Benchtop Drill Press Experiences?

Ginsly

Ginsly

Well-known member
I've had pretty good results hand-drilling with a unibit, but even when I center punch and drill a small pilot hole things can drift a bit. I figure that can happen with a drill press too. Still, this is not sustainable!

Assuming I'll benefit greatly from doing things this way rather than awkwardly holding enclosures off the side of a shitty side table - what am I looking for, in your experience? I need something relatively inexpensive, not insanely loud, and as small as possible. Given that criteria, what would you get?

- This Vevor seems ok, and I like the fact that it has a simple crank for raising/lowering the height. That seems very important, and most of the lower-tier ones have a more awkward mechanism for adjustments.

- Not sure how this 4208T WEN and this 4206T WEN differ... Besides, they may be a pain to raise and lower. Still, seems well-liked. I've seen these on quite a few benches.

- Reading other drill press threads, seems like some people use a vise like this, some spring for a cross slide, and some seem to find that lowering the bit into a pilot hole eliminates the need for a vise.

- Assuming I need a vise, is it crucial that it's magnetic?

I'd love some input! I'm sure there are other factors I haven't considered.
 
I used a little cheapo Harbor Freight drill press for years.

Every BuGGFX pedal was drilled with it. Every PCB I've ever etched was drilled with it.


I upgraded to a much larger floor model but aside from being able to fit larger enclosures, there's really no advantage aside from a little more room on my bench.... It was a heck of a lot easier to move the small one out of the way when I wasn't using it.


In either case, yes, a drill press will be a pretty big step up from a hand drill.
 
Robert said:
I used a little cheapo Harbor Freight drill press for years.

Every BuGGFX pedal was drilled with it. Every PCB I've ever etched was drilled with it.


I upgraded to a much larger floor model but aside from being able to fit larger enclosures, there's really no advantage aside from a little more room on my bench.... It was a heck of a lot easier to move the small one out of the way when I wasn't using it.


In either case, yes, a drill press will be a pretty big step up from a hand drill.
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I definitely checked that out, although I think the basic bench top one they sell now is different than what you got at the time - I think it's made by Bauer now, and the older model was Central Machinery..? Seems like it may be a downgrade from the previous one... rats
 
Robert said:
You could have my old one but it'd probably cost more to ship it than it would to just buy a new one.
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Ha, well that's quite the offer! Hmm let me see if anyone's unloading one locally... Plus, cost aside, shipping that thing might be a royal pain...
 
I'm pretty sure it came in two or three pieces, but yeah, it'd take a pretty hefty box to ship.

And yes, I believe it's a Central Machinery.

My big one has a crank for the table, but man I miss the simplicity of just loosening the clamp and sliding it up and down.


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Ginsly said:
I'd love some input! I'm sure there are other factors I haven't considered.
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Any drill press is a lot better than no drill press. Any of those you linked look totally fine for making holes in aluminum boxes. I'd even question whether you'd do just as well with the smallest one instead of the next size up. I guess I'd just want to make sure you could fit an enclosure standing up and still fit it under the chuck with a drill bit in it. I also don't think the crank up and down table is a big deal on a small drill press. I might even prefer not to have one.

My dumb nitpicky curmudgeon input is that many old machine tools were better than many of the new ones. Depending on where you live, what kind of access you have to local used stuff, and if you're set up to go pick one up, used is where I'd start if I wasn't in a hurry. You should also not listen to me - my experience with crummy new machine tools is at least a decade out of date, and likely no longer valid.

Also, those few you linked all have tables that adjust for drilling at an angle. This is supposedly a selling point, but I don't personally like a drill press whose table might or might not be exactly set to 90 degrees. Again, not really an issue for drilling enclosures, just a nitpick.

Before you invest in a vise, I'd maybe look into setting up a plywood table with a fence. Unlike a vise, once you line up a fence to drill one hole, any other hole the same distance from the edge can be drilled by sliding the enclosure down the fence. Because that doesn't require the fence to be at any particular angle, you can fine tune the distance by swinging the table on the column.

I do think a bright machine mounted light is a selling point.
 
I have the same harbor freight unit as Robert posted.. owned it for the better part of 18 years.. I use a 3d printed 125b drilling template and spring loaded punch to mark my holes.... The drill press get them perfect compared to a bit walking on a hand drill.. I use harbor freight drill bits as well..... I keep the press in a mortar mixing tub so all the shavings get collected in tub instead of on my floor or work area. I also keep the bit sizes I use for pedals poked into a small carboard box as well as I have the drill bits themselves spray painted different colors to identify them if they get mixed in with other tools...
 
