I turned on a drill press at Penland Craft School,where I was teaching in the summers. It was a very unusual old Oliver(I think) with double columns,and a variable speed reeves drive.
Someone had left an 18" long lamp drill in the chuck,and the machine was set to run 3000 RPM!! Well,I don't know how they were using that bit at that speed. The drill straightened out sideways and broke off,going flying. The variable speed was unusual,and I didn't realize how it worked. After that,I was more careful!!
This is what happens when you work in a shop open to every college clown and "artist" who comes in. No reason a drill press with an 18" bit should be left on 3000 RPM.
I went to college,and I consider myself an artist. The thing wrong with most artists,though,is they have a huge void about technical info,such as how to use machinery. Over at the Physics machine shop at Wm.&Mary, in the student's machine room,I saw things like old fashioned Armstrong tool holders,clamped in lantern type tool posts,but clamped at their EXTREME butt ends(REALLY!!!),instead of up as close to the cutter as possible. What kind of physicists are using these machines? Ever learn about LEVERS???