THE DRILL PRESS

[@briandering4182]

Hello! You should be able to download a copy of the owners manual for that unit. Print it out if you want. Sometimes that makes it easier to follow along with directions. The manual will tell you, and usually show you in pictures, how to change speeds on your drill press. Next is drills ; The type of bit (spade, high speed, etc...) needs to be considered when drilling certain materials and what result you are looking for. Next, I recommend a drill press vice. or at least a few clamps to hold the parts you are drilling through in place so they do not move during the drilling operation. Definitely, clean up that unit, especially the rust on the work plate. However, be careful to keep it flat! Using a piece of sandpaper on a piece of wood will help.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

That's great info! I will definitely look for the handbook. O can't remember if it came with one but I've read that changing speeds is helpful for certain bits. I'll have to deep dive into the types of drill bits too, I think. It'll be primarily wood, but probably a few bits of steel too, for some ideas I have.

[@toohardtowatch]

Yes! Clean that table up... A wire-wheel on a drill should work (use safety glasses, wire wheels are nasty!). A few drops of machine oil--rubbed in and wiped off--or a rust inhibitor spray, will help keep it in condition. A flat sharpening stone, or 'flattening stone' can be used to remove burs or high spots from the table. It's good practice for most metal table machines to be stoned flat periodically, in case a tool is ever dropped on them or an edge takes a bit of a hit. Speaking of sharpening, that in itself is a whole topic for drills. In short, all drills should be fairly sharp. If you use them exclusively on wood, it's possible you could buy sharp drills and carefully keep them that way forever (almost). Otherwise, you'll need to keep drills sharp (proper speeds, drill choice, and lubrication/cooling are important for this), and eventually, re-sharpen them. Once the cutting edge gets damaged, no amount of pushing and/or spinning will get that drill though a piece of hard steel. Although, if you infrequently dull your drills, it's perfectly reasonable to treat standard twist drills as a consumable.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

@@toohardtowatch awesome! Thank you! I have quite a selection of drill bits. I'll have to organise them and make sure they're all in top condition!

[@briandering4182]

You will also want to make sure you have a small level around to be certain the work platform is LEVEL. A square can also be used but I prefer the level.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

That's something that hadn't even crossed my mind. I'm sure the platform can be tilted, so I'd say that's definitely not square, if I've bumped it at all.

[@briandering4182]

@@C.C.Woodwork , exactly! I learned not to trust the markings on the barrel for the platform. They can be off by a few degrees and that can make things difficult when attempting to line up holes in various projects.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

@briandering4182 I'll make sure I use a square each time. I have some super accurate mini machinist squares. Hopefully they'll do the trick, too!

[@toohardtowatch]

To check if the table scale is accurate, you can use your largest, longest drill (or even better a length of 'drill rod', which is like a piece of precision drill shaft with no flutes or cutting geometry ground into it) and feed it through the hole in the table. Use a square against the drill to check left/right, and also front/back. For left/right adjustment, loosen the table nut slightly and tap one or the other side of the table with a mallet until the square is in contact top and bottom. Use a sheet of bright paper or a backlight, to see the gap more clearly. Cinch the nut tight and recheck the squareness. If the scale is inaccurate, some models have a screw to adjust the pointer. Or, make your own marking-- cheap tools are just asking for you to modify, and improve them, if you think you can do so safely.... If the front/back is out of square you would likely need to shim it on the top or bottom of the pivot surface to correct the angle. Scissors and a bit of soda can metal cut to shape will do in a pinch.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

@@toohardtowatch that's amazing info! I'm going to give that a go asap! I'd love to be able to get this right and keep the machine for as long as possible.