To use a portable drill, you bring the tool to the workpiece. For some projects, like furniture or toys, it’s faster or more accurate to bring the workpiece to the tool. For these situations, a drill press offers a lot of advantages.
A drill press is a stationary machine, typically either a full-height floor model or a shorter bench-top version. Power comes from an induction motor mounted to the rear of the head; this type of motor is designed to run quietly and continuously, unlike the noisier universal motors found on portable power tools.
Drill presses are classified by their throat size, which is the distance from the support column to the drill center; you double this dimension to get the model rating. Drill presses feature adjustable tables that raise, lower, and sometimes tilt to support a workpiece. Some versions also have a rack-and-pinion system that adjusts the table position via a hand crank. Typical chuck capacity is 1/2 inch, although industrial versions are larger.
Aside from convenience, drill presses provide greater accuracy because the standard table position ensures a 90° drilling angle. They also offer greater safety with large-diameter bits and much faster operation for repetitive drilling. You can set a depth stop to limit the drill’s travel and use jigs to position work pieces accurately.
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Use drills to create texture and detail to your woodwork.
