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Hobby/micro drill press suggestions


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What quality are you looking for? If you want a tool that performs well, you have the budget for it and one that will last, consider a Proxxon. Note that you will need their 12V transformer as well.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

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I have the Dremel drill stand / press and I must be honest the the slop and play in the mechanism isn't good.  It moves in most directions and I have found that you need a really big centre punch mark to get it to drill where you want.  Would I buy another one - NO.  Unfortunately I do not have experience of the Proxxon version so I cannot comment on that.  I am currently looking for a far more accurate replacement.

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The first power tool that I bought was a full sized bench mounted drill press.  Almost 50 years later I still use it and find it useful on almost a daily basis and have never regretted buying it.  Like the Harbor Freight one that you are considering it was a “no name” brand.  As long as your’s has ball/roller bearings and a minimum of plastic parts I don’t see how you can go wrong.  You may also want to buy a quality set of pin vices as the Jacobs chuck may not handle very small drill bits.

 

Roger

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If you are needing the vertical drilling action and any milling is light cuts in model scale wood:

Eurotools DRL 300   - an Asian machine sold under many brand names.  It should not cost more than $80 US if you shop.

I bought mine from Otto Frei .   I added an X/Y table - it cost about what the drill did - I doubt that it has ball bearings for the spindle, so much lateral force is not a good idea,  blocks and careful cutting of notches in beams for carlings should be OK.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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The Harbor freight bench drill press is one of the best bang-for-the-buck tools I've ever bought. The keyless chuck is surprisingly good for a HF tool and it's still kicking 8 (or so) years later. Matter of fact, when I bought my Taig lathe and needed a motor I found it was cheaper to buy another HF drill press when it was on sale and take off the motor than buy one online. I had the dremel drill press stand beforehand and it was so sloppy. I guess you could get away with it but for the price difference it's better to an actual drill press.

 

Chad  

Edited by ChadB

Completed Models:

Triton Cross Section

 

In Progress:

Brig Eagle

 

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I have a Dremel.  Not bad for general drilling but too sloppy for precision.  Whatever you gt, make sure to also get an X-Y table.

Chuck Seiler
San Diego Ship Modelers Guild
Nautical Research Guild

 
Current Build:: Colonial Schooner SULTANA (scratch from Model Expo Plans), Hanseatic Cog Wutender Hund, John Smith Shallop
Completed:  Missouri Riverboat FAR WEST (1876) Scratch, 1776 Gunboat PHILADELPHIA (Scratch 1/4 scale-Model Shipways plans)

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The Dremel drill press has always gotten poor reviews. A good alternative, and a much more versatile model using the Dremel mototool is the Vanda-Lay drill press or, if you want even more versatility, their Acra-mill drill-mill option. http://vanda-layindustries.com/

 

8_drill_table_w_o_dremel.jpg

Drill press without Dremel tool mounted. (They also make holders for 1" diameter Foredom handpieces.)

 

cutoff_saw_display1.jpg

 

y_table_drill.JPG

Acra-mill in various configurations. (It's essentially the drill press with an x-y table.) Not a bad deal for $160, all things considered. (Compared to the Asian $79 specials, remember, they don't include an x-y tablel!) It's limitation is, of course, the Dremel mototool's limited power, but, all things considered, it should be excellent for wood and light metal work. I don't  have the mill, but I have the drill press and am quite satisfied with it. I have other drill presses, as well, but for small bits held in collets, the Vanda-Lay drill press does the trick and doubles as a holding stand for the Dremel tool, which can be rotated to horizontal for small buffing and polishing applications.

 

micro_lathe_2.jpg

Vanda-Lay also sells a $50 11" lathe attachment for their Acra-mill.

 

Like Jim Byrnes' "Model Machines," Vanda-Lay is a small "mom and pop" operation in Southern California. They responded quickly to my email inquiries. Seemed like good people.

Edited by Bob Cleek
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Bob suggested this for a Byrnes tool add on.  My drill press would be a lot more tedious to use without the momentary power foot switch. HF, I think.

