Location of Floor Standing Drill Press and Mobility

[TomInNC]

I am planning on finally pulling the trigger on getting a floor standing drill press (likely the PM2800B). 

Right now, everything in my shop is on a mobile base of some sort, but the manual for the drill presses I have seen indicate that because the units are so top heavy, you should not put the drill press on a mobile base. I work out of my garage which means my family -- including my young kids -- are in or near the shop on a continual basis. That said, I don't want any chance that the press will topple over. 

The manual also indicates that if you do not bolt the press to the floor, you can attach it to a large sheet of plywood. Have any of you done this, and if so, is it still possible to push the drill press around on the floor when need to move it?

Since this will be the least mobile tool in the shop, any suggestions on spots to target or avoid when placing a drill press? Since I haven't used a press before, I'm not sure how much clearance I should realistically expect to need to the left and right of the press in typical use for furniture making. 

[JohnG]

Have you considered the Nova Voyager drill press?

I have mine on a shop made mobile stand. While I don’t move it around much, I have no concerns about it being on the stand. I have small kids, but if they are in the shop I ensure they are in a safe area before I start or move any machine. 

My mobile base is larger than the factory base, and even with the casters it’s at least as stable as the factory base. If you’re going do drill into the end of an 8’ 12/4 oak beam, you’ll want additional support. But in normal use I don’t see any real danger of it tipping.

 

[Ronn W]

I have found that I need very little space around the drill press.  It depends on the length of the piece of wood that you might be drilling.   If you can find a spot against a wall where it can stay, that is your best bet.  It would be easier to move other tools that may be in the way than moving a drill press.  As for moving it around, remember that garage floors are not level so you will almost certainly need to have a couple of thin shims to keep the base from rocking whenever you move it.  Good luck.

[BillyJack]

Mine sits in a i put mine in a corner . Been there for around 20 years. I think I've pulled it out a hand full of times. 

 

Not enough accessories for a cabinet below , plus I like being able to clean around it..

 

[BonPacific]

In my previous shop I stuck the drill press (benchtop on a narrow cabinet) in a back corner and only needed to pull it out once in the 5-ish years I was there. If I'm going to be drilling a hole in the middle of larger stock I'd rather bring the tool to the wood anyways.

[gee-dub]

Years ago I attached my DP to a box full of Redi-crete as a ballast.

This worked great and still allowed me the small adjustments that one may want when drilling odd things.

My current DP is on the same base but without the ballast; it was too tall with the extra 4-1/2" under it.

This has still proven to be pretty stable and still moveable for short distances to accommodate awkward operations.  It is a trade off.  You need to focus on the way you use your DP mostly.  Build for that.  Building for the very occasional exception generally leads to a sub-optimal situation for the majority of your DP use.

[BillyJack]

 Would invest in the top. I made a new top for mine with 4" DC and it worked fine , but will redo making it larger...

[TomInNC]

On 10/10/2022 at 11:25 AM, JohnG said:

Have you considered the Nova Voyager drill press?

I have mine on a shop made mobile stand. While I don’t move it around much, I have no concerns about it being on the stand. I have small kids, but if they are in the shop I ensure they are in a safe area before I start or move any machine. 

My mobile base is larger than the factory base, and even with the casters it’s at least as stable as the factory base. If you’re going do drill into the end of an 8’ 12/4 oak beam, you’ll want additional support. But in normal use I don’t see any real danger of it tipping.

 

I am open to suggestions on the actual press. I asked for input on here a while back, and I remember many people saying the Voyager was a very nice machine. My issue is that I have never used any drill press, so I have nothing to really benchmark features or performance against. Since I've never had a press, I also don't have a good sense of how it will fit into work flow. Up until now whenever a possible drill press use came up, I used a hand drill and one of the drill press guides. 

I just looked at my old drill press thread, and someone mentioned drill presses being on sale in December most years. Is that the case even post-covid? I'm not in a huge rush, so if there's a potential for a good discount, I can hold off a few months. 

[TomInNC]

Thanks for all of the suggestions on the base. I don't anticipate moving the machine much, but given the weight, I was concerned about installing it and then suddenly needing to move it after the fact. 

For those of you that purchased the bases, any recommendations? At this point it sounds like I should aim for something wide and close to the floor to ensure stability. 

[gee-dub]

On 10/11/2022 at 6:04 AM, TomInNC said:

I am open to suggestions on the actual press. I asked for input on here a while back, and I remember many people saying the Voyager was a very nice machine. My issue is that I have never used any drill press, so I have nothing to really benchmark features or performance against. Since I've never had a press, I also don't have a good sense of how it will fit into work flow.

You can find plenty of people who don't have a router, a drill press or a RAS whereas other folks cannot imagine getting by without one.  If a drill press has not been required you certainly don't have to have one.  I have a compound miter saw that lives out in a shed somewhere.  I purchased it early on because everybody had one.  I quickly found the only thing I really used it for was taking up a lot of space.

If you haven't been working through a design or process and had a DP requirement I would just hold off.  A good drill press is really expensive for what it is and an average drill press is not much more useful than the hand drill motor you already have.  I tend to buy things as I actually need them.  The fact that I haven't spent a lot of money on things I don't use makes it easier to buy what you need when you need it without looking for a bargain. 

Don't get me wrong, I love a bargain and have gotten many by knowing what I am looking for in advance.  That way I can strike when opportunity appears.  On the other hand if I see the need coming up for a $50 router bit in mid project I walk over to the computer and buy it.

