Drill Press

[meticoeus]

Considering all of the high precisoin holes I will need for my current project, I just don't think a standard drill will cut. Unfortunately I know very little about the press variety. Any help here?

I'll be drilling into aluminum (sheet/plate/angles/etc) and plexi for sure and the vast majority of the holes will likely have very little margin for error.

So basically my question is this, what should I be looking for in a dril press whose likely only to be used for modding but will be powerfuly enough for the job? Is there anywhere else I could go for this info?

[Cevinzol]

I would look into a table mounted vesion. You don't need a huge floor standing one. Look for one that has variable speed. this is usually done by moving the belt between different sized pulley wheels. You should be able to find a good one for around $50 at a home center.

If you need real serious precision you might want o lookinot getting a machinists vise. But you can also get the same effect by making a cheapo jig from som scrap wood.

[meticoeus]

Thanks for the info.

[meticoeus]

After searching for a while I've decided to go with craftsmans 10" bench top. I can get it local and its on sale :D.

[nil8]

I have an old (pre-1970) craftsman drill press. They work wonders and if they break, take the sucker to a sears store and they will fix it/replace it for free.

A 10" press should be all you need for modding.

Be careful with your bits. Drill presses can have ungodly amounts of torque that hand drills won't have and can break bits if you push them too hard too fast.

[Malatory]

The 10" you seen at sears should work fine. I picked up a cheap one from harbor freight and was able to get the detail I needed with my current project. I would have maybe gotten 2 out of 4 that matched the area I needed with a hand drill. With the press I was able to get all 4 holes in a grouping to match up.