Drill press speed?

[PJH]

How often, or do you ever, change the spindle speed of your drill press?

I've only changed mine a couple of times in the 40 some years I've owned it. I leave it on the lowest speed, but I wish it would run slower. I'm thinking of adding an intermediate shaft so I can drop the speed some more.

 

[Russ from MN]

Yes, I think mine has been on about 600 rpm for 30 years! It would probably be easier and cheaper to find a motor that runs slower, I think 880 rpm motors are available. Or, you could probably put a variable frequency drive on it.

 

[504]

I agree. Slow is good.

 

[Billy Shafer]

I was always told around 600 was the best speed.

 

[Tracy Brown]

Very often. The larger the bit, the slower I go.

 

[bison]

(quoted from post at 18:09:29 10/26/19) How often, or do you ever, change the spindle speed of your drill press?

I've only changed mine a couple of times in the 40 some years I've owned it. I leave it on the lowest speed, but I wish it would run slower. I'm thinking of adding an intermediate shaft so I can drop the speed some more.

epends on the size of drill bit .
Up to 1/2" I run them 4-600 rpm . over half inch I run them as slow as 100 rpm for 1" and up. 1/14 is the biggest my press will pull it without stalling the bit.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Depends on what you're drilling, and the size hole you are cutting.

Probably 99% of what I drill is steel or aluminum, mostly it's just used for deburring. So it stays down around 100 RPM. In fact, I don't remember ever changing it.

There ares some smaller drill presses out in the shop, they sometimes get changed to higher speed when drilling small holes.

Most home workshop drill presses are made for wood, so they only go down to around 500-600RPM.

But adding the intermediate step pulley is a good solution. Gives it a much wider range. Especially needed when using a hole saw.

 

[old]

In all the years I have had one it has only been set at one speed and that is as slow as it will go but wish at times it would go slower

 

[Jeff NWOH]

Now that I don't have to mess with changing belts, I adjust mine for pretty much any different size hole. It only takes a second to change gears. 100 to 2000 rpm.

 

[jeffcat]

One other thing to make drilling so much easier. Get a little sqweeze bottle for eye drops,nose drops,etc. Fill it with straight automotive Antifreeze. When you drill put a couple of drops on and start drilling. After a few seconds you will feel the drill change a little. Add a couple more drops and continue. It is like magic.

 

[kcm.MN]

I have this benchtop drill press:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HQONFY6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has variable speed, which I like a lot. Unfortunately, the slowest speed is 580 RPM. It's rare, but there are times when I wish I could get down to 150 RPM.

Is a really nice little drill press. Will probably be perfect for 99.5% of the drill press jobs I'll have for the rest of my life.

 

[big jt]

Did just that on both my drill presses. The big one only has one speed available unless I could find a source for other gears but there is a belt drive component and I did that cause it would have been 500 or somesuch without, this is a #5 morse taper and I run it about 100 rpm I think. The other is a Walker Turner and I put a jackshaft on it to slow it down. Occasionally I will kick it up when repeat drilling a bunch of small holes but it stays in slow slow most of the time.

 

[DR. EVIL]

Bet I change the speed on my 17 inch Delta 16 speed drill press every other time I use it. Small bits have to turn fast to cut.

 

[MarkB_MI]

If the speed is close to optimum I don't bother changing it, otherwise I always do. Why turn an 1/8" drill in aluminum at 150 rpm?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Why turn an 1/8" drill in aluminum at 150 rpm?

Because it takes me longer to change speed than it does to drill the hole.

 

[David G]

I change mine all he time so speed is optimum.

 

[dr sportster]

Since I found out on tool talk that small bits require higher speeds I change mine .It only takes a second to lift a hinged cover and change pulleys.

 

[504]

I have a cheap 3/8 drill press bolted to a bench,that takes care of the high speed stuff. My big drill press has not had a bit in it for several years. I cleared a path to it last summer and it would not run. The mice had eaten through both belts.

 

[Zachary Hoyt]

I change mine all the time, 200 RPM if I'm drilling steel, 500 for Forstner bits, 1000~ for general drilling in wood, brass and aluminum, 3600 for using a sanding drum.
Zach

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Why turn an 1/8" drill in aluminum at 150 rpm?

> Because it takes me longer to change speed than it does to drill the hole.

George, it takes me longer to remove my unitized wheel from the chuck and install the drill bit than to change the speed. Following your logic, I should use a 5/8" drill for all my holes, since it takes too long to change bits. And that way I wouldn't have to mess with changing speed, either.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Mark use what works for you. To change speed I have to move belts. I most likely use hand drill to make an 1/8 inch hole in aluminum.

I'm retired and no one is paying me to drill holes.

 

[Bob Harvey]

I have a Shopsmith ('54 model) - changing speeds is a cinch.

 

[PJH]

Thanks for the comments. I use my drill press nearly every day. It's an old Craftsman with that tiny 1/4" wide V belt. I'm tired of babying that tiny belt and I'm looking for ideas about adding another shaft to drop the speed and at the same time use a "normal" belt. I wondered if I really needed the step pulleys to change the speed - it sounds like I would be smart to retain the ability to change the spindle speed.

