Using a drill press with a wire size drill bit

Not all drill presses can accommodate really tiny bits, like this wire size #62.  When I was looking for one several years ago, I was considering a relatively inexpensive Delta, and had to call the manufacturer to find out the size of the smallest bit the standard chuck could accommodate. I don't remember the specifics, but it was more than adequate for my needs.

I've been quite successful using these little bits, even though their short length doesn't leave much to insert into the chuck.  I start by closing the chuck completely, then opening it just until I can slide the bit in. That assures the bit will be centered.  Then I carefully tighten each hole of the chuck, working around the chuck until everything is tight. Once that's done, I adjust the throw so the bit will drill only as deep as needed.  I try to keep as little of the bit extending from the chuck as possible, to increase stability and accuracy and reduce the chance of breakage.

Next, I make an awl mark to guide the bit in, and position the bit carefully so it enters that opening without any deflection.  I also drill the hole in stages to reduce stress on the bit.

Although a hand-held drill like a Dremel might be easier to use, I prefer the precision of a drill press when the hole needs to be dead-on vertical.

A new kind of press

Finally got tired of lid liners slipping out of position while trying to clamp the pieces together, so I decided to use my 3" pad sander and drill press to create a way of clamping without torque moving things out of position.

I positioned the lid liner in the usual way, marked its location on the lid, applied Nexabond in dots all over the liner, held it in place for a few minutes, then put it on the drill press table that was elevated with a few thick pieces of maple.  I cranked the table up until it held the lid and liner firmly together, and checked with a flashlight to be sure the edges were fully down.

After a few minutes, I could have removed the assembly and clamped it at the edges with spring clamps, but that didn't seem necessary.  I imagine that this could be made more elaborate, but for a small lid, it seems to have worked just fine.

A really nice drill press clamp

Needing a way to hold small pieces safely at my drill press, I bought a Harbor Freight special, which is essentially a vise grip.  It worked, but was a nuisance to use.

When I received an email from Peachtree featuring this Kreg drill press clamp, and watched the video, I couldn't resist.  There were, however, a few glitches.

The video failed to mention that the bolt from the adapter that goes into the clamp needed to be firmly seated or it can bend.  It also didn't mention that although the clamp self-adjusts to different thicknesses of wood, there is an adjusting screw to set the amount of pressure that will be applied.

Needless to say, I didn't have the bolt fully in, and applied much too much pressure.  Fortunately, after I sent them a picture of the bent bolt and explained what happened, they sent me a new one.

It's quite impressive what a difference the clamp makes compared to holding the piece by hand, and since any tool that rotates has the potential to hurl something in your face or across the room, I feel much more comfortable using it.

Using a flex shaft for bowls

Well, I decided it was time to try out the flex shaft I bought to use with the chuck on the SandFlee.  After connecting all the parts, I gave both the regular and mini round sanders a tryout.  I was not sure how to hold the bowl securely with one hand, but found that placing it on my work table gave me all the support I needed.

It was a pleasure to be able to get into the bowl without having to worry about scraping the top on the chuck.  The bowl I'm working on has lobes and is curved inward (will post pix when finished), so inserting the spinning sander was a little daunting.  However, as long as I remembered not to put the sander down while it was still spinning, I did just fine.

So, I can now say without hesitation that using a flex shaft does allow options not possible with the drill press, and that control of the bowl itself is not as much of a problem as I feared.  The top of my table is masonite.  If it were anything harder, I'd probably put down something to protect the wood.

Drill press alignment

Although I always check the alignment of my scroll saw, spindle sander, and vertical belt sander, it never occurred to me to check out the drill press. Since I never had any problems, the last time I checked for square was when we assembled the tool, about a year and a half ago. It was fine right out of the box.

The other day I needed to drill a deep 1/8" hole for the brass pivot rod of a box whose sides were 5/16" wide. A serious misalignment of the bit could result in its coming through the wall of the box, or at the very least, the pivot rod going in crooked. I chucked the bit into the drill press, and turned it on to see if it was inserted properly. Something didn't look right.

I re-chucked it, turned on the tool, and it still didn't look right. So I put my most accurate square (a 6" Starrett combination square, worth every dollar of its outrageous price) next to the blade, and was it ever off! When I checked the square against a larger bit, the discrepancy was even more pronounced. So, I took out the hex wrench that came with the tool (don't ask how I even remembered where I had stored it), found that the bolt had loosened up over time, and readjusted the table to level in the side-to-side position.

