Drill Press

[dragonbat13]

Thinking about getting this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-5-sp ... 58780.html

Strictly for amp building. Mostly building eyelet/turret boards.

Think this will suffice? Cost is an issue right now, along with size limit. I need something small but don't want to resort to a drill press attachment on a drill or Dremel.

Any other suggestions?

[johnnyreece]

For eyelet/turret boards? Yeah, that should be plenty.

[Stevem]

Note that there are specific drill bits for plastics and fiberglass that will not rip out the bottom of your drilled hole when it exits.

[Phil_S]

Nothing wrong about getting a shiny new one. For $25-$50 you'll find not so shiny but fully functional on FB Marketplace.

Fiberglas dust is very bad for your health. Once you breathe it in, it stays there forever. Please use dust collection when drilling your boards.

[Guy77]

Yes be careful about the fiberglass dust if you are standing over the boards and drilling with the press. Where a mask and try and stay outside with it and or get a dust collection system.

I use this here from homedepot and I run it with a shop vac on my CNC that cuts the boards. You could just run the hose from the dust collector onto the working surface of your drill press and it will help a lot with eliminating dust.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/dustop ... lsrc=aw.ds

Cheers
Guy

[statorvane]

I have the Grizzley version of the HF drill press. I found the platform clamp at the rear stripped pretty easily when tightened (cheap Chinese steel). So I use a C-Clamp to maintain platform height. Other than that issue it's been a workhorse.

[Phil_S]

Look for a Drillnado for controlling drill press dust.

[PboBSG]

Nothing wrong about getting a shiny new one. For $25-$50 you'll find not so shiny but fully functional on FB Marketplace.

Fiberglas dust is very bad for your health. Once you breathe it in, it stays there forever. Please use dust collection when drilling your boards.

This is a great idea! you might even find one for less on Craig's List or at a yard sale. I got mine for free from a neighbor who might have paid me to get it out of his garage. Of course it's dull grey with surface rust but it works like a charm.

I second that fiberglass dust caution!!!! Unless you've been a life long smoker...no sense in getting emphysema now.

[patrick620]

Nothing wrong about getting a shiny new one. For $25-$50 you'll find not so shiny but fully functional on FB Marketplace.

Fiberglas dust is very bad for your health. Once you breathe it in, it stays there forever. Please use dust collection when drilling your boards.

From a Google search:

AI Overview
Learn more
No, fiberglass dust does not stay in the lungs forever:

"Body's defense mechanisms: The body's defense mechanisms, such as coughing and sneezing, remove inhaled fiberglass from the body.

Lung clearance mechanisms: The lungs' clearance mechanisms are effective for fiberglass fibers.
Biodegradation: The body can biodegrade inhaled fiberglass.

Fiberglass is a hazardous substance regulated by OSHA. The main concerns with working with fiberglass insulation are irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. To protect against skin irritation, OSHA recommends wearing long-sleeved shirts, long-legged pants, gloves, and head coverings."

I would feel safe with just a regular dust mask. Drilling FG boards is not going to make enough dust to worry about.

[Phil_S]

Apologies for the incorrect information. I still think it is nasty stuff. You can get a good filter mask for around $30 and I think it is worth every penny. Of course, it's your body and you should do what you feel is in your best interest. Good luck.

[SoulFetish]

Thinking about getting this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-5-sp ... 58780.html

Strictly for amp building. Mostly building eyelet/turret boards.

Think this will suffice? Cost is an issue right now, along with size limit. I need something small but don't want to resort to a drill press attachment on a drill or Dremel.

Any other suggestions?

Honestly, I think your money is better spent looking for a well maintained used Drill Press. I respect your financial and space constraints. I’ve had them as well, but I’ve been able to a acquire some high quality shop tools by being patient and a bit obsessive searching for a great deal.
I like harbor freight for certain things, but a drill press is a great tool to have and Im not relying on HF for my cutting tools.
But lets say you need something for a project u want to start now and can’t necessarily wait for a good deal to fall in your lap. What I did was find a used Delta benchtop press for $50 on craigslist and bought the harbor freight drill press table for $14 or something like that. The table looked nice. It was a total piece of shit. I had to reinstall the threaded inserts to hold the clamps in the table like three times because the table material was softer than puppy shit. But I just needed it to get me through the amp build, and it did.
I also learned how to service the drill press and set it up and was able to get it in just under 3 thousandths of an inch of runout using a dial indicator. Thats great performance for Delta’s cheapest model at the time.
Eventually, I bought the best used Jet Floor model I could afford (which wasn’t a lot) and completely disassembled it, rebuilding it using the best Nachi bearings on the market.
It would be nice to walk into a store someday and leave with the nicest model money can buy. But until then…

[syscokid]

I use this here from homedepot and I run it with a shop vac on my CNC that cuts the boards. You could just run the hose from the dust collector onto the working surface of your drill press and it will help a lot with eliminating dust.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/dustop ... lsrc=aw.ds

Cheers
Guy

Nice tip. Didn’t know something like that existed. Just ordered one!