 

[kcm.MN]

PJH, sounds like you have the same drill press my Dad got when I was a kid. Dirt Daubers built a nest in his motor and burned it out. I had considered hauling it back here and replacing the motor. Then thought I'd better find a replacement belt first. Due to lack of space in the trailer, Dad's old drill press ended up staying in Arkansas. With the one I have now, I'm actually glad.

Here are a few belt options for ya (in no particular order):
* http://www.pyramidbelts.com/rbelts.php
You can get a polyurethane belt made for your machine. However, you would need to release tension before shutting down every evening. Read the main page and they will explain why.

* Someone on another forum suggested looking for a [i:662c22eac8]Polyflex belt 5m[/i:662c22eac8] on eBay. The post after that, someone says they ordered a 5MR1143 which was branded Goodyear.

I don't know how the 5M belts fair against the small Craftsman belt, but I know that Craftsman made both a homeowner and an industrial version of that machine, but they use different belts. The smaller machine has the smaller belt.

*Go to the Sears parts site (https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model/3bdwfvogrl-000247/craftsman-11321371-drill-press-parts) and look for Item #21 from exploded view, Part #71138. You get 2 in the package.

*And lastly, I found a post from someone who had recently changed the timing belt on his Ford Mustang. He carefully cut one of the V's off and said it was a perfect fit, plus he had several more he could make. Also said to go to local auto parts store and compare your old belt to a new one before you buy.

 

[PJH]

KCM - Thanks for the information.

I've been able to find replacement belts at the Sears site, but they always appear to have taken a "set". They arrive rolled up in a twist in the package, I guess for more efficient packaging/shipping. After placing the new belt on the pulleys, it will roll over when the drill press gets under a load. I always release the tension after I use it, but I have also experimented with leaving the belt under tension in hopes that it would take a new "set" and quit rolling over. No luck, and it seems to shorten the belt life if left under tension. The original belt lasted for 20 years and was always left under tension. The replacement belts are short lived and seem to be "new old stock" and therefore stiff and brittle. They slip much worse than the original belt, I think due to the stiffness. Pulleys are in good shape and pulley alignment is good. No slop anywhere.

Thanks for the tips and the link to Pyramid Belts. I'll do some checking. I'm still interested in slowing the spindle speed - there's a big un-used treadmill in the family and I've got my eye on it.

 

[gears]

Sweet idea on cutting a V off a serpentine. I'd been putting off ordering a spare lil'belt for my big ol craftsman.

I run slow too, the press typically doesn't see holes smaller than 1/4" and it's typically in steel.

I used ATF but I'm going to try the antifreeze thing - thing Dexcool will work the same or do I need Ethylene glycol?

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

You can drive your truck anywhere at 10mph and get where you are going.....eventually.

You can drive your truck at full speed anywhere, but will eventually destroy something.

Drill bits can be run at different speeds depending on bit material and the material being drilled. Too slow and it costs time, too fast, and you will probably damage the drill bit.

If you are looking for efficiency in drilling holes, learn the correct speeds to use the machine/material for. If efficiency is not a priority, run them all slow if you're comfortable.

 

[jeffcat]

Had a company drillbit salesman tell me about that years ago. Really...give it
a try. Works like magic.

 

[da.bees]

My old drill press was missing make/model plate when I bought it used so I can't research for parts and instructions. What is the recommended procedure for changing speed on 3 pulley 12 speed? I don't see any way to adjust tension or loosen belt from idler/center pulley to spindle pulley. I've used a screwdriver to pry belt from step to step but that seem's like it could damage the belt. My question is if it's common not having a way to loosen the belt? It's easy to adjust or loosen belt from motor to idler.

 

[kcm.MN]

It'd help to have a pic of your machine.

Most of the drill presses I've used had a tension release, but seems I remember one set up like yours. We did as you do - spin the pulley's while moving the belt to desired speed.

You said there's no info on your machine. A lot of them had the nameplate on the motor, so might be your motor has been replaced at some time? Info also might have been on a sticker that has long since come off.

I wouldn't worry about the belt getting damaged. If the pulley edges seem overly sharp you can always dull then down with a file or sanding block. If the belt does gets damaged from speed adjustments, is likely time to replace it anyhow.

 

[Texasmark1]

Whatever speed you choose, and I choose slow speeds and lots of pressure....if I can make a coil of removed material as I drill I'm where I want to be.

One thing is for drop dead sure. A quality cutting oil is worth it's weight in gold.....er ah drill bits.....and lots of it. If it's smoking, time for more......spoken by a reformed drill bit killer of yore. Wink.

 

[teddy52food]

I have one like that & the motor can be moved after Undoing a lock.

 

[fixerupper]

The drill press in the tractor shop is as slow as it will go. The one in the wood shop is set as fast as it will go.