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| Drill press recommendations |
| I have seen that done before, Tony, and I did think of mentioning it but I decided not to complicate things for a beginner. I assume you are using the drill as an alignment aid and, maybe, a simple press. I assume it's not powered at the time. I guess it helps to be ambidextrous, tuning the tap holder with your left hand while applying pressure with the right. Or do you hang a heavy weight on the press handle? |
| Drill press recommendations |
| Roly Williams wrote: | | I have seen that done before, Tony, and I did think of mentioning it but I decided not to complicate things for a beginner. I assume you are using the drill as an alignment aid and, maybe, a simple press. I assume it's not powered at the time. I guess it helps to be ambidextrous, tuning the tap holder with your left hand while applying pressure with the right. Or do you hang a heavy weight on the press handle? |
Yes it is used unpowered and just as an alignment aid.
I think I stood off to the side so I could hold the point down with my left and the tap with my right.
I have now made a couple of simple tapping tools and you can purchase similar things.
Here is my first tapping tool been used to tap my second tool.
This picture shows how it works.
You clamp the tube in the drill chuck and the part that holds the tap is a close sliding fit inside it, so you just turn it by hand and as it screws in it just slides out of the tube.
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| Drill press recommendations |
| tmuir wrote: | | Roly Williams wrote: | And, no, you can't put a tap in a drilling machine; not safely anyway.
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I would say yes and no Roly.
I agree you can't just a tap in the drill press but you can use a drill press to drill the pilot hole for the tap and you can use a drill press to help you tap true.
Here is a picture of me using my drill press to hold a tap true before I made a dedicated tap holder in my lathe. All I have is a bit of silver steel with a point on it to fit in the back of the tap holder.
This worked perfectly well for the 1/8 inch tap I was using.
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With that set up you could use a piece of pipe chucked in the drill press that the stem on the tap fit into so that it aligned the tap but the quill would not have to move once the height was set. I have a similar tool like that for my lathe. |
| Drill press recommendations |
| Guess you posted the second one while I was typing. |
| Drill press recommendations |
If you buy one of these & press the little springy button......
Take away all these pieces.....
You can easily make one of these little square drive tapping chucks, from what`s left......
Guided by the chuck, it works a treat for any small size tapping.....
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| Drill press recommendations |
That's a good tip David.  |
| Drill press recommendations |
Lots of good advice on this thread.
£35 is pocket money and the machine will be useful for some small jobs. Just keeping a drill square will allow holes far bigger than can be drilled by hand and all these little holes are only possible with a rigidly held drill.
It will not do 1" pipework. Thats huge.
I suggest take the punt and enjoy learning a bit. Then think about the wisdom in the ther posts. |
| Drill press recommendations |
Hi,
I am also looking at a machine purchase and am very taken by the unimat SL range, been around for years. They are a small lathe but come with a substantial bar to mount the motor vertically so becoming a milling machine, a good 2nd hand one will cost 200 - 300 GBP but for that will come with a selection of attachments. If you are really on a budget, would a Dremel with a stand suffice to drill such small components as valves etc? Only a thought...  |
| Drill press recommendations |
| Leadfoot-uk wrote: | Hi,
I am also looking at a machine purchase and am very taken by the unimat SL range, been around for years. They are a small lathe but come with a substantial bar to mount the motor vertically so becoming a milling machine, a good 2nd hand one will cost 200 - 300 GBP but for that will come with a selection of attachments. If you are really on a budget, would a Dremel with a stand suffice to drill such small components as valves etc? Only a thought... :? |
I should think a well maintained used Unimat is a very good piece of kit for a very reasonable price and as you suggested, buying used often nets you a whole collection of needed and otherwise expensive tooling and attachments.
Gil |
| Drill press recommendations |
| Leadfoot-uk wrote: | Hi,
If you are really on a budget, would a Dremel with a stand suffice to drill such small components as valves etc? Only a thought... |
No, not if you need any acuracy.
It has been tried before else where and as they discovered with the dremel just in a plastic case it has considerable runout and isn't suitable for drilling small acurate holes.
It would probably be ok for oscilator steam ports and the likes but not for steam ports on slide valve engines.
Where I live Dremels are outrageously expensive too. I can buy a new Chinese drill press for less than a dremel.  |
| Drill press recommendations |
"I am sufficiently inspired to go out and invest in a small drill press to get me on my way to producing some of my own fittings and possible attempt a small engine"
If your talking small, I recommend this 
http://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/wim51.jpg |
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Rob's