# Birthday dilema



## skiprat (Apr 28, 2015)

Well......as it's my birthday this coming weekend and we couldn't fund a trip to the MAPG....:frown: ....my infinitely better half said I can get a new drill press instead.:biggrin:
I'm really thinking of getting a floor mount radial version. It will be Chinese clone due to budget..
My question is if anyone has one but wishes they just had a normal DP? 
If you know me, then you know I like 'versatile' tools. 
I've always wanted a radial DP and can't think why all DPs aren't radial..

Please tell me if you have any reason not to get one...

TIA..


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## dbledsoe (Apr 28, 2015)

Pardon me, Mr. Skiprat. What the heck is a radial drill press?


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## skiprat (Apr 28, 2015)

dbledsoe said:


> Pardon me, Mr. Skiprat. What the heck is a radial drill press?



Dave, who the heck are you calling Mr...? :biggrin:
I'm on my Kindle and struggle to attach links..but it's a drill press where the head and table are highly adjustable. They have a very deep 'throat'
Maybe someone can post a pic..


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## H2O (Apr 28, 2015)

Here's a link...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DD6TF...e=df0&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B0000DD6TF


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## skiprat (Apr 28, 2015)

SHOP FOX W1670 1/2-Horsepower Floor Radial Drill Press | AmazonSupply.com

Not sure if this link will work..



Edit....Hey it works!!:biggrin:


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## SteveG (Apr 28, 2015)

Mr Skiprat, I have no direct experience with this type of drill press, but I was considering getting one many years back. I did not get one, but at some later point had read a review of one of the available radial DPs, and there was a complaint of insufficient rigidity, perhaps inherent in the design. So I would suggest paying attention to that aspect as you search for the "right" tool. I do not want to see you making a sloppy pen (as if you ever would:wink, due to too much flex in your new DP.


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## Curly (Apr 28, 2015)

Main thing to consider is they only have 5 speeds to drill with. designed with wood only in mind. Now a clever rodent can probably figure out a way to put a step pulley in the middle to get a greater speed range. The next consideration is if the parts are machined to close enough tolerances to maintain alignment when the radial adjustment is used and if the head returns to zero when used too. I to like the versatility but have always been wary of the rigidity and adjustment returns.


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## dbledsoe (Apr 28, 2015)

Wow! What a cool toy. Too bad I will never, ever have a need to drill anything requiring those capabilities.
However, I want you to get every capability imaginable so I can see the creative "stuff" you come up with. I can't wait to see what you use it on.


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## skiprat (Apr 28, 2015)

Wow, everyone is so formal tonight...:biggrin:

Mr Guzy, thanks for the reply. Flexing was in my thoughts, as i do use a lot of tough material like stainless steel. But I'm lucky enough to have a mill and can use that for most tough stuff. 

But this drill would be used mostly on softer stuff and I'm ok with drill bit sharpening. 

My only negative I can think of is that it would need to be mounted more into the shop walking area than a normal DP due to the throat depth.


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## Dale Lynch (Apr 28, 2015)

Mr.Skiprat,I think this is more up to your skills. Walker Turner Radial Drill Press | eBay


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## skiprat (Apr 28, 2015)

Oh Dale....not you too with the Mr stuff......

Do you know what Spanx are in the UK???:biggrin:
They are tummy / love handle compressing knickers that some women ( mostly) wear under figure hugging clothing.......:biggrin:


A common sentence in my house goes like this.....


Idiot Rat; ' Hey Honey, you're lookin' good...!!  You wearing your spanx?':tongue:

Irate wife'; ......SLAP !!!!!

Idiot Rat; ' Ouch !!!....':redface:


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## randyrls (Apr 28, 2015)

skiprat said:


> But I'm lucky enough to have a mill and can use that for most tough stuff.



Skip;  I don't understand the problem (common for me!).  Why not use the mill for drilling pens?   I routinely do this.  I use a dust collection hood and my DC to get every last shaving. When I do metal on the mill, clean it well before doing wood or acrylic.


