DELTA DP300L bench drill press??

[sparkeyjames]

It could just be the chuck. If you have access to a dial indicator guage take the chuck off and measure the chuck taper on the spindle shaft (turning drill press by hand). If the spindle shaft has a wobble it may be that that the machine is poorly made. I'd take it back.

[timb]

It could just be the chuck. If you have access to a dial indicator guage take the chuck off and measure the chuck taper on the spindle shaft (turning drill press by hand). If the spindle shaft has a wobble it may be that that the machine is poorly made. I'd take it back.

Well I don't have one of those but I arranged it so I could hold a mechanical pencil still will the spindle was rotating and the the line it drew did not go all the way around the spindle. Only 1/2 to 3/4. I assume there is nothing to adjust and I should just take it back?

Tim

[sparkeyjames]

Well I don't have one of those but I arranged it so I could hold a mechanical pencil still will the spindle was rotating and the the line it drew did not go all the way around the spindle. Only 1/2 to 3/4. I assume there is nothing to adjust and I should just take it back?

Tim

I bought a HF drill press it's runout was a measured .0041 and I deemed it acceptable. I would recommend no more than .004 or .005 (thousandths) runout ie out of round or wobble for woodworking. Fine metalwork might need a closer tolerance. . Since on your DP it is visible I would take it back. Exchange for a new one.

[LCHIEN]

Well I don't have one of those but I arranged it so I could hold a mechanical pencil still will the spindle was rotating and the the line it drew did not go all the way around the spindle. Only 1/2 to 3/4. I assume there is nothing to adjust and I should just take it back?

Tim

Well, the runout could be anywhere the 1/2 a thousandth to 10 thousandths given that test.

You need a specialized tool to measure runout and that is a rigidly held dial gauge and a straight rod or bit held in the chuck.

If there is no discernable wobble with a solid bit of 1/2" size or so I would say it's OK. I definately would not use a spade bit, those are often wonkey-jawed (technical for not straight).

[timb]

I bought a HF drill press it's runout was a measured .0041 and I deemed it acceptable. I would recommend no more than .004 or .005 (thousandths) runout ie out of round or wobble for woodworking. Fine metalwork might need a closer tolerance. . Since on your DP it is visible I would take it back. Exchange for a new one.

Thanks for the info. Guess I have to pack it all up and take it back - PITA

2nd bad experience I've had with delta bench top tools. Tried to buy a 16 in scroll saw a few years ago. Went through 3 of them before finally getting a Ryobi. The first worked well until but the clamp casting broke after an hour or so of use and next two were so out of true they were useless. The ryobi was true and held up well. Not sure why Delta has the rep and Ryobi is looked down on. Living off past glory I suppose.

Tim

[LCHIEN]

again, TIm, it sounds to me like you are judging the quality of this unit with a spade bit.

In instrumentation, it is said that the measuring equipment should be ten times better than the quantity expected to be measured.

A spade bit is really, really poor, I've seen so many that are not flat/straight/concentric or whatever. As a test, just put the shank on a flat surface and roll it with your hand. You'll more than likely see the pointed end transcribing little circles as it moves- they're that bad.

I'm not claiming your DP is good but you need better tests, the evidence is so far weak in my view.

I also find sometimes if a chucked item is not perfectly spinning true, sometimes I need to loosen the chuck and re-chuck it. I also always tighten the chuck 90% on one hole then rotate the chuck and tighten the last 10% on the remaining two holes. Often the bits are not perfectly true or not seated pefrectly and rechucking them I rotate them at least 90 degrees and they're OK when rechucked.

I own currently three drill presses. Craftsman 8". Delta 11-990 12" benchtop. Hitachi B16RM 15" floor model.

[timb]

Well, the runout could be anywhere the 1/2 a thousandth to 10 thousandths given that test.

You need a specialized tool to measure runout and that is a rigidly held dial gauge and a straight rod or bit held in the chuck.

If there is no discernable wobble with a solid bit of 1/2" size or so I would say it's OK. I definately would not use a spade bit, those are often wonkey-jawed (technical for not straight).

I agree about the spade. They tend to wobble anyway. This one just wobbled a bit more than I expected which is why I looked closer. The outer sleeve of the chuck is definately off center which doesn't help its case although I'm guessing it's a small enough mass that if it was out of balance it wouldn't contribute to the wobble.

I'll take one more look before I decide. Not sure I have the inclination to go buy a gauge since I don't really have any other use for it that I can think of.

