Table-top drill press recommendations (Proxxon, Micro-Mark, others) or milling machine

[palmerit]

After several frustrating attempts at drill holes in masts and other small parts, I'm thinking of getting a table-top drill press. Looking for recommendations : whether to get a drill press or not? If so, which one? Whether to consider a mill instead?

 

One option is the Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115 listing for $235.80 with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70 listing for $71.10.

 

Another is the Micro-Mark MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press listing for $199.95 or the Micro-Mark MicroLux Benchtop Variable Speed Mini Hobby Drill Press listing for $379.95. I'm not quite sure the difference between these (apart from the price and the variable speed option) or what add-ons are equivalent to the Proxxon KT 70.

 

I've seen some really inexpensive drill presses like here and here. But I want an add-on like the KT 70 for the Proxxon and I don't know if these inexpensive ones have something like that.

 

Are there other options I should look at? I think I've read enough posts here and elsewhere that say that a Dremel drill press is too imprecise and I'd get frustrated with that option; but maybe there is a really good one that I've missed in my search.

 

I think another option would be to splurge for a Sherline Mill, which I think can be used as a drill (expensive option if only used as a drill press) but I I think there is an option to also convert to a lathe (and it can be used as a mill). Right now, I only know that (I think) I want a drill press, and don't have a clue what I would use a milling machine for.

 

I want something that's portable since I do my modeling inside my house not in a shop. I have some heavy duty tools in my cellar - including a large drill press I inherited from my father-in-law - but I prefer just being able to work in one of our bedrooms (which I need to vacate to our back room when my younger son is home from college).

[vossiewulf]

If you're going to get a mill, get the Sieg X2D mini mill. It's a real machine that is very capable in small and medium-scale work. I don't think you'd be happy with the Sherline in the long run.

[Dr PR]

One thing to consider is how small is the smallest hole you want to drill? Mills and drill presses all have some degree of runout (wobble) that limits the precision. If a mill or drill press has too much runout it will break the smallest drill bits. Does the literature for a product tell how much runout it has? If not, it probably has mediocre performance, and might not be suitable for very small drill bits.

 

The main difference between a milling machine and a drill press is in the bearings on the spindle. The bearings in drill presses are designed for vertical (up/down) drilling only - not for lateral (horizontal motion) pressure. Milling machines have bearings designed to allow mill bits to cut through material moving horizontally. You can use milling bits in a drill press, but it will cause excessive wear on the bearings (more wobble, less precision) if you try to mill horizontally.

 

Milling machines may have larger (more powerful) motors because milling takes more power than drilling. And they always have X/Y tables that can be moved with some degree of precision (smaller backlash). They may also have a digital readout (DRO) that allows you to position your work with good precision. You can add an X/Y table to some drill presses.

[Tossedman]

I have both the Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115  and the MICRO Compound Table KT 70. I use them both extensively and quite like them. I don't do any milling with this set up but it's great for drilling. I also have the PROXXON Precision Steel Vice PM 40 on the micro compound table. Great for repetition as I'll laser cut little jigs to hold pieces for accurate drilling.

 

Cheers,

 

Todd

[thibaultron]

I ordered this mini drillpress from Amazon

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ58JXDK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

I'll do a write up when it arrives midmonth.

 

There is a slightly smaller one on Ebay and Amazon, for less.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ3J1LM/?coliid=I2UQMDY6QZSHP9&colid=3VN24XFIFRERC&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

I decided to go with the one I got, because of the more professional construction, with a less exposed motor, and flat belt and cover for it. It is hard to tell from the photos, but The one I bought is about the size of a sheet of USA paper in side view. The chuck option I choose is the one with the smallest chuck, which holds a Number 80 to just smaller than 16th inch bits. A tiny drill press, but ideal for really small parts. If I need to hold bigger bits, I have a floor drill press.

