Back when one had a B&D plus stacks of accessories, I used to have a pillar attachment, which was handy for the odd time I needed better accuracy, or depth control, usually in timber.
Now we have moved on to a dedicated piece of kit for every task, and admittedly most of them do their jobs very well, I am wondering if I should get an inexpensive bench pillar drill for occasional use.
Is one of the really cheap ones worth having? Will I have to find somewhere to bolt it down?
Chris
Although not considered a "Production" drill (Like the old Startrite units) try
Kent. Produced much of the turned parts for pre-production/development. I made more spindles for the drill shown in this EBay link than I care to remember ;-)
At the price whoen it's a deffo bargain.
I have one. It was 'inherited' from a friend after several years of use
- and possible abuse.
It has been useful on occasion - but has several problems. There is far too much play everywhere. So it is difficult to drill as accurately as you might expect. The spring to raise the drill is broken - which makes it almost unusable (so it will be heading for the scrappy soon). The chuck is horrible. The safety guard is a bit of plastic that gets in the way of almost everything. However, the motor itself is quite nice and runs very quietly.
I do not have a permanent location for it. If I use it without bolting/screwing/clamping it, the whole things wanders quite a lot. (No
- I should NEVER do that.)
Other cheap pillar drills might well be much better, and in better state, but I am disappointed. In another thread someone recommended these drill stands to me:
Maybe cheaper and more flexible than a pillar drill?
RW was thinking very hard :
for around £40 complete with a vice. Either is a good step up from a hand held drill. Worthwhile- yes, depending on your intended use and need for accuracy and robustness. There is no absolute need to bolt it down.
Yes - even the very cheapest is far more accurate and pleasant to use than a drill in a stand. One important thing is the much lower spindle speed which is better for drilling metals.
One thing you may find a problem is the restricted travel compared to a drill in a stand - most are only about 2". Other thing to consider is the maximum distance between table and drill tip, especially when using a vice and large drills.
Yes IMHO.
I bough a cheap B&Q jobby a few years ago, it was cheap as chips on a clearance deal.
Its not half bad to be honest, surprisingly accurate - better than I thought it would be. The Aldi one someone else mentioned looks very sturdy & well made for the money.
I've one of the =A330 cheapies well worth the money. They aren't precisi= on but they do a good job all the same.
For use yes, the bases are quite small and the motor unit quite heavy. You'd probably get away with an 18" or better 2' square of 3/4" ply with= the pillar over the center of the board. I'd have a couple of inches of =
board exposed past the front face of the base.
On my el cheapo B&Q one which I've had for years there is an adjustment to take up slack in the sliding bit - a locking allen screw which bears in a keyway. On mine the keyway was poorly machined and I got that fixed by a local machine shop. Which improved things no end.
You might also consider a floor standing one. It won't take up any bench space. You can get much bigger things under it. They weren't much different in price when I was looking.
========================================= You'll find many uses for one, but I would suggest that bolting down securely is essential for safety as they tend to be top heavy. Remember that the head and table can swing out of the way when not in use so they don't need to take up too much useful bench space.
I've used mine for years as a basic overhead router. Although the speeds don't compare with most hand-held routers good results can be obtained within the obvious limitations.
Cic.
Mines bolted to the bench with a simple 'table' made from chipboard & 2 x 1 on three sides that fits over the base. Said table is about 2' wide and 1' deep.
I've got a basic wooden fence fitted to the table so I can set the front/back spacing & I can clamp a stop to the fence for repitition drilling.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Chris J Dixon saying something like:
I bought an Aldi one a few years ago and it's been fine. I was used to using pro-grade stuff in a previous life and didn't expect too much from a fifty quid drill, but it surprised me. On balance, I'd rather have paid fifty for a used Startrite as shown, but if all that's available is an Aldi and it's only for occasional and non-precise use, then go for it.
Thanks, I think I can risk that price ;-)
Chris
Then, for 's sake, bolt it down! Those things are top-heavy and pretty powerful if you have them set to medium or slow speeds. That can make them dangerous if your work happens to snag while drilling.
I got an Aldi one a while ago. They are far easier to use than the old B&D for a lot of jobs.
There's a huge difference IMHO - cheapy bench ones start at about 40 quid.
I've used those nuts which grip into the wood - dunno what they're called, but B&Q sell them - and bolt through the bench top to those. So if I need more bench space makes it quite easy to remove. Most often use this feature for stuff beside the compound mitre saw though - that's where my metalwork vice is and it often gets in the way. It would be great to have a workshop large enough for benches that could take any sized work easily.
Message received and understood. I think I have worked out where I might fit it.
Chris
Oh yes! It always makes me envious when I watch those TV shows wher they have workshops the size of tennis courts. I've got a piggin garage to work in!
Thursday Special Buys 31st January 2008 - £34.95
Apart from an inbetween shaft in the pulley transfer box that needs reqular lubrication (or it jams), and three hands almost required to move and secure the the motor back to tension the belt - It's fine, I use it a lot for electronics construction drilling work.
It's heavy and stable, I've been lazy and not bolted it down. (probably should)
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