Drill press

[RyanNJ]

I am having drill press problems... My pens are being drilled off center. I took 5 different straight objects and put them in the jaws and put a level on them and a square. What I came up with was they were not level/plumb... So I tried the chuck it self and the same. Based on the square and level readings it appears as if the jaws are angled left which is how my blanks appear...

How would I fix this? Or am I better off buying a new drill press

 

[johnnycnc]

You should be able to square the table to the spindle.
Look for an adjustment trunnion under the table, where it fastens to the column.
Adjust as needed. I know that sounds overly simple, and it's not, but that will
point you in the right direction.

 

[MrPukaShell]

take a look to see if this helps

http://www.youtube.com/user/capneddie#p/u/11/Vq48544ps1Y

 

[RyanNJ]

That helped a little now it is off by thousands over an inch but I am still not confident to drill my Jeff Powell blank

 

[jttheclockman]

If your spindle has runout, then leveling the table to the chuck will not solve the problem. Many things can cause the problem you describe. Pull the chuck out of the drill and check the quill to see if there is no dirt. The chuck could be bad and is not closing properly. If leveling the table to the chuck solved your problem then maybe you need more tweeking. Make sure the headstock is secured when doing this. Drill the blanks on the lathe if the lathe runs true and you have the proper chucks.

 

[RyanNJ]

i have the chucks for the lathe but for me it seems more in accurate than the drill press. i and going to do some more work with my micrometers and see how it is now

 

[gr8danish]

I have a mint condition 10" Delta drill press for sale right now... I'm in the Chicago area. $50.00 for the press, another $50 for the stand if you need it.

 

[ed4copies]

That helped a little now it is off by thousands over an inch but I am still not confident to drill my Jeff Powell blank

Make sure you READ JEFF'S INSTRUCTIONS before you drill his blank, no matter what method of drilling you choose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RyanNJ]

I am not drilling that one... that is buried in my drawer until i get the drill press figured out. Thanks for the tip though.

It worked for a day or 2 after i adjusted it and now it is back to its old ways blowing blanks left and right i went 1 for 3 today
shattered a 3/4 corian and drilled though the side of a 1/2 corian. I made it though another 1/2 corian but the hole was no where near straight

 

[ed4copies]

Got a wood hand clamp?

 

[RyanNJ]

I do not.
I am not sure what to do at this point do i look for a new drill press or ???

also when i get close to the end (1/8 left or so) it appears as if the bit kicks to the right and that is why the blanks are shattering

 

[ed4copies]

Don't drill THROUGH the blanks. Make your blanks a quarter inch longer than they need to be, then drill to near the bottom and cut off the quarter inch on a bandsaw or tablesaw or whatever you have.

This is NOT just for you, it is the way most of us drill and cut all our blanks so as to cut down the cost of "blown up" blanks.

 

[ToddMR]

Ryan I would make a suggestion here. I had a home made drill press vise and at times it was accurate most of the time it wasn't no matter how slow I went. I bit the bullet and bought me the drill vise on PSI. It cost me $50, but I kid you not it made a HUGE improvement. I don't have to go EXTREMELY slow anymore. I don't zip through the things but I have had pretty much each and every blank I drill me dead on center through both ends. This is for all materials I have been using. I steered clear of the WC $50 one as it had terrible reviews. If I were you, before buying a new press try out the drill vise. This is the one I got here:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/DRILLCENT3.html

Like I said the homemade one was a step up from what I was using prior, but still I had issues. Even if you still get a new press you need a good drilling vise. I clamp mine to the table using 2 small C clamps. Works great! I hope that helps you out. I have been where you are, except the shattering part. I used to go nuts when I would have a nice blank only to come so close the edge after drilling, there was no point in even trying to turn the thing.

 

[RyanNJ]

I have one like pictured coming but when I put a square on the table and check to see if the bit is perpendicular it is off. I adjusted the tar and it works for a day and then it is out of wack again

 

[ToddMR]

Good to hear you have one coming Ryan. How old is your press? I bought a 12" digital Craftsman back in April/May this year and am having great results personally. I know my buddy bought a cheaper model press than mine and he is having good results too. I forget the brand though. Might be Ryobi.

 

[RyanNJ]

It is dated 1986. If you are having good results with a newer one that looks like my option

 

[PTownSubbie]

I do not.
I am not sure what to do at this point do i look for a new drill press or ???

also when i get close to the end (1/8 left or so) it appears as if the bit kicks to the right and that is why the blanks are shattering

Are you clearing the bit often? It sounds to me like the bit is getting clogged near the end. It could also be that the bit is dull. If you get a dull bit the waste gets extremely hot and doesn't flow out the flutes like it is supposed to and could cause the entire bit to shift as the waste is forced between the bit and the blank rather than the flute.

Just a thought...

 

[Jim Smith]

One simple way to make sure that the drill press table is square with the chuck is to take a piece of wire (like an old coat hanger) and place it in the chuck. Now bend it at a right angle about 3 inches below the chuck. Then make another right angle bend in the wire so that the tip of it just barely touches the drill press table. Now, slowly rotate the chuck. If the wire either loses contact with the table or pushes into the table, then you know that the table is not square with the chuck. You can do this several times as you lower the chuck to see if there is runout as the chuck is lowered. I hope I explained this well enough. It's actually easier to do than to explain.

Jim Smith

 

[RyanNJ]

I believe that my jig is part of the problem. I bought a new Rigid Drill press and i am experiencing the same problem so i am going to wait until my jig arrives to turn more.