 

 

[No Idea]

You could always buy a Foredom pendant motor which is an amazing stand alone tool for modelling and then also get the drill press attachment which is extremely good.  Two tools in one but they do not come cheap but will last a lifetime.

[GGibson]

I have both the Proxxon TBM115 drill press and the Proxxon MF70 micro mill, both with the X-Y table, and love them both.  Used them extensively when I was building my Bluenose, and they are both quality machines.

[palmerit]

47 minutes ago, GGibson said:

I have both the Proxxon TBM115 drill press and the Proxxon MF70 micro mill

Isn't it true that the micro mill can do everything the drill press can do (and more)? Or is that not the case? Or did you buy the drill press and then later decide to buy the mill? I'm trying to decide if I want to spent $350 for a drill press (and accessories) or spend double+ that for a mill (even if I might not use the mill right now). I was thinking that only because I thought a mill could do everything (and more) that a drill press can do. But if a mill makes a poor drill press (or makes it more complicated) then I'd certainly just get a drill press (and maybe consider a mill in the future).

[palmerit]

1 hour ago, No Idea said:

You could always buy a Foredom pendant motor which is an amazing stand alone tool for modelling and then also get the drill press attachment which is extremely good

That's a really fancy Dremel right (as in a similar tool)? When mounted in a drill press attachment is it as good as a standalone drill press?

[kurtvd19]

I have the Microlux variable speed drill press with the digital readout.  Also the Proxon XY table.  Both are more than adequate for my needs with one exception - and all of these small presses have the same problem.  The quill has only 1.5 inches of travel.  No problem, right?  When are you going to need more than 1.5 inches of travel?  That limit combined with the short length of the support column makes it difficult to fit the XY table under the drill bit and severely limits any part to be drilled size.

The solution is to obtain a longer column (pipe) to raise the drill assembly.  I think Proxon lists a part number for a longer support column but you can certainly find a substitute off Amazon or elsewhere for probably half the price of the Proxon part.  As long as it is the same diameter there should be no problem.  I do not remember if the column is threaded on the lower end or if it is locked in with a set screw, but check the specs and you should be able to determine this before the purchase.  As Proxon was your first choice, and the difference in the prices to the lower priced units is only about $50-$60 get the Proxon a nd the longer column right away.

You are severely limited when using the XY table and why would you not be using it?

Kurt

 

[GGibson]

17 minutes ago, palmerit said:

Isn't it true that the micro mill can do everything the drill press can do (and more)? Or is that not the case? Or did you buy the drill press and then later decide to buy the mill? I'm trying to decide if I want to spent $350 for a drill press (and accessories) or spend double+ that for a mill (even if I might not use the mill right now). I was thinking that only because I thought a mill could do everything (and more) that a drill press can do. But if a mill makes a poor drill press (or makes it more complicated) then I'd certainly just get a drill press (and maybe consider a mill in the future).

 

Well, I did purchase the mill after the drill press, but it is also my belief that, although it's entirely possible to use the mill as a drill press, using the top hand wheel on the mill to lower the drill bit into the wood or brass or whatever your object is, would be a bit more tedious (lots of spinning!) than pulling the handle down... boom.  

[palmerit]

24 minutes ago, kurtvd19 said:

I think Proxon lists a part number for a longer support column but you can certainly find a substitute off Amazon or elsewhere for probably half the price of the Proxon part.  As long as it is the same diameter there should be no problem.

If anyone has a pointer to what kind of support column to get, I'd appreciate it. I looked on the Proxxon site and couldn't find it.

[Thunder]

14 hours ago, palmerit said:

After several frustrating attempts at drill holes in masts and other small parts, I'm thinking of getting a table-top drill press. Looking for recommendations : whether to get a drill press or not? If so, which one? Whether to consider a mill instead?

 

One option is the Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115 listing for $235.80 with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70 listing for $71.10.

