Best bechtop drill presses according to redditors
We found 49 Reddit comments discussing the best bechtop drill presses. We ranked the 13 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 49 Reddit comments discussing the best bechtop drill presses. We ranked the 13 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
This would make it easier
Edit: Better link
What's your budget for tools? This whole thing could be hand-carved using a couple of x-acto knives. It'd be a lot easier if you had a stabilized drill or drill press, like a Dremel and an inexpensive press. Also useful for this sort of work would be a small, flat, metal engineer's ruler.
A solid work surface with holes and movable dowels can go a long way towards stabilizing your work pieces. Small clamps would certainly help, though use foam rubber in the jaws to avoid marking up the wood.
Check out Micro-Mark's tools. They're mostly quite expensive, but they give you ideas of how you can hold and manipulate small pieces. They do have some affordable stuff.
I prefer an aliphatic resin adhesive to cyanoacrylate (super glue) for wood. I use Titebond and a wet rag to clean up. (Seriously, it's easier to clean up wet than dry. Get a wet rag.)
It'd be a lot easier if the photographs weren't completely out of focus.
Get some scrap pieces of various woods and a couple of cheap carving tools. Spend some time carving shapes. That'll give you a feel for what needs to be done, and how different woods are to work. Pine is very soft. Maple is harder; good for wooden spoons and stuff. Ash is a lighter, hard wood. As Na4 says, basswood is a common choice carving small boxes.
If you live in a big city, there is likely a specialty wood shop (in Boston, Rockler,) that'll sell "pen blanks" of many exotic woods. These won't cost too much. These are small slabs often used to turn (carve on on a lathe) pen bodies, but they're also good for small carving projects.
When you glue flat pieces together, use a light coat of glue on each surface and clamp tightly. Glue should ooze out of the sides. Clean with a wet rag. You want to minimize the seam when dry. Be careful to keep glue away from the insides of the joints/moving pieces.
https://www.amazon.com/HHIP-4401-0027-Drill-Center-Finder/dp/B01LW6N7N9
Drill press center finder.
I dunno, sometimes I prefer to just pay the thirty bucks
$45 on Amazon, definitely worth it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00068P48O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RQFxCbAMKZEKR
If you don't have a workbench you can bolt the workstation down on, I would advise getting some of these clamps (not these exact ones, but this style) to keep the base from moving around. You can put them on the backside and it usually won't interfere with the project.
Be aware that small drill bits are very easy to break. If this is something you're doing regularly, look into getting a drill press setup.
Here's an example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00068P48O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474267831&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=Dremmel+press&dpPl=1&dpID=31MGyrXrX5L&ref=plSrch
Highly recommend some milling bits (find some that fit the collet your dremel has, don't get a chuck) and a dremel stand as well. I have one of these and it makes this carving out shells even easier.
Personally, I'd love a full size mill but I don't think I can fit one in my small 1 bed apartment =)
I used a harbor freight 8" with their xy vise and could not get the xy to line up no matter what. Mind you I used the bigger xy vise, perhaps the smaller one they sell will fit
Edit: there is a 4" xy vise on Amazon where someone left a review saying he used the vice and an 8" Wen drill press to do an 80% lower.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L5RXFTU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qwz3Bb1J6TYRQ
Hope you spent less than $45
Actually I do, and much cheaper than a band saw! I found this guy on sale for about $50 after tax at a Home Depot about a year go.
Cons:
Not as great with curves.
And it doesn't come with the dremel/rotary tool - but I found one at a garage sale for $5 so...
There are other options it looks like (especially if you go the wish/ali express way), but I bought the Dremel brand one and it has been great.
I have actually used it for cutting harder materials than foam, and so foam is like butter - just really easy to work.
There are also tutorials on creating your own rotary cutting discs to fit your needs.
Edit: Cons
Don't bother with the Harbor Freight ones. You will eventually replace it. Just spend a bit more and get the Dake B-10 Pick up a set of Low Temp Plates instead of these off ebay.
Dake b-10. Low-temp plates.
https://www.amazon.com/Dake-Manual-Utility-Hydraulic-Capacity/dp/B00DWB1MTM
https://www.lowtemp-plates.com/products/4x7-rosin-plate-kit
Yea... you most certainly need a drill press. Drilling by hand is not accurate in any way, no wonder you'll break bits. Look for local workshops, hackerspaces, maybe there's a trade school nearby or something similar. A drill press is a fairly cheap tool, you can even buy them where you use a Dremel, like this.
I make tons of these holes all the time, although I use a CNC machine for it.
