Radial arm drill press?

[Capt Weasel]

Anybody ever used one? My little Craftsman bench top drill press only reaches out 4 3/4". That leaves me with alot of hand drilling to do on a 14 x 18 piece and no matter how hard I try I can never get them a good 90 deg. On tight patterns it causes problems. I am limited on shop space so a floor model won't work for me right now. I need to stay bench top if I can. I found a Shop Fox radial arm press that reaches out 17 1/2" and my local tool store and it was only $229. I don't know anything about the Shop Fox brand nor ever heard of a RADP before. Are they common? SF any good? I don't want to ruin a piece by using a drill because the hole wasn't straight. I stack cut 4 of Zaffinos "Anticipation" and only can use 3 if I'm lucky because some pilot hole weren't straight. Learned a lesson and now its time to fix it.

[Gill]

Some of us swear by Dremel-type multi-tools set up in dedicated drill presses. You can move the press over the workpiece, so its throat size isn't a problem.

Gill

[CanadianScroller]

Radial arm drill presses are not common but they are great for drilling where throat size is a problem.
The advantage of this over the dremel method is you can set the angle of the bit when drilling access holes for beveled or releif cuttings.

[Minnesota scroller]

What is and where can you get a dedicated drill press for a rotary tool?

Thanks

[bearfretworks]

I don't own one, but have used a radial arm drill press. In fact, it is on my short list of tools to buy to fill up the new shop next summer.....

Shop Fox is "Grizzly"........

Holy smokes....MNScroller passed me in post numbers........I'd better get busy!

[owler]

If your main goal for the drill press is for scrolling then it is overkill. You can find a much more economical drilling machine and have money left over to buy other cool shop stuff.

If, however, you your goal is to use it for more general woodworking, then it is a good purchase.

[don snethen]

Yes, Capt Weasel, I have just recently begun using a small radial drill press that I have dedicated for my scrolling projects. The chuck on my big drill press only grips down to 1/8" and I had to use a secondary mini-chuck (which doesn't not run all that true) for the smallest numbered bits. I paid $160 for the 17 1/2" Rikon at Woodcraft and I wish that I had gotten it sooner. A simple wooden table extenson allows me to drill even the largest projects and always insures that I am drilling perpendicular. I don't trust myself to be accurate with a portable Dremel type especially when the small frets are only as wide as the bit and I am stack cutting four or five layers. I just finished Jeff Zaffino's peacock pattern and stack cut four of them. Even with the drill press the #68 bit too often strayed a little out of line at the bottom until I cut part of its shank off.

One thing I did have to do was replace the cheap Chinese vee-belt on the drill press with a power-twist segmented belt to get rid of the vibration that was initially present on the high speed that I keep it on.

Is it overkill buying a second drill press? Yeah, probably, but it satisfies me and does what I want it to without the inconvenience and bother of changing the set-up and table height on the big Delta all the time.

Don

[Capt Weasel]

I'm looking at it from an efficiency and quality stand point. A radial would save time I think by allowing me to keep drilling nonstop rather than having to do half or so then pulling out cordless and manually having to eyeball straight and finishing it. Also I wouldn't have to take time to use an old blade to "ream" out the hole to straight if it was off. Quality by being able to use all 4 pieces I cut and having bottom messed up due to the hole. On larger cuts I use a 1/16" bit and if its off the 2/0 or #1 still goes straight. Its the little cuts that are problematic. I don't thinks it overkill just an upgrade in equipment to suit my needs and increase my production and quality.

[Gill]

Originally Posted by CanadianScroller

The advantage of this over the dremel method is you can set the angle of the bit when drilling access holes for beveled or releif cuttings.

You can always compensate for this shortcoming by making angled platforms to stand the drill press on. I knocked some out for my Dremel in next to no time.

Gill

PS Thanks, Sandy, for pointing out that this post would benefit from some editing!

[lucky788scroller]

Ok Capt... If your waiting for the thumbs up, here ya go... , you need a better drill, you work hard for your money, you deserve a new tool. Go buy it so you can get back to scrolling with accuracy!!! Dale