An X Y table can run the cost up there.  Micro-Mark wants $120 for one.  AliExpress has one for $40.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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I have a good range of the Dremel add-ons but like the look of the Vanda Lay products.

Budget will just cover an Acra Mill providing the requested freight quote isn't too high, one of the problems with living in Australia 🙂

 

 

Edited by geoffs

Kits awaiting build: Charles W. Morgan [Artesania Latina], Skuldelev Viking [Billings], Lyde [Euromodel]

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I have the Dremel workstand and as others have said, it's a bit wobbly and imprecise.  You can make it work unless you are looking for absolute precision.

 

In addition to the other suggestions here, have you considered looking at mills?  If you are thinking of eventually purchasing a mill, then it might be worth thinking about pulling the trigger on a mill instead which can also function as a drill press.  I have one of the Sherline mills and have used it more than a few times to drill holes.  They aren't inexpensive, but they will last a lifetime as they are built like tanks.

Mike

 

Current Wooden builds:  Amati/Victory Pegasus  MS Charles W. Morgan  Euromodel La Renommèe  

 

Plastic builds:    SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48  Five Star Yaeyama 1/700  Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama  Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32  Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72  IJN Notoro 1/700  Akitsu Maru 1/700

 

Completed builds :  Caldercraft Brig Badger   Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle  Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700   Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72  Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48  Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya  Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

 

Terminated build:  HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)  

 

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

 

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

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One thing to consider is that many milling machines do not have a lever-actuated quill. If you need to drill many holes, cranking the mill had up and down could be pain. On the other hand, a mill is likely to be more accurate than a drill press, which could be important for using flimsy drills below 0.5 mm diameter.

Of course, it is a question of space and budget, but these drill-press stands sold for Proxxon or Dremel etc. hand-held drills all seem to be quite flimsy things without much options for adjusting bearing surfaces to take out wobble. I think there are adapter rings for some of these machines to bring them up to the standard 43 mm throat diameter of DIY power-drills. You then can use them in DIY drill-presses that are much more solid and can be fiddled with to be more accurate.

If your budget allows for a mill, there are also so-called 'sensitive drilling attachments', which are essentially a sleeve on an arbor that holds a small drill chuck and can be moved up and down like a quill. These allows to rapidly drill small holes. However, I do not have any personal experience with these.

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
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I'm sure you'll be happy with your purchase. If you want a quality piece of workmanship at the best price, albeit within the limitations of the Dremel mototool power source, there's nothing better than the Vanda-Lay tool system. There's nothing to complain about with their fit, finish, and accuracy. Just remember it's a Dremel tool system, not a dedicated drill press or milling machine with the power to hog off large amounts of material at one pass.

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Just placed an order for:

ACRA mill with fine Z adjust and drill press option, lathe and a vice (hope I included that last item)

I might fo go for the router table for my birthday next year...

I was looking at Taig/Sherline mills but more that I really need (or can afford!) right now.

 

Merry Christmas to me!

Kits awaiting build: Charles W. Morgan [Artesania Latina], Skuldelev Viking [Billings], Lyde [Euromodel]

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Proxxon drill stand with enhancements "terminator Proxxon" no wobble in this setup and extra heavy, I don't even screw it down so I can use anywhere needed

20181203_162015.thumb.jpg.040bd2836b376d4038f8b670d08ebf31.jpg

Regards

Paul

The clerk of the cheque's yacht of sheerness

Current build HMS Sirius (1797) 1:48 scratch POF from NMM plans

HMS Winchelsea by chuck 1:48

Cutter cheerful by chuck 1:48

Previous builds-

Elidir - Thames steam barge

Cutty Sark-Billings boats

Wasa - billings boats

Among others 😁

 

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That looks pretty effective.

 

On mine I had to put a wedge between the drill holder and the support on which it revolves because it was very slightly out of the vertical. Is yours ok in that regard? 

 

I've enjoyed modifying mine as well. You can see all my mods to make it a mill in my build logs if you're interested.I

 

Tony

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