Sure! First I trace the shape in pencil onto the G10. Then I clamp the original scales down and drill all the holes with a cordless drill. I have a stand that makes the drill into a mediocre drill press. Sometimes I use that. Next I use a combination of belt sander and dremel sanding drums to rough out the profile. I check against the originals by putting the drill bits through the holes so they line up perfectly. I go back and forth, comparing and taking off some until the pencil line is gone. If it has cutouts on the bottom side, like the Adamas, I trace the profil on tape and transfer to the new scales. Then I use the dremel workstation to operate the dremel like a mini mill. The bit I used was a steel cutting tool that is cylindrical with cutting teeth on the sides and bottom. I counterbore the screw heads with a cone-shaped stone grinding bit on the dremel, or sometimes with larger drill bits using the drill, depends on the size. For the texture I pressed the scales into the edge of the sanding belt with a rolling motion. Lastly I finish sand all the edges and large openings by hand with 320 grit sandpaper. Sometimes I use a router bit to chamfer the edges and/or holes. The color looks all weird and whitish, at least with the g10 I have so I paint loctite over the whole thing wipe it off once it dries a little. I also loctite all the screws when I re-assemble. I was messy with loctite putting a knife together and figured out that it made the G10 look like it did before I cut it.
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Tool-Station/dp/B00068P48O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396740382&sr=8-1&keywords=dremel+stand
For a little more, you can get this
Most of the references I've seen to people doing hot stamping was with the use of an arbor press - mechanical vs electronic but also can be had for a lot less money. I hot stamp my 2inx2in logo on projects and just use a quick set hand clamp!
Amazon - arbor press
Question is, did you save yourself $35
Drill Stand for Hand Drill,Universal Bench Clamp Drill Press Floor Stand Workbench Repair Tool for Drilling Collet Workshop,Single Hole Aluminum Base https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077MTRKPW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VAehDbYPHMPB0
I have both of these on my to-print list.
/u/CaptainPain mentioned a drill press one, but honestly for that I really like the official Dremel one.
If you're going bench top get this one: https://www.amazon.com/WEN-4212-10-Inch-Variable-Speed/dp/B00HQONFWS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481693190&sr=8-4&keywords=wen+drill+press
It drops down to $120 sometimes and is probably the best bang for its buck.
I ended up spending a bit more on this one:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/PORTER-CABLE-8-Amp-12-Speed-Floor-Drill-Press/1000132463?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-ToolsAndHardware-_-BenchtopTools-_-1000132463:PORTER-CABLE&CAWELAID=&kpid=1000132463&CAGPSPN=pla&store_code=1939&k_clickID=fec787e3-d7c1-4da8-9378-f1535351d9b6
Its $270 right now with a 10% coupon, and Woodcraft has a mobile base for it for $40 right now. Ends up being more mobile than the benchtop because drill presses are way too heavy to seriously move around without wheels, and if you get a cart for the benchtop you end up close to the same price.
You will use it more than you think, and find things to use it on, like making deep mortises a lot more comfortably than a router, or for mounting a sanding mop...
If you want to spend $5-600, you can do better than the home center brands. Maybe this one from JET at the next 15% off sale.
Really, though, just get the $320 PC one. It's about equivalent to that RIDGID in feature set and quality, and a lot less money. I have the PC. It's not the prettiest most fit+finishy tool I own, but it does its job very well and didn't break the bank.
The next upgrade level that I'd seriously consider is something like this. I would probably be better about setting speeds properly if I didn't have to use belts to do it. I don't see a lot of point in the middle ground between the PC and the PM.
That looks like an exact copy of the dake I was talking about. Should be solid and last you a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/Dake-Manual-Utility-Hydraulic-Capacity/dp/B00DWB1MTM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449492818&sr=8-1&keywords=dake+10+ton
No problem.
Dake: wherever you order just make sure it ships free (190 lbs or so ship weight)
Amazon - 312.50 (get prime for a month for free ship)
https://www.amazon.com/Dake-Manual-Utility-Hydraulic-Capacity/dp/B00DWB1MTM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481040084&sr=8-1&keywords=dake+b-10
Jet.com - there is a 15% coupon code if you search, maxes at 30.00 off 341.00 before coupon so 311.00 ships free
https://jet.com/product/Dake-Corporation-Hydraulic-Press/6c4ceeb24abc4b8aaebcc5d04a8780db
Plates:
Here you have a choice, my advice is go with the best AMERICAN deal. Don't be lured in with import plates...yes they are cheaper but will cause issues down the line (electronics, uneven plates).
710 Snob had a deal a week back....5 x 3 plates with PID/Heaters for 280.00 shipped. They are "seconds" which in all reality means they haven't been polished. I bought a set for a friend (x-mas) and would order another at that price if they had them still. I spent a few minutes polishing one of the plates and it looks great...no need to just cosmetic. I can upload a photo if you want so you can see.
