Adequate Hobbyist Drill Press?

[jwmay]

Or are you saying a guy can be less careful on small equipment

I’m saying a man doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. And learning a safety lesson on a half horse machine is considerably less dangerous than on a 5 hp machine. I’ve both personally, and I’m calling it a fact.

All machines, both large and small can eat you. Dont make mistakes or get careless and you will be allright.

I completely agree that a 18x60 Turnado is no more dangerous than a 9A, provided the person using either one never makes a mistake or gets careless.

People SO new to machine shop that they ask for buying advice on a FIRST drill press EVER in their life are totally never going to make mistakes too. (Sarcasm)

Years back now, they found a girls body wrapped up in a lathe at a college when her ponytail got caught. It rolled her all night. I don’t think a 9A could do that. Could be wrong. Don’t care if I am.

I’ll keep recommending smaller machines to new guys, and you recommend larger ones, and alls right with the world.

I will leave my previous comments unedited, for clarity in the thread. But I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have argued against large machinery as hobby machinery. Anything can be hobby machinery.

But I’ll not agree that the first gun a person should shoot has real bullets, that the first motorcycle he drives should be a race bike, that the first car he controls should have a supercharger, or that the first drill press he lays hands on should have a 3 hp motor with all gear drive.

 

[jwmay]

Also to the OP, Your expectations are clearly greater than mine when it comes to what a person needs to do hobby machining.
I don’t have “great” equipment, and I don’t really think it’s necessary for a few nights a week of entertainment without profit.

It’s one persons opinion anyways that you may have more machine than a beginner should start on. For whatever that’s worth.

 

[projectnut]

If you have any reservations about operating a particular piece of machinery, I recommend contacting your local technical college. Often times they have evening classes for hobbyists and those considering entering the field. Several years ago, when I was looking for a surface grinder for my shop one of the vendors recommended, I take an evening class at our local technical college. He said they had over a dozen different models and all you needed to do to operate them was pass a safety exam and demonstrate to the instructor that you knew how to properly operate the machine. I signed up for a Thursday evening class, took the test, and demonstrated to the instructor that I was capable of safely operating the machines. Over the course of a semester, I tried out all 14 of the surface grinders in their shops.

Naturally I gravitated to the newest, most automated, and most expensive machines in the shop. It was a harsh dose of reality when it came time to make a purchase. The only thing even close to my budget was a 50-year-old totally manual machine. It was however a case of being in the right place at the right time. I purchased it from a gentleman who was attempting to retire. He was trying to let his contract with Mercury Marine expire, but they kept trying to entice him to continue by increasing what they would pay for each job. He finally decided the only way to retire was to sell off his machinery. The machine had been totally rebuilt 3 years earlier and had minimal use since the rebuild. He offered it to me at a price I couldn't refuse, and the rest is history.

Those without experience wishing to take the class could ask the instructor for lessons and proper safety protocol on any machine. The instructor would demonstrate safe operation, give instructions as what to do and what to avoid. He would then closely observe the as they operated the machine. Once the instructor was satisfied the student could operate the machine safely, they were allowed to do it without close supervision. Some students were allowed to operate machines on their own after only a short period of observation. Others never progressed to the point the instructor felt they could do it without supervision.

 

[matthewsx]

So, invest in a good vise and clamp it down if drilling tough materials.

The most common way to mess up with a drill press is holding material with your hands and having the bit grab so the work starts spinning.

This can mess you up with a tiny bench top DP just as easily as with the machine in question.

Learn the rules and follow them every single time. No gloves!!!!

Industrial equipment is nice to operate since you’ll rarely be forced to use the machine past its limits. Pushing beyond the limit, either the operator or the machine, is a sure way to invite catastrophe.

JMHO

John

 

[455dan]

Who defines what a "hobby" or "newbie" machine is?
I am just a hobby machinist. Yet my lathe weighs 2 tons, my DP about 700 lbs, bandsaw 800, mill ~1000, welding bench bench about 1500, work bench about 600, large grinder ~200 lbs, small one about 80.
Or are you saying a guy can be less careful on small equipment?
All machines, both large and small can eat you. Dont make mistakes or get careless and you will be allright.

Agreed.

First of All to jwmay I am Not actually the OP, who I do believe was buying his first drill press.

