roll:

 

[John Reeves]

Your rappelling rig is only used for inverted horizontal boring. I think you are OK.

 

[NCPete]

Your rappelling rig is only used for inverted horizontal boring. I think you are OK.

That would be an Aussie rig, easy enough to make that with about 12 feet of rope.

 

[Gofor]

.... He says sitting alone in a hotel room drinking a Corona extra out of the bottle while looking at North Carolina Woodworker's how sad is that??

Look at it this way, with the entertainment here, you don't even need a TV:rolf:

I can commiserate with you. Spent way too many nights in a motel room. Hope its a short trip

Go

 

[Ray Martin]

... and since I don't have a OSS, yet, I use sanding drums on mine to refine curved work. ...
Dave

I use mine for a couple of purposes... hanging loads of stuff, like my shop apron... Like Dave, I use mine to do some sanding of curved pieces. I built a table to help me with this

Ray