If the 710 snobs aren't on sale your build price will rise by 100 bucks unless you can find plates on sale, which may happen this time of year.
www.azpressco.com
Lowtemp-plates.com
I have used or have friends that have plates from both of those companies and can say nothing but good things about them. Both will run you 380-400 shipped complete.
https://710snob.com/product/black-friday-scratch-dent-rosin-press-plate-3x5-kit/
Just saw they are out of stock, may be worth still reaching out to them to see if they have any at that price.
Aside from that....silicone mat for your plates...temp gun for accuracy (i use a meat thermometer as the guns don't read shiny surfaces) and parchment/bags and your good to go.
You can get the build down to under 300 if you go full cheap chinese import...HF press, import plates. I would not recommend this for safety reasons first...sanity second. HF press is fine to seat a bearing once in a while but for pressing on the regular you will have issues. A thrift store flat iron and an irwin clamp is a better option.
*I have no affiliation with any of these folks.
You mentioned a drill press. I have a very similar setup to you. Small workbench in my condo garage. I got this drill press and have been very impressed. It's not good for construction tasks, but for the small projects and tinkering I do it has been great, and doesn't take up much room.
EURO TOOL (DRL-300.00) Bench-Top Drill Press https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058ECQX2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_1bbKwbSY9Q4ZE
Also, kudos on the project. Turned out better than my first couple have for sure. I like the scales.
That would be a tool holder holding a cutting tool mounted on a cross slide vice like the other poster said, usually used for metal work. If you wanted to use wood tools by hand you would need a tool rest to mount in a holder. It looks like you may have the holder for that, on the bed, between the vice and tailstock, turned around backwards, its partially hidden by the wood so I can't tell.
Yeah for circuit boards, a dremel drill press would probably be great.
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Tool-Station/dp/B00068P48O
It is the workstation (http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Tool-Station/dp/B00068P48O). Dremel is magic for lots of things in home.
Dremel is a company that makes small electric power tools, including a rotary tool with many attachments and accessories for drilling, sanding, polishing, etc. Here's the web page for that tool:
https://www.dremel.com/en_US/tools/-/subcategory/tool/find-by-category/27343/rotary
h\Here's the drill press stand (not including the drill tool) on Amazon. Read the reviews, however:
https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Workstation-Station/dp/B00068P48O?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00068P48O
A dremel tool and a dremel press. Was messy!
The bare minimum setup from my perspective would be:
That's about the bare minimum I think. I'm not endorsing any of the brands I linked to here. They're just in there for reference. The lack of a drill press would probably cause you the most problems, but you'll survive ;)
I hope that helps!
Brain dump if you don't mind:
UPS store has magazine paper they can print on. They'll usually sell you blanks for pennies. That stuff it the absolute best transfer paper. It transfers perfect, and practically melts in water. Get a cheap laminatior and use that for the fusing. I use a piece of scotch tape on one edge and run it through four or five times. Use a green scotchbright to clean it under the sink with dish soap before you try to adhere it. Only use acetone to remove it after the etch. These three things made my toner transfer process %100 reliable. I can etch smaller traces now too.
For etchant you should try 2 parts %70 peroxide mixed with 1 part muriatic acid (always add acid to the peroxide, not the other way). It's cheap, less toxic, and etches fast. Easy to get locally too since it's just hardware store and walgreens stuff. You also can see the etch better. Mix it in a glass container outside. It gets hot and off-gasses for a couple minutes when mixed, but it's pretty safe after that. It also looks like lime koolaid. Do not drink it.
Checkout the little dremel drill press. It's great for PCBs.
I ended up getting this drill press, it's on the cheaper side, for sure, probably about in line with the equivalent size harbor freight drill press. The variable speed drive is nice, no changing pulleys or anything, just a lever. I've abused it quite a bit and never had any problems with over-taxing the motor or putting too much stress on it. It has a good sturdy machined quill with basically no play in it (as opposed to some of the cheap ones I've seen which are essentially just a steel tube with a pinion spot welded onto the side).
To echo what others have stated, you can do a lot with a cheap drill press, and it's one of the areas I've never really wished I'd spent more to begin with.
Anyone have one of these WEN 4212 10" benchtop drill press? I finally have a project that gives me an excuse to buy one of these. I am attaching a base to a table that has tear our to re attach the legs using a forstner bit at angle, and so I am just wondering if anyone has had performance issues with these? It will be a 2 inch forstner bit but with all the RPM ratings I read for a bit that size, it seems I will just need to use soft wood as I don't see any affordable Benchtop Presses in my price range ($200 and under). If you have any other suggestions please shoot away!
Here's a link to the WEN https://www.amazon.com/WEN-4212-10-Inch-Variable-Speed/dp/B00HQONFWS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3V4Q5YSMAFS9R&keywords=wen+10+inch+drill+press&qid=1566308134&s=gateway&sprefix=WEN+10%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-2
A flex-shaft is a great all-around tool, but you'd have to get one that has a drill press attachment for the hand tool for that specific function. The set I know of with that configuration is the Foredom flex shaft and drill press.
