Bench Top Drill Press with decent quill travel?

[dbhost]

As it should be obvious from my post about WTB Ryobi DP121L or Craftsman clone. Let me tell you what I am trying to do...

#1. Get rid of the space sucker that is the big floor model drill press. I have yet to need the depth.
#2. Get a reliable drill press that features...
-- At least 3-1/8" quill travel.
-- MT#2 Taper would be preferred, not required, but preferred.
-- At least 1/2 HP motor. 3/4 is better mind you.
-- 12" depth to post.

The options I am considering are...
#1. Used but good condition Ryobi DP121L or the Craftsman clone (no idea the mode #). This is my first choice.
#2. Steel City 20130VS. Pretty good match, Not terrible price.
#3. Central Machinery #38142. It's a little bit bigger / taller than I wanted though. Northern Tool / Northern industrial appears to have this same press with a square table for a bit more money...
#4. Grizzly G7943. This really would fit the bill, but it is spendy for what it is after shipping...
#5. Jet JDP-15M. Same boat as the Grizzly. Fits the bill, but spendy.

Barring finding the Ryobi used, I am really only budgeted for the Steel City or the Central Machinery. I am kind of wondering if the Steel City is worth the extra money, or if I can make the Central Machinery work. Like I said, it is kind of big...

Failing that, how hard would it be to cut down the post / gear of my existing drill press?

[mpc]

Offhand, I'd expect cutting the gear track would likely be the harder part - getting the cut to have a large enough flat area for the mounting rings. Otherwise it's just metal cutting, albeit big parts so it'll take a while (elbow grease) by hand. Got a metal supplier company nearby - like a Fastenal or McMaster-Carr? Often they have metal cutting horizontal bandsaws; these just take a few minutes to set up and then you let them automatically do their stuff - easy-peasy. Find a friendly local metal shop that isn't busy and you can probably persuade them to cut your parts on their saw for not much money. Those metal cutting horizontal bandsaws (HF sells 'em, you can see examples on their web site if you're not familiar with what I'm describing) usually have cutting oil dripping mechanisms too; you'll get a straight, clean edge on the column with this type of tool.

What brand is your existing DP? Often models are sold as benchtop and, with only a swap in support column & gear track, as a floor model. You may be able to buy replacement parts to convert your DP into a benchtop model. Many brands use similar-sized parts so even if your manufacturer didn't offer a shorter version, another brand's parts might fit just fine. Just buy a new gear track and then have your existing column cut to match.

mpc

[LCHIEN]

Interesting you say the Steel city is "not terrible price" when its 100 to 200 bucks more than the other DPs you list, of course its probably worth it with the VS and the digital readout of speed and depth.

Other things to consider is the slowest speed. The Ryobi for example has a minimum speed of 500 RPM, others you list go as low as 140 RPM. Something to consider if you are going to spin any big forstners. - You 'll want the slow speed -250 RPM or slower- and torque for 2" to 3" forstners if you ever go that big...

I'd also go for the bigger swing DPs. Ryobi is only 12", the CM is 16...

[dbhost]

Interesting you say the Steel city is "not terrible price" when its 100 to 200 bucks more than the other DPs you list, of course its probably worth it with the VS and the digital readout of speed and depth.

Other things to consider is the slowest speed. The Ryobi for example has a minimum speed of 500 RPM, others you list go as low as 140 RPM. Something to consider if you are going to spin any big forstners. - You 'll want the slow speed -250 RPM or slower- and torque for 2" to 3" forstners if you ever go that big...

I'd also go for the bigger swing DPs. Ryobi is only 12", the CM is 16...

I saw yesterday the Steel City is $300.00 with free shipping and no tax, the Jet, and Grizzly average $400.00 and up. The HF is the cheapest, but bigger than I want...

My current Drill Press is a Northern Industrial, the prdecessor to THIS one.

My lowest speed is 200 rpm. Not as low as I would like, but not so high as to be unworkable. I have some BIG forstner bits I have used with it, it does the job well IF I take small bites, back off, take another small bite, back off etc...

Looking at the speeds, size, and cost, I am thinking, either put up with the Northern Industrial I have now, which it works fine, doesn't go as slow as I want, and is awfully tall, I could cut it down. My BIL runs a body shop and is quite adept at metal fabrication... The base collar on mine is WAY different than the one shown in the photo. I could make it work, but it is a LOT of effort for not much reward. I might be better off just building the cabinet to stay on the mobile base. I am just less than thrilled with that idea is all...

If I could get a free shipping code from Grizzly, there wouldn't be a debate. I just don't want to spend over $400.00 on this...

[LCHIEN]

the drill press you have is always more useful than the one in the store...

[dbhost]

the drill press you have is always more useful than the one in the store...

This is so true...

Perhaps I should have spoken more clearly. I want to get rid of the 55 gallon barrel Thien separator. I REALLY like the 20 gallon version on my shop vac. I have a 30 gallon steel trash can in my shop that I use for a cutoff bin. It would be a no harm / no foul situation to build a side exit Thien rig for that, cut the 55 gallon drum down and press it into service for the cutoff bin, at that point, I could do the stand / side flip thing with the DC so that it takes up less floor space...

