Drill press for wood and metal

bumpin'

>>1220597
If you think about how a drill works the thickness of the material isn't a particularly important factor, it doesn't go through all at once.
The power required is a function of the speed the drill rotates at (depends on material) and the size of the chip being removed. If you think about a drill bit rotating a larger bit is traveling faster at the edge than a smaller bit at the same rpm so straight away we can say that a bigger hole requires a more powerful drill, but also the size of the hole means a larger chip, more material being removed per revolution so more power required however! You can mitigate this by starting with a small pilot hole and gradually working your way up slowly you can get away with much lower power requirement.
So, it kinda depends. But 1/4, 1/3 hp is pretty typical I think for a bench drill?

>>1220608
Thanks for the insight. I really don't know too much about this sort of thing.

There are some local sellers selling their used machines and many have a 1/4 or 1/3 motor. It seems that a lot of the 1/4 motors get 1750 rpm. That enough for metal?

bumpin' again

>>1220608
Prolly. If you baby it dremel even makes a shitty drill press attachment

>>1220623
Drilling metal usually requires lower rpm, so for example if you are drilling a 1/2" hole in steel you need around 300-400 rpm if i remember correctly

These are awesome for making AR-15's

>>1220623
>I really don't know too much about this sort of thing.
Ok.. First things first.
Especially when drilling any metal sheets.. Make sure you have them clamped or have a kickback block set up. Drill presses have a real nasty habbit of turning flat sheets of metal into finger seeking blades of doom.

I have the cheap Ryobi drill press, and I have used it to punch through quarter inch steel a couple dozen times in the last year. It doesn't seem any worse for it, and continues to function fine.
Just apply oil or some other cutting fluid to the drill bit before hand.

That being said, I imagine most any drill press will suit your needs, unleas you're looking for some extreme precision.
If your drill press has adjustable speeds, put it on the slowest setting for metals.

>>1220917
Also this. Even non-sheet steel likes to whip just as you're punching through the other side. Be careful.

A good corded hand drill is much more useful than a weak, shitty drill press.

Old, used, heavy, quality drill presses shit all over modern consumer crap so look for used machines and study what is good.

>>1220917
Dear God I think the first 3 pieces of metal I drilled into with my press made me bleed. The 3rd was clamped I swear. Poorly

>>1220608

Like this anon said, work your way up. Even in machine shops where they have full sized drill presses, accuracy comes from working the diameter up to avoid vibration and kickback. Also it makes for a cleaner hole and keeps your drill bits in better shape. When you try and drill a large hole with no pilot or pre-hole drilled even with it clamped the drill itself will shear and could break or misaligned your hole. Always:

1. PUNCH YOUR CENTER MARKS. This will insure the pilot drill will align correctly and will dill correctly all the way through.
2. Use cutting oil regularly unless it's wood. The drill need to be cool otherwise it will ruin it. If it turns blue from heat it is pretty much ruined.
3. Always check for the rpm limit of the material your using.
4. 3 clamps or a drill vise, no exceptions to any material you drill through. I see too many people thinking it's safe to drill soft materials like wood by just holding it and that is a big no no. When metal heats it expands and can sometimes catch the wood, plus things like knots and the heart of the wood can catch. Even if it doesn't hit you the centrifugal force can break the wood off the bit and fling it at your junk, then you'll have a knock on wood experience you'll never forget.

Also recommend getting a countersink pilot because it will make drilling the next size up SO much easier.