How to Choose Drill Press for the Housework?
Nowadays, you may use various drilling machines at home and get the same results as professionals. A drill press is a similar device to a drill. However, it remains more accurate and suits housework perfectly. It may cut different holes in the wood, metal, and other materials. You can find a fitting small drill press on the market, and here is a guide on how to do it quickly.
What can drill press do?
The main function of the drill press is drilling holes. There are several techniques, which you can use with this device. First, you might cut the large diameter holes because the drill press usually has a powerful engine. Also, you can regulate the depth. If you need to drill the holes at a particular angle, the drill press allows doing this.
Sometimes, you should enlarge the existing hole – a drill press is perfect for this too. It can smooth the edges of the cuts. You can also make the countersinking, counterboring, and tapping holes. Such techniques are available even for a small drill press. Some of the models allow you to drill square and rectangular holes. In this case, you should search for additional accessories, which can be designed for any drill press type.
What to consider while choosing a drill press for home?
It will be much more convenient to cut with the drill press if you pick the right size and features for the homework. Mini drill presses are usually the best choice for this. But they also differ a lot, and there are some characteristics you should consider.
Size
It will be more convenient for home usage to choose the drill press, which is easy to transport and doesn’t take a lot of space. If you purchase a small device, it doesn’t mean it will drill tiny holes. It depends on the drilling capacity. Various models may cut larger and smaller holes.
The drill presses with 21-24 inches height are an excellent variant for home. You will be able to put them on your working desk for more comfortable usage. The table size should be 6-7 inches. In this case, you will be able to drill wood of different sizes.
Drilling capacity
Two measurements you should consider when talking about the drilling capacity. The first is swing distance. It shows the maximum width of the piece of material the device can drill. This characteristic choice depends on your needs. A larger swing distance allows cutting the bigger wood or metal parts. The 6-8 inches swing distance is a suitable choice for home usage if you can’t say how large pieces of material you are going to drill.
The second measurement is the height of the support column. It is the maximum distance between the base and chuck. You can’t drill the wood board that is higher than this length. But you can regulate the table and cut smaller pieces. This feature also depends on your preferences and has a wide range of choices on the market.
Chuck capacity
The chuck capacity defines the size of the holes you will be able to do. Also, you can get additional accessories, which can suit only the particular chuck size. Most common mini drill presses have ½ or ⅝ inches chuck capacity. Some of them also have ¼ inches diameter, which is not always suitable for all homework. But you may choose it if you know that you don’t need more for sure.
Chuck Type
Except for the chuck capacity, there are also two different chuck types. They can be keyed or keyless. Of course, it’s perfect if you have these two nozzles in your kit. However, if you want to choose only one, you should know what they can do. The keyless option is easier to operate and adjust. Also, there is a lower risk that you will lose the chuck key. However, the keyed chucks have a higher level of tightness, which allows making more accurate drills.
Output power
The output power influences the time you spend to make a hole and the variety of materials you can drill. All the drill presses can work with wood but not all with metal. However, the modern small drills allow you to regulate the motor output and drill diverse hole sizes in many fabrics. For the fastest performance, the 4 Amp engine will be excellent. It will drill the aluminum and other light metals for sure. You should also consider that drilling tough materials requires additional nozzles with a stronger chuck.
Spindle travel
It is also called the stroke distance or stroke length. You will drill the tough materials much easier with the bigger spindle travel. It also defines the maximum size of the hole you can make with the device. Most professional drill press models have about 3 inches stroke distance. However, you need only 2 or 2-½ inches if you’re working at home – it is enough to cope with various pieces of wood. Also, you should consider that the larger the stroke length is, the more expensive the device will be.
Drilling speeds
This characteristic is quite essential because it also defines the types of material you can drill. You can regulate the speed in some available range. Most mini drill presses have several speeds from 1000 RPM to 8000 RPM. It’s better to pick the option that allows you to choose from at least 4-5 settings. Sometimes you have a light material, and you need an accurate drill, so you will choose the slowest mode. But for the tough metal, the highest speed is required.
Use Drill Press at Home Easily
When you search for the drill press for home usage, the small device will be the most suitable option for you. Remember to consider its size, chuck capacity and type, the engine, and other features described above. Working with a drill press at home is not so complicated, but you should choose a reliable device that will serve you for a long.