I've been using and abusing a Delta 350 bench drill press for 7 years, replaced retracting spring twice, chuck twice, on/off switch once, pulleys once, belt once, now the pulleys and belt are worn out again. I've spent well over the purchase price on replacement parts which are becoming hard to find; it is time for something better. I'm not finding what I'm looking for:
--bench press (got to be a bench)
--3/4 hp motor
--5/8" chuck
--3+" spindle travel
--very little run out
--enough weight to minimize vibration
Over the life of this Delta I've drilled holes in about 30,000 pen blank sections and squared both ends on as many. At 2 1/2" per pen section that works out to over a mile of holes drilled and 60,000 ends squared. I need something tougher.
What I don't need is:
--variable speed, I set the speed when I bought the Delta and have never changed it
--alignment lasers, just another costly and unnecessary feature to wear out.
--drill to post depth over 8" 99.9% of my use is pen blanks, my pen vise has been clamped down in the same spot since I took it off to replace a part two years ago.
Drilling on the lathe is not the answer, when I need serious precision I do drill on the lathe and I've been drilling and squaring on the lathe for the last 2 weeks since the latest pulley and belt failure. Too slow.
I'm not finding what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?
--bench press (got to be a bench)
--3/4 hp motor
--5/8" chuck
--3+" spindle travel
--very little run out
--enough weight to minimize vibration
Over the life of this Delta I've drilled holes in about 30,000 pen blank sections and squared both ends on as many. At 2 1/2" per pen section that works out to over a mile of holes drilled and 60,000 ends squared. I need something tougher.
What I don't need is:
--variable speed, I set the speed when I bought the Delta and have never changed it
--alignment lasers, just another costly and unnecessary feature to wear out.
--drill to post depth over 8" 99.9% of my use is pen blanks, my pen vise has been clamped down in the same spot since I took it off to replace a part two years ago.
Drilling on the lathe is not the answer, when I need serious precision I do drill on the lathe and I've been drilling and squaring on the lathe for the last 2 weeks since the latest pulley and belt failure. Too slow.
I'm not finding what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?