You can also get similar functionality out of a dremel drill press that works with most current dremel tools.
Yea, I'd use the dremel drill press. just to be safe.
I use a dremel drill press (amazon link)
It reminds me of the small drill press I have for my spare Dremel. Like this
Dremel Drill Press
We bought a 10 ton hydraulic press (https://www.amazon.com/Dake-Manual-Utility-Hydraulic-Capacity/dp/B00DWB1MTM). It was much much cheaper when we got it (I think it was roughly $150ish?)
It's overkill, but hard drives get crushed quickly and easily.
Yeah it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Tool-Station/dp/B00068P48O. It's pretty cool and convenient
I've bought several things from Amazon for the shop, and they're just the sorts of things that /u/abnormal_human suggests; Woodcraft also sells through Amazon, so you can get some decent hand tools that way, but that's not really "amazon" per se. For a recent birthday my wife went a little nuts on my Amazon wishlist and I received two waterstones, a lapping plate, and this shoulder plane - very extravagant gifts.
Amazon is also a pretty good place to shop for some woodworking machinery if you want to buy new and especially if you happen to have Amazon prime; free delivery on a drill press or a band saw can be kind of a big deal. Those are on my "dream shop" wish list...not going to happen any time soon, but if I can't dream on the Internet...where can I?
Another neat thing that I didn't know about until recently is camelcamelcamel which is an amazon price tracker. Companies adjust their retail price on amazon all the time, and you can set thresholds at which you would like to be notified. For example, here is the price history for the drill press I linked above. Helps to see if it's a good time to buy, or if you should maybe wait.
Have fun!
You could always get her a Dremel work station like this one. Then a pair of soft jaw pliers. Why soft jaw pliers? Well it gets her hand away from the cutting/drilling edge, important if she is working with small stones. And the soft jaw wont mar the stones. In addition to that gripping small things when you have arthritis can aggravate the condition, with the pliers it will take longer for her hands to become fatigued.
Proxxon makes a bitchin' mini press...
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0017PUR1Y
You could get a detachable drill press. Similar concept to your millscraft, but heavier guide rail and a proper lever to lower the drill. Craftsman used to make a decent version that packed up pretty small. If you can find one check for play in the linear bushings.
Update: there is a version offered by dremel
https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-220-01-Rotary-Workstation-Station/dp/B00068P48O
Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not interested in trains, the following items on my wish list are this Dremel workstation, and this drop pouch for spent magazines, but one is more than $25, and the other wouldn't be a good thread-starter.
dremel has a drill press work station I've been considering picking it up.
> Are you chasing unicorns?
So that is what it is called! lol!
When you don't know something, you gotta ask the experts! I may have to start looking into an entire replacement tailstock in this case. I have seen other tailstocks with the crank but they have another (possibly removable) live center attached to it. I might be able to make that work.
/u/Silound, I did look into the Dremel drill press as an alternative and the idea of drilling a hole into something to hold the pin in place is a great idea! Several reviews on Amazon have noted that the dremel doesn't sit perpendicular to the base. I don't know if that is due to the placement of the dremel inside of the cradle or manufacture error.
In any case, this was my first attempt at drilling a 1mm hole in the pin freehand and this is how close to center I got. I am a thin hair off to the left side of center. As you can see, the larger hole was easier. If the entire length of the nestling pin would be 1mm as well, that wouldn't be a problem. However, the nestling pin has to have a larger head so that the pin doesn't fall out the bottom and I would have to match the degree of offset for it to fit correctly. I might need to catch one of those unicorns and rub some of it's blood on the dremel to make that one work, lol!
Thank both of you for your delicious knowledge! I appreciate it.
Unfortunately I was hoping to use RGB LEDS, I can't believe I didn't specify that. Sorry about that, I edited it in. Would you be able to explain the common cathode vs common anode? I'll be looking it up but just to make sure I have the right idea for it.
 
I'll more than likely be using a relay at first, following tlucas's comment above just to get a bit of a better understanding but will be pushing to move over to a more complicated setup using transistors as they seem to be more efficient.
 
Ah yes I had picked out a multimeter but is there a type that you would suggest? I wouldn't be against learning how to make a board, i've looked at tutorials and it seems reasonably simple for just a basic board with no special features. I looked into the materials for a board, but the only thing I haven't figured out is the dremel. Should I go with a handheld one or would a standing one be better?
Edit: It seems like the standing one would be better, however people aren't too fond of that one I linked, I may end up going with a drill press
Sweet. Just large enough for the job.
Protip: Move the table away from the wall, get a surge protector (or two), and drape your cords off the back. That'll free up a lot of space. Also, the Dremel Rotary Tool Workstation is very handy.