Author Topic: Drill press.....over rated?  (Read 2257 times)

Online steamer

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Drill press.....over rated?
« on: August 10, 2019, 11:37:26 PM »
I have a TIGHT shop....11 x 18 1/2     I have 2 lathes and 2 mills, one of the mills has a quill.  I also have a heavy duty 14"  bench mounted drill press with a 5/8" chuck.....I don't seem to use it that much anymore...The odd hole in a piece of stock and lapping a bore...either of which I can do other ways.     I'm thinking about letting it go.   Its on the corner of the bench, and I could permanently mount a vise there in its place and be much more usable.

What do you guys think?

Dave
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Offline stevehuckss396

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2019, 11:59:54 PM »
getting rid of something you dont need to make room for something you do need?  It's kind of a no brainer.
Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.

Online steamer

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2019, 12:03:57 AM »
I've got a corner I can put it for now.   If you look on the various for sale boards, they aren't going for very much and everyone has one for sale....

On the other hand I need it gone......

Dave
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Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2019, 12:09:05 AM »
I have moved into the Kitchen as i live on my own !!! perhaps you could lose another "item" and still have the drill press ?? :mischief: :mischief: :mischief:

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2019, 12:11:08 AM »
Let it go Dave. Put it in a corner till you can at least get a decent price for it though unless you need it gone immediately.  Is there a community college you can give it to perhaps? Or a local maker space?

Bill

Offline mike mott

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2019, 12:28:35 AM »
The Idea of giving it to a local college or youth group seems like a great idea.

Mike   
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Online steamer

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2019, 12:54:51 AM »
I have moved into the Kitchen as i live on my own !!! perhaps you could lose another "item" and still have the drill press ?? :mischief: :mischief: :mischief:

Well....As long as it stays in the 11 x 18...I can have it.    The bounds of that space is highly challenged at the moment.  And I don't mind that I have nice stuff in my shop,   I spent nearly 30 years building it, and worked my ass off earning it in the process.   
Let it go Dave. Put it in a corner till you can at least get a decent price for it though unless you need it gone immediately.  Is there a community college you can give it to perhaps? Or a local maker space?

Bill

Well...yes and no.    Perhaps.    I'll look around.   If they'll give me the tax deduction sure.   It's an essentially brand new 14" with tilting rotating table....3/4 HP....so it would need to make "cents"...

Dave
« Last Edit: August 11, 2019, 01:03:13 AM by steamer »
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Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2019, 01:07:09 AM »
If it is an import drill press and you don't need/use it I wouldn't have any problem letting it go.

That said I love my drill press and wouldn't let it go for a couple reasons. One, it has some sentimental value, it belonged to the old guy across the street from the house where I grew up, he had a small engine repair shop. I purchased it from his estate many years after he had shut the doors to the his shop. I restored it matching the original color as close as I could.

Second, my mill doesn't have a manual quill, it is a 3 axis CNC which makes quickly drilling a hole not so easy; so the drill press gets used for that type of low precision work. Also because my mill is not set up to do tapping, rigid or otherwise, I use the drill press with the Tapmatic tapping head. I do enough side work that the tapping head gets used quite often.

Just my thoughts.
Dave

Online steamer

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2019, 01:13:04 AM »
Thanks Dave......I'm not emotionally attached to this piece, and I need the space, but your comments are quite valid.    If I had the space.......


My "big" mill has a quill, so I can drill holes...though frankly, the drill press has WAY more cajona's than my Clausing 8520....but the need is few and far between....

Dave
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ChuckKey

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2019, 09:02:33 AM »
In deciding to let it go you just have to accept that as soon as it has gone you will get a job that is close to impossible without it.

Online sco

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2019, 10:50:54 AM »
I have moved into the Kitchen as i live on my own !!! perhaps you could lose another "item" and still have the drill press ?? :mischief: :mischief: :mischief:

Willy - do you mean you entire workshop is in the kitchen or it's just overflowed into it?

Dave - I'm similar in that I have a drill press that takes a reasonable amount of space and sees little use, just occasionally it is useful though so I've mounted it in a corner where I can access it when I need it.

Simon.
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Offline Muzzer

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2019, 02:15:48 PM »
This is a real conflict in my mind. On the one hand it is a crime against humanity to willingly dispose of machine tools. On the other hand, it's taking up space that could be occupied by something more useful (ie expensive).

I have the same issue. I have a floor standing pillar drill that I haven't used in the best part of 10 years. With 2 milling machines, it's pretty much redundant, especially as both have CNC and DRO. About the only time I'd use a pillar drill would be to start off some manual tapping or to blast a load of holes that are too big to do by hand with a power tool. I suppose I should sell it off and start thinking about making a purchase with the proceedings, assuming the Domestic Manager doesn't catch wind in the meantime.

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2019, 02:39:10 PM »
I've got a corner I can put it for now.   If you look on the various for sale boards, they aren't going for very much and everyone has one for sale....

On the other hand I need it gone......

Dave

Dave, Your answer is in this statement. If there's lots of them out there for sale, you could always buy another if you really miss it. My guess is that once it's gone you'll never think about it again.

I went through the same dilemma with my radial arm saw in my woodshop. Once it was gone I've never thought about it again and really like having the space it took up.

Jim
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Offline Allen Smithee

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2019, 09:52:37 PM »
It's a personal thing, but for me I need the drill press. Partly it's to avoid constantly switching between collets and drill chuck, and partly because I don't want to do basic wood drilling in the mill. The mill is usually oiled, but to drill wood I need to clean it down to avoid oiling the wood. And then I'd need oil it up again afterwards.

So I would find somewhere to keep it.

YMMV,

AS
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Offline Alex

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Re: Drill press.....over rated?
« Reply #14 on: August 19, 2019, 01:25:49 PM »
Got rid of my drill press a couple of years ago.  I love the space, and really don't miss it very much at all.

The only thing I miss it for is for putting an abrasive 75mm sanding wheel on, for making bits shiny with square edges. I'm hesitant to put an abrasive wheel on the mill. I do have an abrasive belt sander that I use, but for some things it's not as convenient as the drill press was.

And, like you found out, it sold for peanuts - but it went to a really nice guy who'll use it, and did not make a ton of money in his job.

 

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