 

Another is the Micro-Mark MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press listing for $199.95 or the Micro-Mark MicroLux Benchtop Variable Speed Mini Hobby Drill Press listing for $379.95. I'm not quite sure the difference between these (apart from the price and the variable speed option) or what add-ons are equivalent to the Proxxon KT 70.

 

I've seen some really inexpensive drill presses like here and here. But I want an add-on like the KT 70 for the Proxxon and I don't know if these inexpensive ones have something like that.

 

Are there other options I should look at? I think I've read enough posts here and elsewhere that say that a Dremel drill press is too imprecise and I'd get frustrated with that option; but maybe there is a really good one that I've missed in my search.

 

I think another option would be to splurge for a Sherline Mill, which I think can be used as a drill (expensive option if only used as a drill press) but I I think there is an option to also convert to a lathe (and it can be used as a mill). Right now, I only know that (I think) I want a drill press, and don't have a clue what I would use a milling machine for.

 

I want something that's portable since I do my modeling inside my house not in a shop. I have some heavy duty tools in my cellar - including a large drill press I inherited from my father-in-law - but I prefer just being able to work in one of our bedrooms (which I need to vacate to our back room when my younger son is home from college).

I have your Proxxon option, I am a real critic of anything i buy but really love this setup. I have uded it foor milling but must remember that designed for a load directly below and not side action so go steady. Their is no wobble in mine so get precise size drilled holes and with the slide is great for parallel holes in channels. The milling i have done is for the central hexagonal of the lower yards.

[palmerit]

8 minutes ago, Thunder said:

I have your Proxxon option

Do you have an extension for longer support column?

 

9 minutes ago, Thunder said:

The milling i have done is for the central hexagonal of the lower yards.

I'm guessing you need a "milling bit" to do something like that? (Is that kind of like a router bit?) 

[grsjax]

You might want to check out something larger than the mini drill presses that have been mentioned so far.  This one https://www.amazon.com/WEN-4208T-2-3-Amp-5-Speed-Benchtop/dp/B08ZVT5JKC?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-0oQbgDoyMKeUdrGAsEAIVg5RJz0T9P0iiEijuk1RN8lWGjsBcJh2U4Tj6ilqA1qMpFjjGhil9rkAX4vz_RMn111nHFcLRPQJX9Zp-IKcEzEEmpPOjsMZw1FC4g2kMTs-7rQj2VNkkmSfNdUnwPZbTfhKqXB0IiYQC-fJ1X9MhYUUXlSnz6bWEfuCQtjEdKILhvdMZzpZnuokAT3oJg-eBh-4_Uy_XvA9z_ye3RPNoUPOpDZ47Pu7QN66DC97G8SqQJqpmXYsMBLpUIo0D3N8lxJSbggKBn9XI_9RSlirkM266Qz_UwFMnZb_8b2oYIhJBPhBKuxoY-z8sFaJ4kgY8v0pv9mQqZgMOdIqqZDUpGKPj9KCdK6j_BhPJu4V7O0CrJlTZCAwMbubjHaI-09m60bIwE3rqG2KswEBwv1Hk0L-BjBQle2o28rBCwbb-_Z.b8Um8MN7cuRy2k2EcsFJPq8GjBdDKTtsRIK3tX2mtQo&dib_tag=se&keywords=mini%2Bdrill%2Bpress&qid=1736103704&sr=8-10&th=1

on Amazon has more power, stroke length and versatility than smaller ones and only takes up a small footprint on your bench.  I have one and it works very well.

[palmerit]

I'm looking for small and light because I do my modeling in the house (sometimes on the dining room table). I have a large shop drill press in the cellar.

[palmerit]

One of the add-ons for the Proxxon (in addition to the x-y table and the vise) is "Chuck for drill bits up to 1/4" for TBM 115" (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/chuck-for-drill-bits-for-tbm-115). Is that also needed?

 

Another is MICROMOT Steel Collet Set (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/micromot-steel-collet-set). Is that needed?

