From Joe DeFazio <defaziomusic@verizon.net>
> From: Michael Staples <mastaples@gmail.com>
> Date: January 30, 2010 11:40:05 PM EST
>
> I'm looking for recommendations for a drill press that would perform well for new pin block drilling. Specific make and model or general drill press features that would work well for this task would be appreciated.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Michael Staples
Hi Michael,
William Monroe has given you an example of of drilling in the piano, which has some advantages. I drill out of the piano, which also has its advantages. If you decide to drill out of the piano, you will need to make a wide and stable tilting table, which you will attach to the cast iron DP table.
I don't think that the brand and model matter as much as the feature set; they're generally simple machines of decent quality. Of course, as it would happen, my drill press is the exception. It is a Delta DP350 variable speed press that has broken down six times; don't get this one! Having spent a lot of time on woodworking forums, this is the model that is most frequently reported to have problems. I got it when it was a fairly new model (because I thought the continuously variable reeves drive would be handy for changing speeds), before it had time to develop a reputation as unreliable (or at least before I found out about it, of course!).
But this model is really the exception. If you remember the Journal article about upgrading your drill press, Bill Spurlock wrote about using a Chicago drill press, made by Harbor Freight (Bill's rather dry line was something like "apparently, there is also a Chicago in Taiwan," or something to that effect). If you haven't dug up that article, do so before buying anything. If Harbor Freight is good enough for Bill Spurlock, most brands would probably be of at least that quality, so you'll probably be OK with practically any brand. My brother has a HF 17" floor model, and it has worked out great for him. Based on my experience, I'd stay away from the (rare) reeves drive models, though, just because they are more complex and there are more parts to break.
If you decide to drill out of the piano, here are the features I would recommend, especially because my drill press doesn't have all of these features (has most of them, though), and I get tired of working around its shortcomings.
1) Plenty of swing. Get at least 14", and 16" would be more flexible. I get by with 12", but that sometimes requires a workaround with certain blocks (swing = 2x the bit-to-column distance).
2) A nice range of speeds, especially between 700 and 1100 rpm. Most folks drill blocks at about 900 to 1000 rpm, but there are some DP's that have large speed jumps between about 600 and 1200 with nothing in between. I wouldn't buy one with zero speeds between, say, 825 and 1075. Since I have the (dubious) luxury of the reeves drive, I've drilled literally hundreds of test holes at many different speeds, and I prefer about 920. At this speed the maple chips literally fly out o the holes with the right feed rate, which helps immensely to keep the bit cool and helps to avoid burning/glazing the interior of the hole. As you can see, I also use a vortex chiller, but that's another story. Of course, someone else drilling a different block composition at a different feed rate might prefer a different speed. A high-end speed of over 3000 rpm is very helpful for using the Wagner Safe-T-Planer, if you intend to use that unsafe (talk about marketing!) tool.
3) I would go for a fairly beefy floor model, though mine is a larger benchtop model and it works fine for drilling blocks (when it's not broken!). It's easier to rig table supports to a longer column, and you'll find it easier to drill larger pieces like legs or lyres with a floor model. I bolt mine down, and would recommend that you do the same (lots of leverage with a very long table, they are all quite top-heavy, and you wouldn't want it tipping over).
4) A good spindle lock and depth stop are both very helpful for many piano-related tasks.
5) A decent warranty, based on my atypical experience. My first two breakdowns were the most serious, and the second one happened two days before the warranty expired! I was able to fix the last four breakdowns myself, fortunately (isn't it handy to fix things for a living! How do normal folks get by?).
6) A good chuck, and a common morse taper for the spindle (like MT2 or MT3), in case you want/need to change chucks in the future.
7) A depth of quill travel of at least 3". I've used a few DP's with less than that amount, and it can be a tiresome limitation in certain circumstances. You could drill a block with less, though.
8) A more powerful motor is useful for drilling larger holes in metal (which I end up doing for occasional odd piano jobs), but not necessary for pinblock work.
Good luck with it,
Joe DeFazio
Pittsburgh