Even though its a old post , i have some different info. Hope the op finally got what he wanted. Heres a pic of my two ( both bought used) bolted to old sun cabinents with sanders, vices, and grinders, making it a pretty good all round tool???
And by the way i have a old Walker-Turner floor model in my storage unit. Came out of a old shop but really heavy duty. Its in Indianapolis ( Speedway area) for $200 come pick it up......
X2... It really depends on how much metalwork you intend to do. In 1973, I bought a Jet mill/drill, with a 17 inch table, that I have on a bench, but I can swivel the top to drill items that would be at floor level. It is amazing what can be done with these machines. This isn't my machine, but it is identical. It has a #2 Morse taper, and you can cut anything with the proper tools and speed. Bob
Ancient thread but floor model or bench model comes out as where you have space to put it. I really like having a floor model drill press. A bench mounted anything always seems to get in the way and you end up with a mess around it be it a drill press, grinder, vise or what not.
The questions you haven't asked are more important such as: Which Chuck What Motor Buy a bare bones press and build it with good parts at the outset. 1. A 3/4" keyless chuck is well worth the money - No less than $100 2. A 1800rpm motor will allow reducing the chuck speed for holes larger than 1/2". Standard cheap 3600 rpm motors can not be slowed sufficiently. No less than $100 4. Bench vs floor - floor allows a greater variety of parts to be drilled-1 in 100 might require floor. 5. Two proper vices -4" cross sliding and 3" clamping vice $100 for both.
We had one just like the one on the left but the safety director made us scrap it because the belt system isn't enclosed.
Mine is a kind of in between size that works out well on this sturdy 3 drawer file cabinet. Top drawer has drill indexes and chuck keys, 2nd drawer has hole saws and countersinks and the deep, bottom drawer has my hand held drill motors, air and electric. It is a Taiwan made machine I bought at a farm supply store, built in 1983 and used and abused ever since. I replaced the chuck a few years ago and the belt just last year. I also have an Enco bench mill, but the drill press gets used a lot more because it's easier to set up and change speeds.
I have a full-size Bridgeport, a hybrid. Part 1961 and part 1967. Variable speed, big power table. The DRO is a relic and has crapped out. I need to get a better used one. I used to be able to dial off anything with great accuracy.
A drill press (also known as pedestal drill, pillar drill, or bench drill) is a fixed style of drill that may be mounted on a stand or bolted to the floor or workbench. A drill press consists of a base, column (or pillar), table, spindle (or quill), and drill head, usually driven by an induction motor. The head has a set of handles (usually 3) radiating from a central hub that, when turned, move the spindle and chuck vertically, parallel to the axis of the column. The table can be adjusted vertically and is generally moved by a rack and pinion; however, some older models rely on the operator to lift and reclamp the table in position. The table may also be offset from the spindle's axis and in some cases rotated to a position perpendicular to the column.
The Jalopy Journal