[TomInNC]

I guess I should have added that I have actively been avoiding projects that would require the use of a drill press, and I would like to try to expand my horizons a bit. The drill guide is serviceable in some cases (e.g., drilling straightish holes), but it is a pain to use to do things like removing waste with forstner bits. 

[BillyJack]

I pretty much use a drill press for drill perfect straight holes mainly for jigs , holesaw bits for cups or mainly hinges for cabinets..I don't 7se it that much and many just get a table top drill press. Now if you do a lot of metal work, etc that's different. .

[wtnhighlander]

When I purchased my first, cheap, benchtop drill press, I was amazed at how much simpler it was to locate and drill an accurate hole, as compared to a hand drill. A DP can also assist with mortising, and in a pinch, can serve as a light-duty lathe, although that is not a recommended application.

Based on my experience, a floor standing DP isn't necessary, unless the power or reach you need can't be found in a bench top unit.  Features I wish were present or better in my current DP include:

• Power, especially if you use larger diameter bits. Variable speed helps, but I NEVER change mine from it's slowest speed, unless for metal work.
• A good depth stop. Hogging our cavities can place a lot of strain on the collar that attaches the stop mechanism to the quill, I have broken mine in the past. 
• Quill travel: this is where a smaller DP falls short, IMO. I rarely wish for more reach across the work piece, but the ability to go deeper on one stroke would be very nice.
• A larger table, that can be raised & lowered smoothly without swinging out of line, and locked solidly. Personally, I prefer a square table to the round variety.

If the power and reach of a benchtop DP work for you, going that route might spare some cost. You can always mount it to the corner of whatever you place it on, such that the head can be loosened on the post and rotated over the open edge to work on taller items.

The Nova Voyager is an incredible machine, with a lot of features that can really assist in upping your game, but for the most part, they are "luxury" features, that just do things electronically, where other DPs do mechanically. If the budget isn't an issue, I sure wouldn't argue against it.

[JohnG]

Good summary wtn.

I only recommended the Voyager because the PM is even more expensive. Surely a nice machine, but I don’t personally think it would be justified over the cost of the Voyager. I love my Voyager, but many can certainly get by with a much cheaper drill press and not be left wanting. 

 

[Mark J]

I maybe late, but some quick comments with regard to your question about mobile bases.

I have the Voyager and a bandsaw.  Both manuals prohibited mobile basis.  I ignored both manuals and put both machines on wheels.  But I used Portamates biggest mobile bases (I think 3800 & 3850).  This was not for weight capacity,  but to get the largest and easiest rolling casters.  

I move these tools infrequently, but when I do I am careful to go slow and push/pull at a point about 1/3 of the way up from the floor.  I watch how they're rolling.  I know they're top heavy, so my game plan is not to topple them over.

We're all different people, with different work flows and different work goals.  e.g. after the lathe, the SCM is my most important tool.  I'm sure I shared my DP views with you in your previous thread.  If not, let me know and I'll share.

[wtnhighlander]

Just a spitball idea, but you might consider just bolting the press base to a piece of plywood that is slightly larger to gain added stability, but glue a few furniture sliders under it, so it can scoot smoothly across the floor when you actually need to move it. If moving usually means just shifting it around for better position, I'd go that route, for sure. Those things slide on anything short of a gravel driveway.

[ZombieMonkey]

I placed my Jet drill press on a jet or similar branded mobile base system. The drill press is attached to a piece of plywood secured to the base and I have no issues with it. I don't think I've ever seen a floor standing drill press where the manual tells you a mobile base is ever allowed. The key for me is finding a base which has a wider foot print and sits very low to the ground. I move my drill press often as it sits between two garage doors as it works well for placement, but often need to move it for access to items mounted behind it or for more room. I've never had an issue and have zero concerns even with kids around. The only time where the mobile base was a little more concerning for me was during a move while I was moving on and off the lift gate. 

[TomInNC]

Thanks for all the ideas. I appreciate it.

I just found out there is a woodworking show near me in a few weeks. I got into woodworking during covid, so I have no idea what goes on at the in-person shows. The ad for the show lists Nova and Powermatic as both being in attendance. Would you expect them to have machines to demo there? 

[BillyJack]

Maybe I missed it. Do you do a lot of metal work?.. Is there a reason your investing so much into a drill press. I bought a Sachin from a buddy down the street like new for $75. He got it as a gift , but didn't need it. I've used Powermatic and Delta brand for 30+ years and I don't see the advantage with what I have..

[TomInNC]

No metal work and no plans for metal work. I have been looking for used presses for a while locally, but everything seems to have been either beaten to within an inch of its life or the owners want like-new pricing for something that it not like-new. 

[BillyJack]

I think many hang onto them because they take little space. Seems like a lot of farm auctions have them..

 

I guess I look at how much I use something to put value on it. Have you looked at Grizzly?

[pkinneb]

I have never had issues with mine on this homemade base.

[fcschoenthal]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:36 PM, pkinneb said:

I have never had issues with mine on this homemade base.

Ok, I understand both pictures, but is the cabinet on casters as well so you can move it out of the way to get to the leveling feet?

[Tom King]

Most wouldn't be caught dead with my main drill press, but it's very accurate, with almost no runout after being 60 years old.  It's a Powermatic belt changer, but the belt can be changed almost as quickly as turning a knob.  It came from a school auction in 1975.

 I needed to use it when I built this base, so didn't take time to blast and paint it.  It's very stable, and a five year old child could move it.  I like big casters.

[pkinneb]

On 10/12/2022 at 5:01 PM, fcschoenthal said:

Ok, I understand both pictures, but is the cabinet on casters as well so you can move it out of the way to get to the leveling feet?

Yes it is. I believe this came out either Shop Notes or Woodsmith