Bench Drill Press Suggestions needed.

[HolyHammer]

I just returned a drill press I purchased because I discovered it only has a drill depth of 2 inches - not much use for drilling pen blanks.

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for a make/model of BENCH model drill presses that they are happy with for drilling pen blanks? I'd rather get it right next time.

 

[JBCustomPens]

If you wanted, you could actually drill on the lathe for about the same price. You'd need a collet or scroll chuck, and a drill chuck/jacobs chuck. Here's a tutorial:

http://content.penturners.org/articles/2009/lathedrilling.pdf


Hope this helps!

 

[sparhawk]

I have a craftsman 10" bench top that has approximately 3 -1/3" quill travel that i have been very happy with.

 

[jthompson1995]

I have this one from Shop Fox and it works well. It can also be used as an oscillating spindle sander. It has 3 1/4" spindle travel which does all but the longest barrels in one pass.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Oscillating-Drill-Press/H0626

 

[Texatdurango]

I have this one from Shop Fox and it works well. It can also be used as an oscillating spindle sander. It has 3 1/4" spindle travel which does all but the longest barrels in one pass.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Oscillating-Drill-Press/H0626

Wow..... If I didn't already have a nice floor based drill press, I would look at this one really close! I like the idea of spindle sander modification, complete with a dust collection connection.

Have you used yours as a sander yet, and if so, does the dust collector actually help?

 

[jthompson1995]

I have only used it as a sander a couple times but that was before I had a dust collector so I can't say anything about how well it does. It is a simple conversion to go to a spindle sander, you just add a belt from the speed pulleys in the top to another pulley and the spindle starts going up and down.