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## Dale Lynch (Apr 28, 2015)

skiprat said:


> Oh Dale....not you too with the Mr stuff......
> 
> Do you know what Spanx are in the UK???:biggrin:
> They are tummy / love handle compressing knickers that some women ( mostly) wear under figure hugging clothing.......:biggrin:
> ...



That's what there here for too.Might need'em myself someday,if I ever get tired of my back fat jiggling.


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## Mr Vic (Apr 28, 2015)

skiprat said:


> SHOP FOX W1670 1/2-Horsepower Floor Radial Drill Press | AmazonSupply.com
> 
> Not sure if this link will work..
> 
> ...


 
Knew a girl once who could bend like that...of course like this model she's no longer available... Is there anything with a longer spindle travel...It's seems like that's the most limiting factor of most DPs


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## Paul in OKC (Apr 29, 2015)

First of all, the 3" + quill travel is probably the longest in a drill press. So that is good. And, Mr. Skiprat, why would you expect less formality in such a refined group as this?


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## KBs Pensnmore (Apr 30, 2015)

Happy Birthday for next week skip.


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## PenPal (Apr 30, 2015)

Hi Skippy my most important requisite is a hollow quill that allows a threaded draw bar to hold a quality drill chuck to absolutely remove any risk of chuck disengaging. The next thing with clones get rid of the bearings and instal new quality bearings then chuck that motor and instal a home English quality 1 hp motor. Sufficient length of travel a must. I did all of these things and I have had thirty years of trouble free many thousands of drillings.

Sounds drastic but as a Sparky in another life I always picked up motors cheap, bearing houses can and to me give quite reasonable prices on bearings it also opportunes the removal of swarf etc from manufacture.

When I bought my drill press I sighted the owner and importer at a working for Wood Show here in Australia who told me when bulk purchasing drills he asked the manufacturer how much less the chuck theysaid same price. I sympathised with him he said tell you what its great to talk metal gear instead of wood give meX dollars and I will send you a decent larger chuck which I duly did and never regretted.

As for the Radial/ versus bench purely personal choice.

Nice to say hi again mate works for me attached find my new aquisition from E Bay for use on the lathe I regard as a step forward on the lathe tap and die holder.

Kind regards Peter.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 30, 2015)

Well Mr. Steven (AKA Skiprat ) I probably will not be around to wish you a Happy Birthday this weekend so Let me do so now. Happy Birthday and may you see many more!!! As far as the drill press goes I had this craving for them when they first came out but I got over it. I just do not do enough things with that type of capacity to warrant it. I will stick with my tried and true Delta 16" 

Good luck.


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## KBs Pensnmore (Apr 30, 2015)

This is what I call a Radial Arm Drill, definitely no column flex on this one.


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## PenPal (Apr 30, 2015)

As Hogan would say THATS A DRILL well a mill really.

Peter.


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## Curly (Apr 30, 2015)

pwhay said:


> As Hogan would say THATS A DRILL well a mill really.
> 
> Peter.



Actually that is a true radial drill for metal. There was a similar one at work that some "wise" manager decided we didn't need and it was flogged cheap. They have morse taper quills and no provision for a drawbar so can't take side loads for milling. They have the power for drilling sizeable holes and have instant reverse for power tapping. skiprat, opps, Mr. skiprat would need to raise the roof on his shed to fit it in but the upside is being able to mount his lathe on the drill's table and always be ready to drill and tap into the pen barrel for a clip retaining screw.


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## skiprat (Apr 30, 2015)

randyrls said:


> skiprat said:
> 
> 
> > But I'm lucky enough to have a mill and can use that for most tough stuff.
> ...



Randy, my bench top mill doesn't have the height between table and end of drill bit that I need. If I have a largish drill bit in the chuck and have a work piece mounted in a rotary table then there is virtually no space...

Thanks for all the comments and advice.


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## PenPal (Apr 30, 2015)

The weekend is nigh all the best wishes for your birthday.

Peter.