I've taken to aligning my tools by using my eye and the combination square, and find that it's quick and amazingly accurate. The picture shows my setup, as well as the monster wrench that was used for the adjustment. I also checked the front to back alignment, and found that it was still fine.

And yes, had I not checked, I would have ruined a box in which I had invested a lot of time, as well as some newly resawn exotic wood.

Completed drill press fence

Here is the completed fence for my drill press. It's really simple, consisting of 2 bolts that fit into the track, and 2 wing nuts. It lets you position the wood properly so that multiple holes can be drilled at the same distance from the edge. It also provides a firm support for clamping pieces of wood that might not otherwise stay in place. For something so quick and easy, it is really a big help, not to mention a major safety improvement.

Drill press safety

The more I use the drill press, the more I respect it as a serious tool that is incredibly useful, but also dangerous if the piece being drilled is not held securely. The photo shows a quickly assembled fence I rigged up to stabilize some wood I had to drill. It made such a difference that it's going to be replaced with a more permanent one. The permanent fence, being narrower, will also allow easy clamping of smaller pieces of wood, important for saving both wood and fingers. I'll post pictures of it, once it's been finalized.

A Cautionary Tale

Well, I got away lucky, this time. I was trying to sand the inside of a pretty deep box with my inflatable ball sander but kept hitting the opening on the chuck of the drill press and taking off little chunks of wood. I didn't have a flex shaft, but I did have a 12" extension, so I attached the ball to the end of the extension, chucked it into the drill press, and started to sand. Well, either I forgot to tighten the chuck or the rotation was just too fast, and the long shaft just sheared right off and sailed across the garage. Fortunately, nothing was damaged (including me) but it was pretty scary.

I removed the little remnant of the shaft remaining in the chuck and started sanding again. Suddenly the whole chuck, including the taper, feel right off! I guess the force from the spinning extension loosened the taper enough so it just slipped right down. We tapped it back in place, and it seems fine, but that's one experience I'm not going to repeat.

Dust collection system for the drill press

In addition to making dust while sanding, I also create quite a mess with Forstner bits. So, I needed to supplement my box fan and filters with something that could handle coarser material. I considered making a device which would hold the shop vac hose in place, but found a commercial product that seems to work quite well. Several different nozzles are available, and this wide one gathers dust and debris from a large area. Other nozzles can be placed closer to the drill bit.

I spent several hours sanding today, which gave it a good test run. When I did this much sanding down at the community shop, I needed to vacuum my hair, arms and clothing. Today, I barely needed to clean up. I don't know how the shop vac will hold up under such constant use, but for now, between the two systems, I have an effective, inexpensive way to keep things relatively clean.

How to Make a Box Fan Dust Collector

If you do a lot of sanding with your drill press and would like to make a dust collector like the one I posted, you'll need a 20" box fan, two 20" furnace filters, and some masking tape. One of these filters should be a standard one, and the other should be one with a higher rating that is meant to trap smaller particles. Here's how to do it:

1. Tape the two filters together so that the standard one is on top of the finer one, with the arrows pointing away from you.

2. Place the box fan with the back side facing you. This is the side into which air is drawn. You'll feel the breeze on the opposite side.

3. Tape the joined filters to the back side of the fan. The air will first go through the regular filter, then the finer one, then out the front.

4. Place the dust collection system close to your drill press, filters facing the drill press. You should be able to see the dust fly into the filter.

Shop is up and running

Well, the tools are finally in place and I've started living in my new "home". Only the bandsaw remains to be assembled, but all my basic tools are up and running. The space we're using is a one car garage which must still be usable to park a car (condo rules), so we put all the heavier stuff on mobile bases and can get the car in without difficulty. We rigged up an adapter for the sanders so we can use the shop vac for dust collection, and we're using a box fan with two filters for the drill press. Here are some pictures of the main wall.

A shop of my own, at last!

After several years of using a community woodshop, I'm finally cleaning out our one car garage so I can get my own tools. Fortunately, for the work I do, all I need is a scroll saw, drill press, spindle sander, and vertical belt-disc sander combo.

Having my own "shoplet" will also let me shoot videos more easily. Videos made in my kitchen are OK, but sometimes just a little limiting. I'd love to be able to make videos "on demand" to answer any questions that come along.

I'm starting to research drill presses and sanders, so if any of you have any good (or bad) experiences with particular pieces of equipment, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Same for any good ideas for working in a limited space.

I'll post pictures in a few weeks--wish me luck!