martin felder
Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
- Messages
- 125
For years, I had an inexpensive Delta drill press. After that, a Powermatic. I never liked the traditional drill press where the table raises and lowers (as it swivels), and not much distance between the drill bit and the column. The table is a bit small (although one can add extension tables. If you change table height to change bits, and fence settings are no longer accurate. One nice thing about a table that stays put is that you can have that table flush with adjacent tables or workbenches.
Anyhow, after years of searching, I found a restored drill press. When I got it, there were a couple of issues including runout, and after they were addressed, there was a slight bit of wobble in the casing. The repair technician who was recommended to me by the local industrial supply store said that would be prohibitively complicated to address. Around that time, I happened to find another unit from the same seller that was supposed to be even better, and I made sure he sent videos proving no runout and no wobble. I purchased it and had it sent to a restoration expert I had recently discovered with a business called Iron Age Enterprises. That machine is getting some cool mods, and when the business owner came to my house, I found out that wobble is something that can be adjusted and eliminated with an adjustment built into the head (see arrows). Now there is no wobble and 0.003 runout. I wish I knew that before I purchased the second drill press. I do not need 2 so I am selling the extra one for $2,100
That is less than what I paid, not counting the cost having it serviced. Single phase.
I see Novas and similar new models being called ultimate drill presses. To me, it is this machine. It is also listed on ebay.[attachimg=1]
Anyhow, after years of searching, I found a restored drill press. When I got it, there were a couple of issues including runout, and after they were addressed, there was a slight bit of wobble in the casing. The repair technician who was recommended to me by the local industrial supply store said that would be prohibitively complicated to address. Around that time, I happened to find another unit from the same seller that was supposed to be even better, and I made sure he sent videos proving no runout and no wobble. I purchased it and had it sent to a restoration expert I had recently discovered with a business called Iron Age Enterprises. That machine is getting some cool mods, and when the business owner came to my house, I found out that wobble is something that can be adjusted and eliminated with an adjustment built into the head (see arrows). Now there is no wobble and 0.003 runout. I wish I knew that before I purchased the second drill press. I do not need 2 so I am selling the extra one for $2,100
That is less than what I paid, not counting the cost having it serviced. Single phase.
I see Novas and similar new models being called ultimate drill presses. To me, it is this machine. It is also listed on ebay.[attachimg=1]