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## KBs Pensnmore (May 1, 2015)

Randy, my bench top mill doesn't have the height between table and end of drill bit that I need. If I have a largish drill bit in the chuck and have a work piece mounted in a rotary table then there is virtually no space...

Thanks for all the comments and advice. [/QUOTE]


How often does this come up? Would it be possible to make an adaptor that will mount to the bottom of the column and raise it. Not having seen your mill, and not knowing the make, just asking as this could be a possibility, as I have read of such things being done in a UK hobby machinists magazine.
Kryn


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## skiprat (May 1, 2015)

Kryn, I have a Warco VM14. Nice little machine, a clone, but not bad.

Yes, theoretically I could detach the column from the table and add in a riser block, but that gives two issues. It would need to be removed when 'short' jobs were being done as the dovetail wouldn't be there. Next would be introducing flex by the added length.  

I 'need'  a new DP anyway and figured this type would also give me the ability to set up for fancy segmented blank making etc.
At the moment, if it doesn't fit in my mill, I have to set it up to mill on the lathe. This works fine but it takes ages to set up and blocks the use of the lathe when it is set up...

Besides....I've got permission from Mrs Pursestrings to spend a few bob, so why would I 'make-do-and-mend' if I could get a new toy???  :biggrin:


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## KBs Pensnmore (May 1, 2015)

Fair enough, hope you have a fantastic Birthday and you get/find what you are looking for.
Regards
Kryn


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## Fish30114 (May 1, 2015)

Those things look pretty cool, although I'm not sure what you would do with them that you can't with a 'regular' drill press and a Mill. I recently bought a Powermatic 2800B drill press and it has 6 inches of quill travel--just FYI.

Let us know what you end up going with, and how it works and what you do with it!


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## darrin1200 (May 2, 2015)

I am not sure why you would use one of these,  other than a greatly increased throat depth. The rotating arm doesn't seem to acomplish anything that a rotating table doesn't do. Having never used a radial drill press, I would really like to know what types of operations it can accomplish. 

I currently have a large bench mount drill press, and have been considering replacing it with a floor model. Should I be looking into a radial?

If my budget forces a choice, which would you go for? A large floor mounted regular, qualit drill press, or a bench mounted radial drill press.


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## Curly (May 2, 2015)

Darrin the radial lets you tilt the head to drill angled holes along with moving in and out. Useful for drilling chair seats for the legs is one example. It is more use to most people for the furniture side of woodworking but in skiprats little paws the sky is the limit. They do come in floor models too.


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## darrin1200 (May 3, 2015)

Thanks Pete

When I was pricing out my drill press 5 years ago, I was looking at General International. The radial model was almost double the cost of the bench model, and a couple of hundred over the floor model.

Now from what your saying and some of what I have seen, I dont think the radial would be a big feature for me. From my use, more important features are acurate and repeatable table movement. A lockable spindle arm. And my bigest peeve, an easily adjustable depth stop. My current model has a depth stop the is a double nut on a threaded bar. What a pain to adjust and acurately lock, especially when you have to hold the hand crank in position with one hand (no lock) and adjust the nut with the other.

Its amazing what little things experience teaches us.

Good luck with the seach skiprat. From what I have seen from you, any type of additional adjustment, becomes a design opportunity in your work.


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## skiprat (May 3, 2015)

I eventually decided to postpone this acquisition... although I still want one, there are more important things that need my hard earned dosh at the moment. :redface:


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## oneleggimp (May 3, 2015)

That is not really a "Radial Drill Press" in the true sense of the term.


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## duncsuss (May 3, 2015)

skiprat said:


> I eventually decided to postpone this acquisition... although I still want one, there are more important things that need my hard earned dosh at the moment. :redface:



Hope you have/had a happy birthday anyway :biggrin:


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## jttheclockman (May 7, 2015)

OK so what was the outcome of this big Birthday Bash??? :biggrin: Did you get a year older or not???  Did you buy that new tool to make that rocking chair yet??? (that is what those radial arm drill presses are for)  I am sure the fans would like to know. Or did you do too much partying that you don't remember it:beer:


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