If it isn't obvious from my last several posts, I am trying to figure out how best to configure things so that my shop has more usable floor space... Right now, claustrophobia is the order of the day. I kind of want that to end...

[LCHIEN]

As it should be obvious from my post about WTB Ryobi DP121L or Craftsman clone. Let me tell you what I am trying to do...

#1. Get rid of the space sucker that is the big floor model drill press. I have yet t...
-- 12" depth to post.

...

BTW, Dave, none of the models you list has 12" depth to post.
You list models with 12, 14 and 16" size, but that size is normally called "swing" and what it means is that the post to center of bit distance is half the swing. So the depth to post as you call it would be but 6", 7" and 8"

The reason they use the measurement they do is that a 12" drill press has the reach to drill a hole to the center of a circular piece 12" in diameter.

[dbhost]

BTW, Dave, none of the models you list has 12" depth to post.
You list models with 12, 14 and 16" size, but that size is normally called "swing" and what it means is that the post to center of bit distance is half the swing. So the depth to post as you call it would be but 6", 7" and 8"

The reason they use the measurement they do is that a 12" drill press has the reach to drill a hole to the center of a circular piece 12" in diameter.

You are very correct. I simply misspoke... Same setup as a lathe. 6x2=12 sort of thing... Sorry, brain knew what it wanted, fingers weren't cooperating...

I guess the concept of a floor model still freaks me out some space wise. I should just go ahead and build the cabinet to save the storage space. It has just been, well shocking how rapidly my shop has filled up and become unworkable. I know most of the fault is the remodeling in the shop, but it has given me a new passion for space efficiency...

[LCHIEN]

do you want to mount the bench drill press to a bench or to a rolling cabinet? Or will it be stationary? Because you can of course build a cabinet on top of the pedastal. Even make one that straddles and rolls over the pedastal. Just seems to me like a floor standing DP is more desirable. Yeah, I know you said you didn't ever have a use for drilling tall/long items.

[dbhost]

do you want to mount the bench drill press to a bench or to a rolling cabinet? Or will it be stationary? Because you can of course build a cabinet on top of the pedastal. Even make one that straddles and rolls over the pedastal. Just seems to me like a floor standing DP is more desirable. Yeah, I know you said you didn't ever have a use for drilling tall/long items.

Unfortunately my webshots photos are gone, and I assume you forgot about my mobile base project on the DP. I have a 24" wide x 18" deep mobile base made from a HF mobile base, and 2x6s that it rolls around on. I have no qualms attaching a cabinet to the mobile base straddling the foot of the drill press. The addition of the mobile base was due to the tipsy nature of the OEM base on this DP. I can and probably ought to do that. It just seems somehow wrong to cover up so much of the column I guess. I am looking to find a way to maximize what seems like wasted space. I want to store my 2 hand held power drills, 2 large Grizzly Forstner bit sets, and probably 6 misc drill bit sets as well as a shop made misc bit holder...

FWIW, the spade bits I had on my wall mounted accessory tray are another issue I need to figure out. How to stow them without creating a safety hazard...

[capncarl]

I assume you are satisfied with your current drill press but just do not like the space you have to dedicate to it? Saw off the post and re-install it in the base, now you have a bench top drill press. In my previous life we cut off a couple of floor mounted drill presses and installed them on service carts (large tool boxes). If you do not like the ugly base on top of the workbench you could do a drop down notch like is done for compound miter saws.
capncarl

[dbhost]

Yes, the issue is space. For the most part, this cheap $75.00 Craigslist find of a drill press has actually worked very well for me for the last several years. I just hate the floor space it takes up when I am so hard pressed for storage space...

I figure I will need to store the following plus a small drawer of misc drills / accessories.

#1. Ryobi 3/8" corded clutch drill / driver in blow molded case.
#2. Craftsman 1/2" corded drill in blow molded case.
#3. Grizzly H7694 31 piece master forstner bit set.
#4. Older version of what Grizzly now sells as D1029 Large Saw Toothed Forstner bit set 8 pc. (case is same size as 31 pc master set).
#4. Ryobi Speed Load bit set x2. I have a spare for when bits break. It was a black friday thing...)
#5. DeWalt DW1369 29 piece pilot point drill bit set.
#6. General pocket Hole Jig. No Kreg, but it works pretty nicely.
#7. General doweling jig. Why I keep this around I don't know...
#8. Need to design and build a better arrangement for this, but misc bits including Ryobi pilot drilling countersink set. Non drilling countersink set, plug cutter set and 2 large clockworks specific sizes Forstner bits.
#9. Irwin SpeedBor Max auger bit set.
#10. Set of mismatched spade bits, mostly OLD Vermont Americans. From 1/4" to 2.25"

[capncarl]

Sounds like a nice square cabinet with lots of drawers is in order for the base of your sawed off drill press. I often use my bench top milling machine for a drill press, and have it mounted on a stand puts the drill vice at about 50" high. That way I do not have to bend over to see the work, and would suggest to anyone with a drill press, jig saw or band saw to raise them up high enough to safely see what is going on. You back will thank you later.
capncarl