Official Luthiers Forum!

All, which drill press from the Tool Shed would be a good all around option? The 14" Grizzly? Opinions?

Hi, Frank

I've had the Delta 12" benchtop for four years and am well pleased with it, but I don't really have anything else to compare it to.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I have a Delta 12" variable speed. I like it, but I wish I bought something bigger. a 16" or so would give me a lot more flexibility.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Depends what you want it for. For basic operations, a smallish one would do. I have what I think is a 12" press, cheap chinese thing, gets used mostly to drill headstock holes and similar. I'd like to have a bigger one, mostly for my work on electric guitars, where you routinely need/want to drill vertical holes for string-through bridges and bridge studs. I get by, but I wish I had the capacity to spare.

I have a Delta 16", but wish I had a better one.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I have a Grizzly G7948 20", 12 speed floor drill press and it has done everything I have asked of it. The extra depth from quill to column (10" clear) allows a lot of operations to be done that wouldn't fit on a smaller unit. The large, T-slotted table makes fixture/jig attachment very easy. I got a larger, ball bearing chuck for it when purchased and the entire unit works like a charm.
Grizzley quotes $450+ in the current catalog so it may be a bit more than smaller machines, but I found the extra capacity to be worth the money.

I have that Grizzly 14". The depth adjustment seems a bit sloppy (easy to bend the L bracket with moderate hand pressure while drilling). I don't like that the table is not slotted all the way through, as I have a large table with T-tracks that I want to bolt to the table to extend it, but cannot as there is no way to tighten down the bolts.

The swing is a bit low for guitar work. I like to use Wagner Safe-T planers and sanding discs, but the swing really limits what you can do with glued up top and backs. I make do, but I am not a pro like Hank. I'd definitely look for a bit more swing for production work.

I have a Delta table top model that is from the 1940's and is still going strong although it could use a bearing change ;)

I just bought a Grizzly floor model that I am pretty happy with too.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

[QUOTE=rlabbe] I don't like that the table is not slotted all the way through, as I have a large table with T-tracks that I want to bolt to the table to extend it, but cannot as there is no way to tighten down the bolts. [/QUOTE]

A quick suggestion, just drill holes through your table! If you want to fasten from the top you can tap the holes as well. I have done this with a few of my machines.

Shane

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Canada

Hi All,

I bought the 14" Grizzly DP ($200) version and have had some problems with it.

The bearings aren't any good so I get a lot of noise and vibration when I run it at high speeds. Their customer service wasn't real good when it comes to repairs, returns, etc...

Anyway, for a couple of hundred bucks I've got a useable DP and a motor for a lathe or buffer when I get ready to upgrade. I won't buy any more tools from Grizzly but that is only my experience with this one product.

Good Luck

woltho18,

Like any manufacturer, Grizzly makes a wide range of tools. The cheaper ones, like with any other manufacturer (and even the better ones) can come through with problems. Especially the smaller tools, which are never built as well as their bigger counterparts.
I've heard more "good" stories about Grizzly's customer service than bad ones. My Delta 6" Professional jointer came to me with a million problems. The worst of which is a fence that twists.
I guess all I'm saying is don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Don,
perhaps off the subject of drill presses, but you said the fence on your
Delta jointer twists. Do you mean that, if the infeed end of the fence is set
at 90 degrees to the table the far outfeed end is other than 90 degrees to
the outfeed table? I had a similar problem with my 8" Powermatic. They
told me to clamp a long bar to one end of the fence and twist it. They
said you can actually feel the casting "give" and will once again be in
alignment. I did it and it actually took most of the "twist" out of the
casting.
Craig

Thanks Craig!

It's not bad enough to cause me any real pain, but IMO it shouldn't have come that way. Life goes on.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Not to continue to hijack the thread with Jointers, but I just got my new FWW magazine and they reviewed 8" Jointers and they liked the Grizzly best of all.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I saw a while back a Floor Model that had a lazer to align the bit on center. Anyone own one or remember the manufacturer? I'm not talking about the gizmo you put in the chuck. This machine had the lazer built right in.
Anyone know?

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I can't say which brand etc you should get, but I will say that with a drill press you'll never regret getting one with a wide throat (Chuck to column) If you ever want to use a Safe-T-Planer, sanding disc or rosette cutter you'll be glad of the large opening. I know a lot of people favour the floor standing models, however, I prefer the bench mounted drill as it is easier to mount a larger and level false table for supporting the work.

ColinColin S38645.5343981481

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I have the Grizzly that is also converts and does spindel sanding. I use it for varied things and works well. Though I do have the spindle sander alone just so don't have to do a convert for a quick job. Only wish it was a floor model, but with the stand I made very sturdy. I did put a make a larger table for it so can do rosette channels and rosettes with it

I've got the Delta 16,floor model which I really like. I like the adjustable speed on it and have had no problems whatsoever.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I have the Palmgren 17" I bought form Amazon and love it. It isn't in the tool crib but should be.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00068U7ZE/sr= 1-2/qid=1129846378/ref=sr_1_2/103-5745922-6863848?%5Fencodin g=UTF8&v=glance

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Scott Thompson
Port Townsend,WA

"In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room"
-Billy Bragg

I've got a small bench mounted unit, which does for most things but it only has 3 inchs of travel.

I would definately save the extra money and go for a bigger unit, it is on my wish list.

I have a Craftsman radial arm. Pretty flexible if you need it. I'd trade it in for something tighter and more accurate though

OK, what 16+" drill press do you recomend?

[QUOTE=Scott Thompson] I have the Palmgren 17" I bought form Amazon and love it. It isn't in the tool crib but should be.
[/QUOTE]

I just added this to the OLF tools area. Thanks for the tip.

Brock Poling38646.4529282407

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com