Hi all. Just wondering if anyone has used or own the princess auto 16 speed floor drill press. It is $100 off right now. I preferr the floor type so that it doesn't take up any of my bench space. It looks like a descent machine but I'd appreciate any first hand experience. I also have a $50 princess auto gift card that I am itchin to use. Thanks
Well I tried to attach a link with no luck. Would probably have better luck if I was on my computer instead of my phone but here is the SKU:*3462090. Drop that into the search on princess auto web site and it should take you right to it. It is on sale for $199.
I can't comment on that particular model but I look for two things in a drill press for knife making: A good slow speed, because you don't want it running so fast that it work hardens everything. Precision and stability. It shouldn't have any play in the head. It has to put the hole exactly where you want it. That's especially important for folders, where a couple of thousandths can make or break the whole knife. That's also the main reason I ended up buying a mini mill/drill in addition to my drill press.
Well I just got back from princess auto. I was playing with the display model. It does seem like a pretty solid machine for the price. I just get nervous about some of these China made machines because a lot of them have plastic internal parts from what I hear. It does have a wide speed range. It goes from 210-3000 something rpm. I will probably get it but they have none in stock so I got a rain check. Mythtaken. How do you like your mini mill? I have been looking at those and the mini lathes. They sell cnc retro kits for those machines. That would be so cool. I am actually planning to get full size Bridgeport style mill for my garage hopefully in the not so far future. For now I will just have to see if my boss will let me stick around after work to make a 2x72 sander that I'm designing. I will put some screen shots up of it once I get a little farther along. Thanks for the replies guys.
I like the drill part very much. It's rock solid and precise. The mill part is a little less so. To be fair, mine is only 1/3hp so I didn't expect it to power through blocks of steel (I use it mostly to mill notches in blades when making lock backs). I discovered that it's especially important to keep the chips blown out with these mini mills. I've had to take the bed apart twice now to clean out chips because of jamming. Still, for the price and the what I use it for, it's been worth it.
Ya i'm hoping that after I get a few more of my "necessities" for the garage I can maby start getting some of the "Really nice to haves" in there like a mill, lathe and surface grinder. Ah crap! I thing I need a bigger garage. LOL
