Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Choosing a Drill Press

I want to buy a bench top drill press. First chore is to trim cases using a Forster drill press trimmer.

What's your suggestions for chuck size, brand and table vice for it?

Any particular brand represent a best buy?

Cordially,

Jim Stewart

I've never done any case trimming with mine as I still do it old fashion way, by hand. But, I bought a table drill press 22 years ago to drill through the Stainless steel plates and bars for knife making. My criteria was to get one with the slowest speed available as drilling through tough steel dictates this. Mine is a 3/4 horse motor, 1/4" chuck with the slowest speed at 195 RPM. For case trimming, I would think you would want the capability of running it slow too. The max speed is around 3500 as I recall, but I rarely run it at that speed even for drilling through wood for knife handles, or other projects. The slow speed gets 90% of the use. Mine is one of the Taiwan made $175 models back then, which is a very good drill press actually. I have never had a lick of trouble with it and it gets used hard. I've used it for making parts, milling as well as drilling. Get a decent mill vise for it too as I would be lost without it. Mine has a table that drops for lots of clearance for large work pieces.
Don

I have a couple of old Craftsmens. If you get a floor model it can be used as a vertical clamp. Some things their handy for are glueing on forend tips, also glueing recoil pads on syn. stocks, etc.

I have in the past owned 2 different Taiwan drill presses and had no trouble. I've had one Craftsman for ever and decided to have two alike.

I also use a Forested trimmer on one press and really like it. The only thing I changed was the pilots, made longer one with more taper. Easyer to get in the mouth of cases.

Actually I have been thinking of buying a cheapy bench top (can be had for about $50-$60) just for case trimming. Check pawn shops. Pete

I was going to get an inexpensive bench drill press the other day. I have only put off getting a drill rpess for 18 years now. Anyway, I wound up with the "Rigid" 16" floor model Home Depot carries. It is rated at only 1/2 HP, but that is 1/2 HP at 1700 rpm. I have only used it a couple times, but is seems to be a quality unit.

Make mine a WILTON thank you! Not cheap but sure nice (try Graingers). Look through the ENCO web site for drill vices, just one ain't enough! the cheap chink imports are right handy to have around.

Stay away from the current Craftsman drill presses, they are worthless for but a few chores.

MtnHtr

Delta Drill Presses are probably made in the same factory in Taiwan as most of the others. But! they are a lot easier to get parts for if you ever need them. Mine has given good service and I've used decades old ones that still worked great.........DJ

Just a note about Taiwan equiptment.
In my cabinet shop there sits a 37in. wide belt sander complete with 20hp. motor, power lift table, and elect. tracking eye. Cost---$14,500. I've used it for the past 8yrs. and not one lick of trouble. Point is, not all Taiwan products are cheap junk!

Pete,
My Taiwan made drill press has a 3/4 horse motor and I've used it for 22 years drilling lots of holes in tool steel without one hitch.. Never a problem.
Don

I would just recommend to buy bigger and better than you think you need. If there is something more frustrating than a cheap drill press, I don't know what it would be.

Some things to look for is an american motor (if you can find one), a wide range of spindle speeds and personally, I wouldn't buy one without at least a 1/2 inch chuck.

Also consider replacing the cheap chuck that seems to come with most drill presses with a quality Jacobs chuck.

I have a Jet and have used it to run 3 inch hole saws through 3/16 steel, and drilled 1 inch holes in 1 inch steel on down to drilling and tapping scope base screw holes.

Good luck!

For the money, I've been very pleased with the grizzly 14" I purchased several years back. http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm...mp;site=grizzly

I would advise ordering one of their keyless 1/2" chucks, and tossing the chuck that comes with it. The factory chuck only goes down to 1/8", and I managed to tweak it, but that's another story.

If you can find a similar sized machine import machine for less from Home Depot etc, then give it a look over, and if it seems sound, pick it up.

It is a very handy machine, though if I were to do it again, I'd go for a floor model. If you ever want to drill into the butt of a stock, the bench models are too short.

Everyone is suggesting something worthwhile,but the jump from the 8" Delta to useful 16 1/2 Jet is long one.In drill presses,the tightness of the quil broaching is what the determines the quaility.If it's loose the drill will follow the grain in wood.Do you want that sloppiness ? I didn't, that's why I went from a 8" Delta to a 16 1/2" Jet.I found the Jets to be of better quality Taiwanese than the Delta.Your cheaper table tops are likely Chinese.