When hand drilling, have you tried clamping the enclosure firmly to the table? That helps me a lot. I hand drill all the time using a center punch and pilot hole and get good results. Rarely it's off by a 1 mm or so, in while case I use a file to make the hole a little bigger so the pots and switches will be in the right spot; washers take care of the rest. Of course if I had a drill press that would probably make things much easier. My volume is low since I just make things for my kids. FWIW (maybe not much), my two cents.
 
I use one of those WEN models you listed, but can't remember which one. It's a ridiculous value at $100, but it's not as precise as the floor press I used when I had the garage space.

I have to use a metal file to shift the holes slightly on maybe 1 of 15 that aren't quite on target. You won't notice on the final product since the washers cover it up, but it does add extra work.

Regardless, any drill press is going to make for a better experience than hand-drilling.
 
Seconding all these comments, a drill press is a great investment.

I was looking to up grade my 8 with some of the models mentioned here but came across a 10" on marketplace for $40. Good shape, works well, just dirty and the AA batteries for the light were about to burst.
 
Robert said:
I used a little cheapo Harbor Freight drill press for years.

Every BuGGFX pedal was drilled with it. Every PCB I've ever etched was drilled with it.


I upgraded to a much larger floor model but aside from being able to fit larger enclosures, there's really no advantage aside from a little more room on my bench.... It was a heck of a lot easier to move the small one out of the way when I wasn't using it.


In either case, yes, a drill press will be a pretty big step up from a hand drill.
Click to expand...
I’ve been using mine for at least 15 years now. Works well. I hate hand drilling so so much.
 
When Tayda stopped offering pre-drilled enclosures, I thought I was done pedal building because at that time I felt drilling enclosures was beyond my ability. Then, a family member gifted me a table top drill press and it’s been smooth sailing since. i had to give it a little time to get used to holding the enclosure with one hand and the press handle in the other, but you really do have a comfortable control without a need to clamp in my opinion. I also recommend a step bit (some call it a Christmas tree bit). If the bit has all the step sizes you need for enclosure holes, you never have to change it on the press, which is really nice. Just keep the bit clean from aluminum residue using a flat head screwdriver. Be sure to use safety glasses because shavings can fly sometimes. Be careful wiping shavings with bare hands. I do a lot of pedal building and use my table top press nearly every day.
 
RICHB555 said:
i had to give it a little time to get used to holding the enclosure with one hand and the press handle in the other, but you really do have a comfortable control without a need to clamp in my opinion.
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Same. My drilling actually got more precise and faster once I stopped using the clamp on the drill press because it's way easier to make small adjustments on the fly.
 
Erik S said:
My dumb nitpicky curmudgeon input is that many old machine tools were better than many of the new ones
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Oh, I agree - even the cheapo Harbor Freight model was better just a few years ago, apparently… Also, I like your wood fence idea - will have to look into that.

vigilante398 said:
I mean I've been thinking about getting a new one, you're welcome to the old one if you're willing to brave the hourlong drive on the weed smoke-filled expressway for it.
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Chemtrails exist, but in “White Widow” form and only on I-90… little known fact. Yessss let me know if ya Upgrayyed! I mean, I should head up there soon either way…

swelchy said:
I keep the press in a mortar mixing tub so all the shavings get collected in tub instead of on my floor or work area.
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Yeah… I’m definitely going to have to do something similar. I have a box that collects shavings when hand-drilling, but there’s no getting around needing a “drill condom”. Patent pending.

Robert said:
If you're shopping, pay attention to the range of speeds as well.
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I’ve definitely seen people bring this up… hopefully some of the base models still offer that option.

eatkinola said:
When hand drilling, have you tried clamping the enclosure firmly to the table?
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I did at first, but things like drilling the sides of a 1590bb make clamping a bit more difficult - at least with the crappy clamps I was using. You’re probably right, but it just didn’t quite benefit me enough to continue doing it.

falco_femoralis said:
I removed the depth stop
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Huh… I’ll have to look into that. Why remove it?

RICHB555 said:
i had to give it a little time to get used to holding the enclosure with one hand and the press handle in the other, but you really do have a comfortable control without a need to clamp in my opinion.
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lowpitch said:
My drilling actually got more precise and faster once I stopped using the clamp on the drill press because it's way easier to make small adjustments on the fly.
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Ok, so there ARE non-vise-users here! I figure maybe a magnetic one would have the best of both worlds..? Extra security, but can be shifted without too much fuss? Depends on how strong the magnet is I suppose… Otherwise I take it you’d have to use C-clamps on a typical vise.
 
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