[palmerit]

One thing I need to think about is that the Proxxon MICRO Mill MF 70 comes with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70. The Mill is $404.10 (MF 70 Mill and KT 70 table). The drill plus table is $306.90. That's just $100 difference. If I can use the Mill as a drill (albeit not as efficient) then I have a drill and a mill. It seems I can use the drill as a mill to some degree too, but it's obviously not designed to do that.

[grsjax]

A quick search brings up a lot of different small drill presses.  You might want to expand your search beyond Proxxon and Microlux.  They are good products but I think cost a lot more than the benefits they provide.

[Gregory]

I have the Proxxon MF70, while a great little mill, it is not very efficient as a drill press.

 

I reviewed a press I got on Amazon,  which has turned out to be very satisfactory.  I cover a lot of concerns and questions in my review.

 

Mini Bench Drill Press - Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment - Model Ship World™

 

There was a lot of discussion about this and that, and in the end the the major additions/changes I made was replace the post with a longer one to get more clearance for the head, and I'm using it with a little combination rotary table/X-y  which is great for milling at a modeling level.  You may have to skip through some of the clutter in the topic to see what I am able to do with it, and how nice a little machine it is.

 

I put this all together for about $140...  The link for the press in my review is no longer active but this one looks like the same machine.

Mini Drill Press,  For a few dollars more.  I would pretty much ignore the accessories they bundle with these presses, so don't pay more for them, but make sure you get the power supply.

 

If I can provide any more information, please let me know.  You can see the foot-print is relatively small for all the work you can do with this.

 

P.S.

 

I just noticed you mentioned using the Proxxon X-Y add-on.   I think it would be great with this press.

I have one of these:  Multifunction Worktable Milling Working Cross Table 

It is not as well built as the Proxxon but is quite adequate for the work I do with wood.  I bought a  vise Intended for the MF70 that cost as much as the Proxxon X-Y table.

Proxxon 24260 Precision machine vise

 

 

Edited Sunday at 11:32 PM by Gregory

[Mike Y]

The vertical axis on the MF70 mill is notoriously not so easy to rotate (there is a common upgrade - installing a small axial bearing, helps a lot!). So if you actually want to drill a hundred holes with it for some reason - it would not be a pleasant process.

 

However it is great as a mill, one of the most commonly used tools in my build at least. Not only for "milling" in a complicated way, but for a lot of precision work. Cutting joints in thick planks to make sure are square in all directions, making a surface flat or square or parallel, etc. Even "making sure this part it is exactly 12.8mm long" - doing that on a mill with the compound table is sometimes easier than sneaking in on a fit with a table saw or a disk sander, more controlled and a nice surface finish. If the part is not curved and has some straight daces - chances are I would shape it on a mill from a rough cut blank.

Buy the PM40 vise though, without it you are very limited in clamping options.

 

Example of the typical milling usecase, which is even hard to call "milling". Just a "cutting wood using the X-Y table instead of manual measurements, and no need to worry about keeping a straight edge".

 

[tkay11]

I bought a refurbished Proxxon MF70 from Axminster at a great price and used it with aProxxon x-y table I had bought for a Proxxon MB140 drill stand. Although people have said that the mill is inefficient at drilling, I have found it so good at drilling that I now use it exclusively for drilling as well as milling. It is just a little slower, but that doesn't bother me. It is very accurate with the correct adjustments. My tungsten carbide drill bits have never broken with it when I use it as a drill.

 

I had to adjust the MB140 to mill accurately with a finer height adjustment (see here on MSW) but could only use it as a mill with great care, which led me to the MF70. It's a great tool, much loved by European and other ship modellers with wonderful results. It is also much modded to include CNC, change of motor etc. I won't go that far as it is entirely satisfactory for my use. In fact I am such a poor modeller compared to the masters who use it that I will never use it to its full capabilities. I will never blame my tools for shoddy workmanship!

