Drill press recommendations

[demonx]

I have an elcheapo drill press. Its gets the job done but the slippage makes it very frustrating and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I've recently upgraded a lot of my workshop and a pedestal drill is coming up fast on the list.

I was hoping for a few recommendations of good drill presses that don't slip and are available here in Australia. Something that I can drill through 2" of blackwood with a forstner bit without a second thought, as my current machine makes a simple task like this a chore.

[Kim]

I recently upgraded to an aussie made Bobo Waldown.......Awesome!

Mine is an MT2 model that served 20+ years aboard HMAS Swan prior to her being scuttled in Geography Bay as a dive wreck. The MT3 model is more common but is identical aside from the morse tapper being one size up.

Brobo Waldown drilling machines are virtually indestructible. The pillar is not a pipe like you find on Asian machines, its solid steel, and that integrity is carried over the entire machine. They are heavy, very stable, very accurate and almost vibration free and the depth stop and spindle lock mechanism is excellent. Here's mine with a new utility table I've made up for it. The table has both external and internal dust extraction ports which run simultaneously from either a 4" 2hp single bag with pleated filter, or with a quick adaptor, a Festool CT22 shopvac just depends what's closer and not in use when needed. The system works a treat..go hard as you like sanding MDF on full speed and not a spec of dust to be found anywhere...nothing.

A new machine cost around $3.5K, but if you look around you can find a really good 2nd hand machine for under $500. Eg; My machine cost me $400 with a huge box of app 80 morse tapper bits ranging in 64ths from 1/2" thru 1 1/2"......I could hock those bits online and easily recoup full cost for the drill x3. Quite a few around because Brobo-Waldown have been the industry goto for engineering/machining workshop and government schools in AU for a very long time. A few weeks after I bought the above drill, a Brobo Waldown 'radial head' high speed drilling machine with adjustable boom sold locally for just $100...Sure it needed a bit of work but its all basic stuff and with a squirt of paint, brandnew.

One thing to watch for in a second-hand machine is the condition of the main spindle bearings. All others throughout my machine are cheaply replaced 'off the shelf' $10 to $15 bearings, but the main spindle bearings are paired precision angular contact bearings and these cost around $100+ no matter where you shop. But even that is not much money considering the quality of machine one would wind up with should they needed replacing. What's more, these things take little to no more floor space than a standard Asian made drill press does. Most do come standard with 440v BTW but its a simple and cheap job to swap out to a 2nd hand single phase motor if need be.

Cheers

Kim

[demonx]

They certainly do sound good, 3.5k is probably a bit rich for me, however if a good condition second hand one pops up I'd definitely be keen

[Allen]

This will do the trick.

mill with DRO.jpg (116.13 KiB) Viewed 13084 times

[P Bill]

+1 on the Waldown! I've had mine about 7-8 mos. 3ph, $100, if you don't have 3ph just replace the motor. It has a very simple dial to change speed. A wide dovetail belt gets compressed instead of changing belts and pulleys.

I like your setup Kim. I must get a light and proper table.

[auscab]

The Waldown looks real nice , I would like to find one for a good price . One will turn up one day I'm hoping .
If it does not turn up before I need to change over , I may have to go down this path.

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Bench- ... g-Machines

The 20 year old cheapish one I have is falling to pieces.

I only got shown how to use the Morse taper feature of a drill and a lathe a year ago by a friend , never knew what it was for ,I just though it was there for chuck change overs . Both my drill and lathe have MT no 2 and I have adapters to go to a 1 and a 3 .
I love it. A big step towards greater accuracy for me . I recently used it for a timber bush to center a grinding wheel. I got a whole lot of large diameter drill bits as well , second hand ,for a song !! very useful as well.

[charangohabsburg]

This will do the trick.

Probably the only drill press that also fits perfectly the delicate tasks of whipping cream and kneading bread dough.