Drill Press and Portable Hand Drill

OPERATION AND CONTROLS

Drill Press and Hand Drill Safety Rules

• 1. Follow all General Machine Safety Rules

• 2. Determine the proper spindle speed before installing a bit into the chuck. The motor must be running to adjust the spindle speed. Do not attempt to adjust the speed without the motor running. A good rule of thumb is: the larger the drill bit the slower the speed should be.

• 3. Fasten bits securely with either the chuck key or by hand if the machine is equipped with a keyless chuck system. Be sure to remove the key from the chuck immediately after tightening.

• 4. Clamp stock to the drill press table or use a drilling vise whenever possible. This is especially important when boring large diameter holes or when drilling small stock.

• 5. Great care should be taken when boring large diameter holes. The rotational force is often times to much to control by hand and the material can violently spin out of control. Never use a fly-cutter in a hand drill.

• 6. Be sure not to have your hands in a dangerous place if the drill bit or driver bit should slip while using a hand drill.

• 7. Always have firm control of the drill and proper footing when using a hand drill.

Drill Press

Table

Table Lock Handle

Guard

Quill Feed Handle

Quill Depth Stop

Speed Adjustment

Table Lift Crank Handle

Column

Quill Lock

Drill Press Sizes

The sizing of a drill press is determined by the distance from the center of the quill to the edge of the column.

• There are two different sized drill presses in the FVTC lab:

10” Clausing drill press

7.5” Clausing drill press

• Both are equipped with variable speed controls. It is important to only adjust the speed control with the motor running. Severe damage to the drive belt will result if the control is adjusted when the motor is off.

Drill Press ControlsThe quill spins, moves up and down and holds onto the chuck. The feed handle is turned to lower the quill for drilling into the stock. The quill is spring loaded to retract to the upward position after drilling. The quill lock is used to hold the quill at any desired position. This is especially helpful when locating a fixture or a fence onto the drill press table.

The table can be raised or lowered to a desired position. This allows for different length drill bits to be used and for a variety of material sizes to be drilled. The table can also be swiveled to any desired position. The table lift crank makes it easy to adjust the heavy table. It is important to tighten the lock handle once the table is in the correct position.

Quill Lock

Depth Stop and Scale Feed Handle Table Lock Handle

Table Lift

Crank

Handle

Drill Press Considerations

Key considerations before loading a drill bit into the chuck:

• Be sure you have selected the right type of drill bit for the material you are drilling.

• Be sure the speed is set correctly for the operation. If it is necessary to adjust the speed, start the motor and make the speed adjustment before installing the drill bit into the chuck. A good rule of thumb is the larger the drill bit the slower the speed. Also, slower speeds should be used when drilling metal.

• If you are boring large diameter holes or boring into small stock, consider how the material can be clamped to the table. It is difficult and very unsafe to hold the material by hand when boring large diameter holes.

• Use the chuck key to tighten the bit into the chuck and return the key to its storage location. Never leave the key in the chuck!

Drill Press Operation

Key considerations when operating a drill press:

• If you will be drilling all the way through the stock, an auxiliary wooden table must be attached to the metal table.

• Use the depth stop for drilling holes to a specified depth. Hand tighten the stops only – never use a pliers on the depth stop!

• When boring deep holes, back the drill bit out of the hole regularly to clear-out the accumulated chips.

• A fence or fixture can be clamped to the table for making exact location of holes easier and faster.

Portable Hand Drills

Portable hand drills are available as:

• Corded – must be plugged-in to a power outlet. These types of drills are typically used for heavy work where a great deal of power and rotational force is needed. The cord makes them less convenient than the cordless variety.

• Cordless – battery powered. Very fast and efficient for all general purpose drilling and hardware insertion applications. Battery sizes typically range from 9 volts to 24 volts. New technology continually gives the batteries more power, versatility, and longer life.

Portable Hand Drill Controls

Pictured is a typical cordless hand drill.

This drill uses an 18 volt lithium-ion battery. Most

hand drills have similar type controls and

features. This drill incorporates a keyless chuck

system where the bit can be tightened or loosened

all by hand.

The sizes of hand drills are determined by the

maximum shank-size diameter of a drill bit that

can be inserted into the chuck. 3/8” and 1/2” are

the most common chuck sizes.

Trigger

Torque Control Speed Control

Rotation

Direction

Switch

Battery

Types of Portable Hand Drills

Pictured is a 1/2” chuck, variable speed, cordless drill. The speed control gives two ranges to the variable speed. High speed for drilling and slow speed for hardware insertion and drilling metal. Pictured is a 3/8” chuck, variable speed, right-

angle cordless drill. This style of drill is especially useful when working in small, tight spaces.

Types of Portable Hand Drills

Pictured here is a variable speed, corded drill with a 1/2” keyed type chuck. The extra support handle can be added to the drill to give the operator more control of the tremendous rotational force of this drill.

Pictured here is a variable speed, corded hammer drill with a 1/2“ keyed type chuck. The hammer drill reciprocates slightly as it rotates to give the bit a “hammering” effect. This “hammer” effect is very beneficial when drilling into dense materials like masonry.

Support Handle