Drill press for hand drill.

[JohnGC]

I'm looking for a recommendation please.

I don't have space to store a dedicated bench press and since I only need occasional use, I've been wondering about a press to adapt my hand drill.

There are loads to choose from with prices from £30 to £150. The online reviews for each are mixed which makes choosing one rather difficult.

I need to drill holes in SS, Ali and wood which are perpendicular in two planes. I would like the drill press to add as little play as possible to that already present in the drill. But I don't need perfect roundness as my use is mostly clearance holes for machine screws.

The drill I plan to use is mains powered with a two speed gear box plus variable speed control. It has a 43mm dia collar.

I have just found a a nice looking German model which starts at Euro486, but that is a bit much for occasional use and is probably much better made than my drill.

I'd also be interested in, "don't buy one of these" warnings.

Thanks

 

[rotrax]

I had a B&D cheapo for years.

Accurate enough to use after making the hole the correct size for tapping and inserting Helicoils.

I even made an adjustable plate to bolt air cooled two stroke heads to so I could get the hole straight for spark plug inserts.

Due to height and fin depth issues as engines became larger and better cooled I bought a big pillar drill press.

Still got it.

 

[Poignard]

I had a B&D cheapo for years.

Accurate enough to use after making the hole the correct size for tapping and inserting Helicoils.

I even made an adjustable plate to bolt air cooled two stroke heads to so I could get the hole straight for spark plug inserts.

Due to height and fin depth issues as engines became larger and better cooled I bought a big pillar drill press.

Still got it.

Probably similar to mine which I take to the boat.




In my workshop I have a big Naerok drill press and a small precision RTD J-type for precision drilling of small holes, like this:


(This is not mine, BTW. I would not let it get rusty lie that!)

 

[LadyInBed]

Be aware that not all drills fit all stands.
Some clamp around the body just above the chuck where a Rt angle handle fits and some have a lower wishbone some with screw holes in and a top screwdown alignment post.

 

[TernVI]

Most of the inaccuracy from a hand drill in a stand often comes from the drill, the chuck is only supported on a short shaft geared down from the motor. So any play in the bearings can be a few degrees of wander.

The other issue is modern power drills have a lot of torque and will distort a cheap or nasty drill stand, especially when pushed to drill metal.
I had a cheap drill stand, it was OK, about £20 from B&Q (although I inherited it).
I was pleased to sell it when I got a small cheap pillar drill, but it did the job and I used it a fair amount. One of the pluses is that you can drill through into whatever the stand is standing on should you need to, handy for a hole in the middle of a big sheet or plate!

It comes down to how big are the holes you need? and how accurate do they need to be?
A cheap pillar drill doesn't cost much more, and doesn't take up that much more space.

The fork type B&D fitting is ancient now, any drill that fit that are probably well worn and not very accurate! B&D have used the standard collar fitting for a long time now, I know this I have a B&D collar fitting drill which was a birthday present rather a long time ago!

 

[thinwater]

I've had both. I'd get a small pillar drill, it's much better. I threw the hand drill press away.

 

[Plum]

I'm looking for a recommendation please.

I don't have space to store a dedicated bench press and since I only need occasional use, I've been wondering about a press to adapt my hand drill.

There are loads to choose from with prices from £30 to £150. The online reviews for each are mixed which makes choosing one rather difficult.

I need to drill holes in SS, Ali and wood which are perpendicular in two planes. I would like the drill press to add as little play as possible to that already present in the drill. But I don't need perfect roundness as my use is mostly clearance holes for machine screws.

The drill I plan to use is mains powered with a two speed gear box plus variable speed control. It has a 43mm dia collar.

I have just found a a nice looking German model which starts at Euro486, but that is a bit much for occasional use and is probably much better made than my drill.

I'd also be interested in, "don't buy one of these" warnings.

Thanks

For occasional use and very portable Axminster Drill Guide

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[rogerthebodger]

Probably similar to mine which I take to the boat.

View attachment 111413

That's exactly the one I have on my boat I have a proper pillar drill in my workshop at home.

 

[JohnGC]

For occasional use and very portable Axminster Drill Guide

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

I've been wondering about those. Have you used one?

 

[LadyInBed]

I've been wondering about those. Have you used one?

I think I would prefer one with a leaver, pushing down on the top of the drill doesn't seem very efficient to me.

 

[Sandro]

+1. It also limits very much the size of objects to be drilled.
Looking strong B.T.W.

 

[TernVI]

+1. It also limits very much the size of objects to be drilled.
...

Not really, you can clamp it to the work and drill through it.

There are similar things where the drill can be angled relative to the base.

This is an intersting variation:
wolfcraft 4525404 Muilt-Angle Drill Guide Attachment with Chuck for 1/4" and 3/8 | eBay

Some times one wants to drill a hole at a controlled angle, in a piece of work which isn't going under a pillar drill, e.g a boat trailer or a boat's pulpit.

 

[rogerthebodger]

To drill a hole at an angle to the surface to be drill needs a guide bush otherwise the drill will divert from the desired path and possibly break the drill in the cause of the operation.

 

[Caraway]

I've had both. I'd get a small pillar drill, it's much better. I threw the hand drill press away.

Yes. I have a cheap drill press but even so it it much better for stitch drilling if I need to make profiled bits of metal and just the other day it performed well using a hole saw to enlarge 25mm holes in wood to 32mm. (I'd made my bird box holes the wrong size for our local birds). With a hand drill and no pilot hole I couldn't have started the bigger hole saw. But the drill press was rigid enough to manage it easily.
I'm not sure a press stand for a hand drill could have done it without flexing too much.

 

[Poignard]

The B&D portable drill stand I take to the boat is mainly used for driving plug cutters on site.

 

[thinwater]

A press will do a LOT of things a stand just can't. Fly cutters. Larger drills in steel.

 

[LadyInBed]

I can't believe this at £60 do the job and sell it on
Energer ENB672DBT 290mm Electric Pillar Drill 230-240V

 

[rogerthebodger]

I can't believe this at £60 do the job and sell it on
Energer ENB672DBT 290mm Electric Pillar Drill 230-240V

A 350 watt motor is much too small to do any serious drilling in steels.

The drill will stall and damage the drill bit. I upgraded my pillar drill motor to 1 hp and now its really usable.

The smaller the motor the cheaper the tool will be.

 

[LadyInBed]

Got to be better than pushing down on an electric drill!

 

[Norman_E]

I had a B&D cheapo for years.

Accurate enough to use after making the hole the correct size for tapping and inserting Helicoils.

I even made an adjustable plate to bolt air cooled two stroke heads to so I could get the hole straight for spark plug inserts.

Due to height and fin depth issues as engines became larger and better cooled I bought a big pillar drill press.

Still got it.

I also had the B&D one, which was quite OK, but after taking up model engineering and starting to build a steam locomotive I bought a proper drill press and gave the B&D one away. The drill press at Screwfix ih LadyinBed's link will be better than any hand power drill in a stand than I have ever seen.