Drill Press and Band Saw Questions

[mmeyerkopf]

10" or 12" Drill Press. How much of a difference is there? What can/can't you do with each one?

Same question between a 9" or 10" Band Saw. What can/can't you do with each one?

In other words what do these numbers really mean?

(I know that these are small versions of these tools but I am on a limited budget and would like both. I am building some small bookcases and various home repairs.)

[LJR]

On the drillpress the description refers to the distance from the center of the chuck to the support column. You'll typically find the actual measurement to be just a little under the advertised measurement. With a 10" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 20" circle (in theory). With a 12" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 24" circle (in theory).

Your choice really depends on what type of work you want to do. You may be far more interested in quill travel, the distance the chuck will move down, than you are in horizontal clearance.

On the bandsaw the measurement refers to the distance from the blade to the frame of the saw. On a 10" saw you should be able to have ten inches of wood between the frame and the blade.

Again your choice depends on what you want to do. Another rating to look at is the maximum sawing height. Might be important if you're making bandsaw boxes.

[mmeyerkopf]

On the drillpress the description refers to the distance from the center of the chuck to the support column. You'll typically find the actual measurement to be just a little under the advertised measurement. With a 10" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 20" circle (in theory). With a 12" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 24" circle (in theory).

Your choice really depends on what type of work you want to do. You may be far more interested in quill travel, the distance the chuck will move down, than you are in horizontal clearance.

On the bandsaw the measurement refers to the distance from the blade to the frame of the saw. On a 10" saw you should be able to have ten inches of wood between the frame and the blade.

Again your choice depends on what you want to do. Another rating to look at is the maximum sawing height. Might be important if you're making bandsaw boxes.

Thanks. As always a rapid response is great - I want to spend my money!

[LCHIEN]

On the drillpress the description refers to the distance from the center of the chuck to the support column. You'll typically find the actual measurement to be just a little under the advertised measurement. With a 10" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 20" circle (in theory). With a 12" drill press you could drill a hole in the center of a 24" circle (in theory).

Your choice really depends on what type of work you want to do. You may be far more interested in quill travel, the distance the chuck will move down, than you are in horizontal clearance.

On the bandsaw the measurement refers to the distance from the blade to the frame of the saw. On a 10" saw you should be able to have ten inches of wood between the frame and the blade.

Again your choice depends on what you want to do. Another rating to look at is the maximum sawing height. Might be important if you're making bandsaw boxes.

Sorry LJR, but really, the 10 or 12" of a drill press is what they call the swing. It's twice the distance from the column to the drill bit center. So with a 12" DP you can drill to the center of a 12" piece, or 6 inches from the edge. (Half of what LJR said, and that's a very common confusion)

With a standard 2-wheel bandsaw the measurement is technically the diameter of the wheels. so given there's usually some protection in the column to keep the upgoing side of the blade hidden, usually the cut width to the left of the blade will be about 1/4" to 1/2" less than the bandsaw wheel size, so about 8.75" blade to frame distance for a 9" bandsaw. Basically the same as LJR explained.

[LJR]

Loring is correct on the size rating of the drill press. A 9" will drill at the center of a 9" round workpiece, and so on.

Sorry if that caused confusion, it was early on this end and there was a definite coffee shortage.

[drumpriest]

Good info here, so here's some bad, an opinion. I've managed to build quite a few very nice things with only a 10" drill press at my disposal, but I wouldn't want to live lift with a 9" band saw. If you can, see if you can find space and money for a larger band saw. The craftsman 12" model is a great price/space compromise, and the 10" is supposed to be pretty good as well.

I have a 14", and could see having a 12" be useful, but smaller would probably limit you for general furniture building. As LJR said though, it depends upon your purpose. If you are just cutting pen blanks or something, you can get satisfactory results from a 9" BS.

[LCHIEN]

There's a lot more to a drill press than the swing (The usual number like 10 or 12" quoted...). You need to think about the stroke (how deep it will go - most do 2" to 4") and the number of speeds ( most do 5-16 speeds by changinf pulleys) and the height under the head (a bench top press will be most limited but you can drill into the end of a long stick with a floor-standing DP). I'm on my third DP now... first one was a 8" 3 speed. Second a 5-speed 12 inch benchtop with a 2" stroke. Now I have a 12-speed 15" with a 3-1/2 stroke. Cutting large diameter bits needs slow speeds 300 RPM and lower, you need more speeds. Cutting bigger items needs more swing but sometimes a hand drill will do (If its thick or needs to very perpendicular then you need the DP). Making deep holes require more stroke. I'd get the most I could for around $150-200.



Band saw the wheel size is important, but also the depth of cut - for resawing. Since a BS has three primary uses, you need to consider these: resawing, cutting curves, and cutting notches/small detail cuts.
Resawing you'd want at minimum a saw with 6" (most 12" saws can do this) the 14" saws by and large accept a riser which expands them from 6" to 12" by making them taller and replacing the cutting blade. Curves remember than you can't turn an object longer than the wheel size on one side - so a gentle curve is not limited but a tight curve you rotate the workpiece a lot may hit the column and prevent you from doing it.
Cutting the detail cuts and small notches/tenons, most any saw 9"-sized can do it.
So it depends on which or all three you are going to do. A 14" is very versatile but go for around $350 plus when decked out with fence. Some 12" (Jet, delta, craftsman, hitachi) can be a good compromise on price, around $200-250.

[Tundra_Man]

A benchtop drill press will give you good bang for the buck. I've had a 10" Ryobi for over five years and it's been a great, useful machine. There have been a couple of instances where the 10" limitation caused a problem for me, but 99% of the time it has met all of my needs.

As far as the benchtop bandsaw, I am a very vocal advocate of avoiding them like the plague. IMHO, no bandsaw is better than a bench top bandsaw; get a good jigsaw instead. I am a slow learner and had to purchase two of them before I figured out my "bargains" were costing me much more in frustration and ruined stock. I am of the opinion that those who like their benchtop bandsaw have not had the opportunity to use a well-tuned free standing unit. I couldn't believe the difference when I got my Grizzly G0555. I would go back to a benchtop table saw before I'd go back to a benchtop band saw.

Buy the benchtop drill press, then squirrel away the money you would have spent on the tiny band saw and apply it down the road towards a full size (at least 14") saw. Then try and tell me that you wished you had a smaller saw.

If you haven't guessed, I am an "anti bench top band saw" zealot, and have a passionate on-going love affair with my Grizzly.

[Warren]

I could do what I do without a 14" bandsaw. I could use a jig saw. I can't use a smaller bandsaw for the projects I do.

I would have a heck of a time without my radial arm drill press. That said 99.9% of my drilling could be accomplished with a benchtop. The other drilling could be accomplished with a handheld drill, clamps and a jig.

I suggest you weigh what you want to accomplish with what you can afford. Buying too big is not often a problem. Too small often is.

[gsmittle]

If you haven't guessed, I am an "anti bench top band saw" zealot, and have a passionate on-going love affair with my Grizzly.

What do you do while your Grizzly is hibernating all winter????

g.