Have had a drill press for 40 years
I did retrofit my old bench drill press many years ago with a 2 speed Much higher HP motor than what came on it.
Definitely not drilling steel without clamping and keeping the hands clear of the work even with it.... Have and use a MAG drill as well as a HD gear reduction industrial drill and also a hammer drill.
My 12 24 lathe or knee Mill are also tools that demand respect.

I am fairly careful, probably won't hurt that my dad was the high school shop teacher and taught me a few things in my "young" years, 4+ decades ago that have stuck with me.

Tools are Not toys and even some "toys" Demand respect.
Thanks for the Concern Guys. Safety is Important. No one wants anyone to get hurt.

Did make the trip and all went well.


I did unload it from my truck by myself, well actually did have a "little" help from my Old Ford 550 TLB We were able to get the tailgate closed loading with a side shift forklift, but to get it out of the bed I needed to use the backhoe to lift and swing it before setting it down and then picking it up with the FEL and placing it in the garage.

Got to say I am pretty Stoked to get a real quality ( if a bit well used) Drill press.

 

[jwmay]

First of All to jwmay I am Not actually the OP, who I do believe was buying his first drill press.

Well that certainly explains a lot. Lol

 

[455dan]

Well that certainly explains a lot. Lol

I probably should have started a new thread,
Sorry about that but it was a somewhat generic thread title so I jumped in after the OP got his New drill press.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Who defines what a "hobby" or "newbie" machine is?
I am just a hobby machinist. Yet my lathe weighs 2 tons, my DP about 700 lbs, bandsaw 800, mill ~1000, welding bench bench about 1500, work bench about 600, large grinder ~200 lbs, small one about 80.
Or are you saying a guy can be less careful on small equipment?
All machines, both large and small can eat you. Dont make mistakes or get careless and you will be allright.

My son and I had a similar discussion this last weekend and My advice was keep your cotton pickers away from the rotating equipment! If you have the strange desire to get up close and personal with it shut it down first.

Is very much like the woman who was unloading her Remington rifle and when she took the safety off it went off and killed her son. I felt for her loss but the question I wanted to ask soooo badly was "why in Gods name were you pointing a loaded weapon at your son, safety be damned"???

Brother Dave Gardner once said "an accident is nothing but premeditated carelessness".

Sorry for going off guys, I hope everyone is safe out there, Happy new year.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Agreed.

First of All to jwmay I am Not actually the OP, who I do believe was buying his first drill press.

Have had a drill press for 40 years
I did retrofit my old bench drill press many years ago with a 2 speed Much higher HP motor than what came on it.
Definitely not drilling steel without clamping and keeping the hands clear of the work even with it.... Have and use a MAG drill as well as a HD gear reduction industrial drill and also a hammer drill.
My 12 24 lathe or knee Mill are also tools that demand respect.

I am fairly careful, probably won't hurt that my dad was the high school shop teacher and taught me a few things in my "young" years, 4+ decades ago that have stuck with me.

Tools are Not toys and even some "toys" Demand respect.
Thanks for the Concern Guys. Safety is Important. No one wants anyone to get hurt.

Did make the trip and all went well.


I did unload it from my truck by myself, well actually did have a "little" help from my Old Ford 550 TLB We were able to get the tailgate closed loading with a side shift forklift, but to get it out of the bed I needed to use the backhoe to lift and swing it before setting it down and then picking it up with the FEL and placing it in the garage.

Got to say I am pretty Stoked to get a real quality ( if a bit well used) Drill press.

That looks sweet....

 

[Ultradog MN]

@jwmay,
Can you give us a little more info on this college girl who got her hair caught in the lathe?
Like how she could have been left alone all night to have died like that? Or is this just another story that is meant more to instruct than actually be truthful?
I see those tales on the tractor boards I frequent too but the guys who post them can never give details.
Millions of workers have put billions of hours working on machinery yet the safety record is actually pretty good.
I say if you have an average spacial appitude - which is required to want to tinker on a lathe or drill press in the first place, If you Practice good situational awareness at all times, if you are Prudent in your use of guns, motorcycles, lathes, tractors and drill presses and realize they Can kill or maim you, and you endeavor to work SAFELY while using those things, you can pretty much dismiss the fears of those who tell you that that a big hammer is far more dangerous than a small hammer because it can mash your finger harder.