Drill Press

Drill press (also know as a bench drill) are drills that can be mounted to a stable base such as a stand, floor or workbenches etc. It is often driven by an electric motor and typically has three handles which controls the vertical movement of the drill. Although the main purpose of the drill press is to bore various materials, its chuck can be equipped with other rotating accessories to perform tasks such as sanding, honing, polishing etc.[1].

Drill press have the following advantages over  hand drills[2]:

• Improved accuracy and consistency
• Improved efficiency
• More powerful motors

And the following disadvantages[2]:

• Lesser portability
• Difficulties when handling angled operations
• Limited drilling capacity

A drill press can handle almost any dense solid materials, from wood to metal or even glass with high precision. When operating a drill press, the material must be fixed thoroughly. In addition, it is important to apply coolant when operating with metal to prevent excessive heat. When designing a piece to be machined by the drill press, the amount of angled machining required should be minimized as such application requires a significant amount of extra time and effort.

Selecting Drill Head and Speed

Reference

[1]Steve Maxwell, Drill Press: What It Is and When Do You Use it?, Family Handyman, 28-Aug-2020, [Online]. Available: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/what-drill-press-when-to-use/

[2]Home-dzine, The Pros and Cons of the Drill Press, 12-Jan-2020, [Online]. Available: https://www.home-dzine.co.za/diy-1/diy-pros-and-cons-of-drill-press.html

[3]Wood Magazine, Drill Press Speed Chart, [Online]. Available: https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/drilling-boring/drill-press-speed-chart

[4]Vermont America, Twist Drill Bit Types – How to Choose the Right Twist Drill Bit, [Online]. Available: https://vermontamerican.com/twist-drill-bit-types-choose-right-twist-drill-bit/  

[5]University of Waterloo, ENGINEERING STUDENT SHOPS - Equipment, [Online]. Available: https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering-student-shops/equipment

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