Tim

[dramey]

Pop the drill chuck off the spindle and pop the spindle out of the drill press. Clean that packing grease (causmoline) off them and then reassemble them. That will probably take care of the wobble. I bought the Ryobi DP121 drill press because it has variable speed, longer quill stroke and the lasers doesn't need batteries. All the machines made in China is packed with causmoline and needs to have it cleaned off. I used brake cleaner, but any solvent for grease will work.

[LCHIEN]

Pop the drill chuck off the spindle and pop the spindle out of the drill press. Clean that packing grease (causmoline) off them and then reassemble them. That will probably take care of the wobble. I bought the Ryobi DP121 drill press because it has variable speed, longer quill stroke and the lasers doesn't need batteries. All the machines made in China is packed with causmoline and needs to have it cleaned off. I used brake cleaner, but any solvent for grease will work.

That would be my next suggestion. A piece of grit or cutting will throw this assembly off.

[timb]

Well the largest twist drill I have is 3/8 and it vibrated a bit starting the hole and there was definately vibration when its was running free in the hole I bored. Still its a twist drill and I don't have a reference. Next I tried the laser alignment tool ( a 5/16 or so rod) and it had a very noticable wobble but I think it painted so I'm not sure its a good reference for this purpose. It wobbled a lot less in my cordless hand drill though which makes me think there something rotten in the kingdom of Den..elta.

"Pop the spindle out the drill press" you say. Not sure how easy that will be for me. At least there is no indication of that in the manual - and no exploded parts diagram either

The chuck came separate and the assemble instructions said to clean it and the exposed end of the spindle with oven cleaner before knocking it on with a mallet - which I did. The spindle is pre installed. I found the exploded diagram on the delta site and it looks to be a fairly instinsic part - but possibly you just undo the nut on the top and it either falls out or you have to wack it once. I take a look but I suspect it may be beyond the capability of my available tools and I don't want to damage anything by improvising since it may be going back.

Tim

https://www.dewaltservicenet.com/DOCUMENTS/ENGLISH/EXPLODED%20ART/EA022940.GIF

[timb]

No luck - It requires a 7/8 socket or metric equivalent - larger than any I have. It's torqued pretty tight I think just trying it with the end of an adjustable although it hard to get leverage since the spindle spins and there's no obvious way to stop it. Guess I sleep on it. I'd really rather not have to pack it up a take it back but I think it's going to bug me. It's probably not off enough that it will ever really matter but enough so it bugs me knowing its off. The question is if I get another will it be any better?

Thanks for all the advice

Tim

[LCHIEN]

i meant pop off the chuck, not the spindle. If it still wobbles visibly after that, take it back.

[timb]

i meant pop off the chuck, not the spindle. If it still wobbles visibly after that, take it back.

Yeah I popped the chuck off first thing (see above). Wasted some time on on my TS making a two fingered wedge so I could - practice you know

I double checked for gunk and it was clean. My "pencil" test was on the spindle. The subsequent tests were after a putting the chuck back on - basically it wobbles a bit. Dramey' suggestion could maybe fix it assuming the chuck is ok. If I had to pay to ship it back I'd consider trying it but Lowes is on my commute so probably easiest to just try for another.

Can't wait around too long since there's that $25 gift certificate to consider good price being the impetus for this impulse buy.

Tim

[dramey]

I meant pop off the drill press arbor, not the spindle. Sorry about the wrong wording. There should be a wedge shaped tool that came with your drill press. When you lower the quill, you should see a slot in the side of the quill. Insert the wedge shaped tool into the slot and tap it with a hammer to remove the arbor. Make sure you place a block of wood under the drill press to catch the arbor. Clean the inside of the quill and the outside of the arbor and reassemble. Just place the block of wood on the end of the arbor and tap the arbor back into place using a hammer on the block of wood. It is a press fit.

[timb]

I meant pop off the drill press arbor, not the spindle. Sorry about the wrong wording. There should be a wedge shaped tool that came with your drill press. When you lower the quill, you should see a slot in the side of the quill. Insert the wedge shaped tool into the slot and tap it with a hammer to remove the arbor. Make sure you place a block of wood under the drill press to catch the arbor. Clean the inside of the quill and the outside of the arbor and reassemble. Just place the block of wood on the end of the arbor and tap the arbor back into place using a hammer on the block of wood. It is a press fit.

Thanks for the clarification. That makes more sense than the complete disassembly I am looking at. Only problem is this drill doesn't have a separate arbor, at least as far as I can tell. The chuck mounts directly on to the spindle. No tool is provided to take the chuck off; I had to make one. The manual doesn't mention an arbor and there isn't one shown in the exploded parts diagram (I linked to it above in case you are interested)

Tim