Drill press dado

[Michael]

This looks like an interesting and functional way to make a stopped dado. Has anyone tried it?

[J. Clarke]

Using it as a milling machine. Works, cut is likely not very smooth, not good for the bearings in the long run, poor substitute for a router table.

[Leon]

I highly suspect that he is using a milling machine and not a drill press. A milling machine is designed for a side load, the typical DP is not. It would work for a while but the bearings would likely wear out sooner than later.

[Bob La Londe]

Yep. Looks like a milling machine.

[Joe Gwinn]

Yes, he is using a vertical milling machine, most likely some kind of Bridgeport. You can see the standard mill table, which he is cranking back and forth.

.

Joe Gwinn

[Michael]

I see. Thanks for the clarification!

[krw]

Nice. Too nice to use.

[J. Clarke]

You are of course correct and I am not very observant. Certainly a good way to do it if you have a real milling machine, but a bit overkill if you're buying one for the purpose.

[DJ Delorie]

In addition to what the others have said, one caution - doing this with a drill press (I've done it) tends to cause the quill to fall out, which not only ruins whatever you're working on, but might injure you as well.

[J. Clarke]

And I managed to bung up the taper to the extent that now it won't stay. But I haven't been able to find a burr on it.

[whit3rd]

Yeah, a mill makes a good dado, I've made some of my jigs that way (it can do a really accurate depth, and right angle, to make a clamp-able right angle bracket). For a stopped dado, either a plunge router on a large workpiece, or on a router table you just drop the workpiece with either a pilot hole, or find a router bit that end-cuts. Or, just mess with sliding it back-and-forth as it slowly gets to full depth.

If you borrow someone's mill, be sure to clean off ALL the sawdust; it does odd and unlikely things (corrode metal, attract moisture, clog oil passages).

[Joe Gwinn]

The standard way to diagnose the problem is to smear a very thin layer of HiSpot Blue (or equivalent) onto the morse taper of a new and clean drill bit, and then install it with some wiggling, remove it, and look into the female socket to see where the HiSpot Blue transferred from drill shank to socket walls.

.

You want the little tube, not the big can with brush. The difference is that the little tube contains an intensly blue grease that never dries, while the big can contains what amounts to magic marker ink.

The grease is used for detecting contact while fitting, in much the same manner as the traditional use of candle flame smoke when fitting a wooden axe handle to an axe head: smoke the axe head opening, insert wood into smoked opening, remove, observe where smoke has transferred to wook, scrape the smoked wood away; repeat until wood is well bedded in the opening.

The marker ink (layout fluid) is painted onto a piece of metal so scriber likes will show clearly, the marks being used to direct where to cut.

Some of the ads call the grease a layout fluid, which is incorrect.

Be aware that this stuff will make a big mess, so have lots of paper towels handy.

Joe Gwinn

[J. Clarke]

Thank you. That is very helpful.

[Bob La Londe]

The biggest difference between a mill and a router is precision and rpm. If a mill gets the job done faster and does a good job maybe you should own one. LOL. That being said there is this thing called a "bridge mill" that is made in droves for wood working with a wood router as a spindle. Most people popularly call it a CNC router.

[shiggins]

I have a Rockwell/Delta 11-280 drill press. The manual discusses its use as a router and a shaper. In fact the manual displays a shaper cutter kit. I haven't used it as either a router or a shaper. But I have used it as a drum sander.

Steve

[krw]

This isn't a good idea. As has been discussed in this thread (recently at least), sanding/routing/shaping will put a side load on the bearings. Drill presses aren't designed to handle force perpendicular to the bit. This is just asking for terrible runout when drilling.

[Leon]

While a lot of Rockell equipment was pretty good, this unit is at the lower end of the food chain. I had the same unit, got it as a sales reward in 1979.

Yes you can do many things as you have pointed out. But should you. Have you seen the Dremel plunger attachment to turn it into a plunge router? Think that is a good idea?

[JayPique]

On Friday, November 20, 2020 at 6:45:13 PM UTC-5, [e-mail] wrote: snip

I agree. That said, for light duty you could use something like this to minimize the damage...

JP

[shiggins]

When the 11-280 and similar designs were for sale back in the 60's, most users were hobbyists that were pinching pennies. There weren't many routers or shapers in the homeshop. Many users were still making trim with specialized hand planes. I obtained my 11-280 from one of those guys when his arthritis got the best of him. He made sure I knew how to repair the spindle and quill before I took it home. There were all sorts of attachments for virtually all stationary equipment - and some really scary shit for handheld tools. If they looked like they wouldn't charge the price of a finger or two and would do the job just once I might try them. I am a tool hog but price is still an important consideration.

Steve

[J. Clarke]

I dunno about that. Shapers sure, but I was into slot car racing at the time and every description of builting a slot car racing track in one of the magazines or books included making the slots with a router, so they were certainly available and expected to be within the means of a hobbyist with enough space to set up his own slot car track. Note that my Dad had no clue what a router was.