I just saw an inexpensive drill press advertized in a Tractor Supply flyer, and I guess I will get one. I make my own standards, and even though I use a jump cup as a template and watch the bubble on the drill, my pins still give me trouble!
Does a drill press go all the way through a 4x4? Someone told me you have to turn them over and make two passes? Do some drill presses have a longer reach than others?
The depth of your hole depends on the length of your bit.
With a 10" throat size you should have no trouble drilling 4" standards straight through. (4" of wood + 4" of drill, before drilling)
Look at this one from Sears; http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921900000P?blockNo=1&blockType=G1&prdNo=1&i_cntr=1290784413592
(You will get a better quality piece from Sears - with a warrantee)
The "Black Bullā¢ Floor Drill " on the back page of todays ad?
Yes it can drill over 4 inchesā¦ use a power drill auger bit specifically designed for electric drilling into wood (Irwin is a well known manufacturer, their Power Drill I-100 Auger Bits have a 7 Ā½ inch overall length that would allow you to drill completely through a 4by4)
You should have some sort of wing tables to support the work as it progresses through the working area. Stops or marks could be put on the table to mark your positions for actuate repetitive positioning
Depth of hole does not depend on the bit length for a drill press. It depends on the āstroke lengthā of the individual drill press. 3 3/4" minimum would be good for drilling 4x4ās which have actual dimensions of 3 1/2"x 3 1/2" if you are buying the standard treated ones from building suppliers.
Stroke length should be stated somewhere on the specifications for any drill press. Most benchtop drill presses do not have enough quill stroke/spindle travel/stroke length to drill through a 4x4 in one pass and itās not that easy to get holes to meet exactly drilled from opposite sides.
I like to use a Forstner bit, which will cut a little slower than an auger bit, but leaves a nice clean, smooth hole.
Fasten a fence to the table-just use a straight piece of wood-on top of a backup piece of plywood-so you donāt get ātearoutā around the edges of the hole where the bit comes through.
Hereās nice $2500 drill press, but notice that even it has a stroke length of less than 6 inches. For making standards, if you canāt punch the holes in one stroke, I wouldnāt bother with investing in a short stroke drill press, unless you had other good uses for it. http://www.ellissaw.com/Drill-Presses/43/drill-press-9400
Thanks everyone. I did get a Ryobi, and spoke at length with the ever so helpful Home Depot guys. It is a 12" drill press, and the stroke length appears to be about 5". We looked at the floor sample, and I will check the specs again as Tom suggested, to make sure. I agree, having to do two passes is not worth having the drill press. It was $179.
lack of stroke length can be compensated in some cases by placing shimming blocks under the work as you progress through the material
Well darn. The spec on the box is āquill lengthā (thanks Tom King!), and it says 3". Looked longer in the store model. My friend uses a template, which is a metal channel, with holes spaced 3" apart. She drills the holes halfway through on one side, then flips the 4x4 to drill the holes from the other side. She says the holes match up fine, so I guess that is what I will do.
If you donāt have room on the DP to drill all the way through, you can finish the hole, from the starting side, with a hand-held drill.
Thanks JB. Iāll only have another 1/2" to drill so that makes a lot of sense.
Just to wind up, in case someone searches for drill press info in the future ā¦
I did get a Ryobi 12" drill press. Love it. It has a 3" stroke, so it goes almost all the way through the 4x4 standard posts. The 4x4ās are actually 3 1/2 by 3 1/2. I can easily finish the hole with a hand drill, as JB suggested.
I took the trouble to align the laser āxā, using a tiny drill bit.
I mark a vertical line lengthwise down the middle of the 4x4, and then mark across at 3" intervals, and use the intersection of my marks to know where to put the laser āxā. It also seems like if I move the drill bit down close over my mark on the 4x4, and place the sharpest tip of the drill bit (the very end of the drill bit) over my mark, my hole will be in the correct place.
Sounds absolutely perfect, and is almost exactly what I did 
I looked high and low for a drill press that could drill through a 4 x 4, with no luck.
I solved the problem by using the ākeyholeā strip and break away cups. 
FYIā¦this thread is from 2010.
Hmmmā¦ those 2 posts by @richardson121 went pooof. As did the entire thread he/she started?
OKā¦ @richardson121 has been banned so I will try to erase the quotes. It would seem he/she was referring to something off topic. :rolleyes:
Some drill presses have enough stroke to drill completely through a 4x4 (which is really 3.5"x3.5" nominally) as long as you have a drill bit thatās long enough. Some less expensive drill presses do not have the stroke to drill to that depth.
There are contraptions that turns an electric drill into a drill press.
Googleā¦ āconvert a hand drill into a drill pressāā¦ and check the reviews.
Heads up that we removed some spam posts that bumped up this thread.
Thanks!
Mod 1
Great drill press with good sound quality.
Spammer reported.
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