Drill press?

[rogthefrog]

All: thanks for all the advice. The radial load from using the DP as a sander is a consideration. All the sanders I have are handheld (random orbital, palm, belt) and I've wished for a spindle-style and a flat/disc style sander for quite some time.

Are the disc/belt combo sanders any good, or are there better alternatives for flat and curve sanding where the sander is stationary?

[Howard Klepper]

The first three machines I would have in a guitar shop are drill press, band saw, and belt/disc combination sander. The are the machines closest to my bench because they are used the most often.

[Imbler]

I retired my 8 inch bench top drill press when I got a mini mill. Around 700 dollars and the precision is great with metal milling capabilities as a bonus. Also great for milling bridge slots. Rheostat speed control, built in drill stop,
lock in height position , etc.
Mike

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

Are the disc/belt combo sanders any good, or are there better alternatives for flat and curve sanding where the sander is stationary?

If you have a small space or are on a budget the combination units can be a good choice.

Personally, I have a stand alone 4 inch by 48 inch belt sander, a stand alone drum sander, a stand alone osciallting bobbin sander and a stand alone disc sander.

Steve

[LSemmens]

I have a cheap benchtop drill press and the one disadvantage that I find is that occasionally, time I add a drill bit, I cannot fit the stock under it to drill right through. i.e. not enough clearance for larger stock and bit. eg. 4" stock, 4.5" drill bit means you need at least 9" clearance from the bed to the chuck.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by mirwa

If you have a small space or are on a budget the combination units can be a good choice.

Personally, I have a stand alone 4 inch by 48 inch belt sander, a stand alone drum sander, a stand alone osciallting bobbin sander and a stand alone disc sander.

Steve

Something tells me you have more room than I do

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

The first three machines I would have in a guitar shop are drill press, band saw, and belt/disc combination sander. The are the machines closest to my bench because they are used the most often.

That's the conclusion I've been inching towards. The band saw, and learning how to use it, was a revelation for me, having done nothing but rough carpentry before. Thinking about my next steps, I keep coming back to the drill press and combination sander as the pieces I'll need next. Thanks for confirming.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I bought my Delta 17" floor model about 20 years ago for $400. It is not of the same quality as earlier US made machines, but it does do the job. It has little run out as long as I keep the projection of the spindle to a minimum, which is remarkable as I have been using the machine to edge drive the radiused dish I use to sand my rims to match the back profile. I can imagine a better machine, but I certainly don't need one.

If the bearings ever do become an issue, it cannot be that hard or expensive to replace them. I hope.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I bought my Delta 17" floor model about 20 years ago for $400. It is not of the same quality as earlier US made machines,

That seems to be a common theme, at least from the million consumer and professional reviews and woodworker forums I've been reading. The stuff from 20 years ago isn't as good as the stuff from 50 years ago, and the stuff from today isn't nearly as good as the stuff from 20 years ago, unless you go full industrial. Even some well-known names are rebranding cheaper Chinese OEM equipment (e.g. Jet sells at least two lower-end drill presses sold under three or four other brand names, for twice the price).

The standard recommendation has been "try Craigslist, you'll find tons of great old drill presses" hasn't worked for me--I've been looking for 2 years and haven't found anything worth tracking down.

After a few (many) hours of asking pros and reading lots of various sources, I've found the following seems to be true, in case it helps others who've posted in this thread.

* The Skil 3320 seems to be the least bad of the cheap, entry-level drill presses, and it has a 3-year warranty
* One Harbor Freight drill press (13" 16-speed, #38142 I think) is supposedly pretty good
* Drill presses don't start getting good until you get to the JET J-2530, which is $550 and 160 lbs.
* Porter Cable's PCB660DP was good, but was discontinued very quickly and can't be found anymore
* Ridgid's R1500 was pretty good, but was also discontinued very quickly and can't be found anymore either

So at this point I'm kind of at a loss, because the Skil seems underpowered (I know I want to drill through maple and purpleheart, and I don't know if it can handle that), the Harbor Freight is... sketchy, and the Jet is overkill--I just don't have a place to store or move something that heavy. The Porter Cable and Ridgid model seemed like good compromises, but they're not available anywhere near me.

Sigh.

[charles Tauber]

Maybe.

I literally jumped for joy when I sold my 30 year old Rockwell jointer and replaced it with a modern one. The Rockwell was never a good machine, badly made, poorly machined.

Ditto for my 30 year old Rockwell bandsaw.

The difference might be that there are now more choices available and at a wider range of prices. In The low end priced stuff you get what pay for.

For example, 30 years ago, no one made a thickness sander for less than $10 k. Now you can buy commercially made units for under $1k.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Maybe.

I literally jumped for joy when I sold my 30 year old Rockwell jointer and replaced it with a modern one. The Rockwell was never a good machine, badly made, poorly machined.

Ditto for my 30 year old Rockwell bandsaw.

The difference might be that there are now more choices available and at a wider range of prices. In The low end priced stuff you get what pay for.

For example, 30 years ago, no one made a thickness sander for less than $10 k. Now you can buy commercially made units for under $1k.

Fair enough.

I have no problem paying for quality. In fact I actively do not want to go cheap on a tool.

But logistically I can't handle a 160+-lb tool, given my lack of a permanent shop and human help. So I have to go smaller, and unfortunately that seems to mean cheap, as I haven't been able to find anything small that is also well-made.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

Fair enough.

I have no problem paying for quality. In fact I actively do not want to go cheap on a tool.

But logistically I can't handle a 160+-lb tool, given my lack of a permanent shop and human help. So I have to go smaller, and unfortunately that seems to mean cheap, as I haven't been able to find anything small that is also well-made.

All of the older machine we may covet have in common that they are MUCH heavier than their modern counterparts. My Delta is imperfectly adequate. I expect to keep till the end.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

All of the older machine we may covet have in common that they are MUCH heavier than their modern counterparts. My Delta is imperfectly adequate. I expect to keep till the end.

I guess this whole guitar-building thing really is for superhuman beings.

[SnowManSnow]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

I guess this whole guitar-building thing really is for superhuman beings.

I wouldn't say that...
There is a temperament amongst most I've met and talked to..
My dad use to say "son, make haste slowly"... "and precision in all things"...
Those things certainly apply.
That being said I'm REALLY enjoying learning to build... and realistically you have to start where you are ! Make mistakes.. fix mistakes... break wood... do dumb stuff... it's all about getting better


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[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Of the items in Charles's list, only number 1 is essential to me.

Yes, pretty much any drill press table and drill press vise will work together.

I pretty much never use a rotary or tilt table. But a lot of things would be a problem with less than a 17" swing (8-1/2" post to drill center).

A drill press's bearings are not intended to take a radial load, and it has a lot more runout than any mill, so take very light cuts if you use it as a mill or sander.

I miss the quill locks that all the makers stopped using about 30(?) years ago. Was that just to save themselves some money? Save the bearings by discouraging use as a mill? Someone got sued and they decided it was a safety thing?

Never having had a laser on one, I don't miss it.

The table height adjustment is indeed #1 for me, also.

I purchased a Craftsman heavy duty commercial drill press over thirty years ago new for around $300 and I've used it a LOT. It's a nice piece of machinery with a lot of nice features like the ability to adjust the quill play easily and a good quill lock that is one of it's most-used features for me. The only down-side was it came without a way to raise or lower the table. (What WERE they thinking?) It didn't take me long to add my own table lift using a bit of scrap steel and a automotive scissor jack.

The press gets a tremendous amount of use, and it's planed a LOT of direct-from-mill rough cut lumber!

I would not hesitate to purchase any quality used tool, as most can be re-furbished without a huge effort.