 

It is certainly much less costly than the bigger mills and has lasted me several years so far.

 

Anyway, everyone has their own requirements and I just thought to slip in my experience. Enjoy and master whatever your choice!

 

Tony

Edited yesterday at 01:15 AM by tkay11
Spelling

[GGibson]

3 hours ago, palmerit said:

One of the add-ons for the Proxxon (in addition to the x-y table and the vise) is "Chuck for drill bits up to 1/4" for TBM 115" (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/chuck-for-drill-bits-for-tbm-115). Is that also needed?

 

Another is MICROMOT Steel Collet Set (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/micromot-steel-collet-set). Is that needed?

 

I wouldn't recommend the add-on chuck, as it severely reduces, as Kurt pointed out, the available space between your drill bit and your subject matter, especially with a vise or XY table... unless you are successful in adding height with a longer support column.

 

I would, though, get the additional collets for larger bit sizes.

[Gregory]

There is a keyless chuck for the MF70

 

I have found it to be convenient for the tools it supports. 1/64 - 1/8 Shanks.

[Landlubber Mike]

There are some mini modeling-size drill presses that have been coming out similar to the one that Gregory mentioned above that seem to be getting decent reviews.  For light work like we do in modeling, might be a cost and space efficient option.  Here's an example:

 

https://innocraftsman.com/products/mini-drilling-machine

 

Edited yesterday at 03:23 AM by Landlubber Mike

[thibaultron]

1 hour ago, Landlubber Mike said:

There are some mini modeling-size drill presses that have been coming out similar to the one that Gregory mentioned above that seem to be getting decent reviews.  For light work like we do in modeling, might be a cost and space efficient option.  Here's an example:

 

https://innocraftsman.com/products/mini-drilling-machine

 

That same machine is available (in the USA) from either Ebay or Amazon for about $30-$40 less. Be sure that the speed control/power supply is included! Some of the cheapest of this model are sold without the supply.

 

[Mike Y]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the actual purpose of the drill press in our hobby? A lot of people are using it, but how? Feels like I’m missing out on something obvious 🥲
 

The majority of holes on the ship model are planking treenails, and those are easier to drill once the planks are glued in place to ensure a nice line-up of the holes.

The only other thing to imagine is a scratch production of rigging blocks and deadeyes, but how many people do that?

 

Not trolling, really would like to understand!

[Gregory]

I think you have a very valid point.  For me it’s more of the idea of having it if I need it.  I really don’t use it very often.

 

If you can use it for some light milling it’s another plus.

[palmerit]

I've had to drill a few holes in parts and masts in two of the Model Shipways "Shipwright Series" boats, the Pram and Smack. Maybe it's not common? None of them ended up where they should be (in the center of the piece, or two holes lines up). Could certainly have been user error (I experience lots of that). (I also had to drill holes in a scrap piece of PE for a rudder when building my Vanguard Sherboune after the piece was lost.) 

 

So maybe a mill is more useful (for the rare drilling, even if less efficient, but also for its milling capabilities)? Some responded as if they're doing a lot of repetitive drilling when I asked if a mill would be a better option (and said the mill was inefficient). Or maybe none is needed. (None ended up being the answer when I asked about a lathe.)

Edited yesterday at 02:04 PM by palmerit

[vossiewulf]

48 minutes ago, palmerit said:

So maybe a mill is more useful (for the rare drilling, even if less efficient, but also for its milling capabilities)? Some responded as if they're doing a lot of repetitive drilling when I asked if a mill would be a better option (and said the mill was inefficient). Or maybe none is needed. (None ended up being the answer when I asked about a lathe.)

It depends on what you're going to do. If you intend to do lots of kitbashing and scratch work, you will want a lathe for its machining capabilities. Note Erik W uses his Proxxon mill on joinery in his very excellent Cheerful, for example. OTOH if you're just assembling kits using the kit parts, you probably don't need a mill and can get away with just having a small drill press.