Delta 12" drill press

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I am looking at used drill presses tomorrow, I can get this one slightly used for $150.http://www.lowes.com/pd_92896-70-DP3...Ddrill%2BpressHas anyone used this one? I will be drilling mainly 1/8" steel and ocassionally up to 1/2".Just home use, not daily.Then there's an old Rockwell 1/2 HP for $100, going to look at that one too. It looks HUGE in the picture.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:The person who reviewed it on the Lowes site only gave it 2 out of 5 stars.  Not a very inspiring review.
Reply:hmmmmm, didn't see that. After reading that I went to Amazon where there are 57 reviews, mostly mixed but lots of poor ones. Maybe I should go look at the old Rockwell.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:Here is the Rockwell, he wants $100. 1/2 HP dual voltage motor.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:I would go for the rockwell.  stick a steel shank in the chuck and check the runout when the the spindle is fully extended.  If it looks pretty good go for it.
Reply:I don't have a dial indicator, do you think a Harbor Freight dial indicator would work? Even if the runout is excessive wouldn't it be fixable on an old USA made machine?Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:Yea a harbor freight one would work just fine.  But if you dont want to buy one of those I would just bring a engineering square or whatever they are called (or any square for that matter).  Place it on the pedestal and get the height adjusted right and it will give you a pretty good idea if it is close or totally out of whack.I would think that the bearings etc would easily be replaceable if they were worn.  When i refurbed an old atlas DP that i picked up the problem was that the actual stub of the jacobs taper where the chuck attaches to the spindle was bent.  Luckily i found one of ebay and it only cost me like 30 bucks.The dial indicator i use is from HF and it seems pretty accurate, at least for my uses.  I also got the magnetic base that you can use to attach it to stuff, and its quite handy.
Reply:rockwell  for sure“I'm going to do the thing that God put Galen Beasley on this Earth to do:Have Salon quality hair and weld.Nothing like a good cup of coffee and the smell of 6010 burning in the morning. 971-204-3444 cell API ASME Structural NDT and Repair
Reply:X4 on the older one. Not to blanket all new Delta stuff, but they are not what they used to be.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I got the Rockwell and I think I got a good deal @ $100. It is model 15-017, I saw 2 for sale on Ebay, one was $250 and one was $750.It has been a bit neglected but I have already begun to fix her up. The woodworker that owned it had it set up for high, I changed the belt to the small step on the motor and the largest on the spindle pulley, assuming this would be the lowest speed. According to a manual I found online there was a high speed model and a "slo-speed model made. I don't know which one mine is, but the low speed would be 680 on the hi speed model and 470 on the slo-speed model. Even if it is the high speed is 680RPM slow enough for drilling mild steel?The adjusting screw for the belt tension was all gummed up from the paint job somebody did, got that all cleaned up and working. The end of it is threaded where it pushes against the motor, I assume there used to be a rubber bumper scrrewed in there?The colum was rusty where the head clamps to it and frozen in place, got that free and cleaned up with emory. Mine does not have the pulley setup to raise/lower the head so you have to be careful, plus it's pretty hard to raise, must weigh 80 lbs.The table has been repaired at the collar, hope it was done well, then again if it fails I should be able to braze it. Don't know what method the previous repair was till I clean off the paint.There doesn't seem to be any runout, but the spindle does move up and down about 3/16" in the quill, in other words there is about 3/16" of slop between the lowering rod and the chuck, not sure if that is normal or if there is an adjustment.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:The color matches your Miller.
Reply:Good choice with going with that rockwell. She should last you a long time... (well i guess that could be good or bad)Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:The smaller drills, 3/8ths and down can run at some pretty high speeds. Just what those speeds are will vary from chart to chart but you should be good for the small stuff. As for the larger bits, you're done when it won't, and you'll figuring out what those limits are as you go. No big deal."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I run a minimum of 680rpm, dry. Anything less takes too long for me. Never had a problem. I don't use coolant or oil. Too messy and adds one more clean-up step that's not needed. I use Ti coated bits up to 3/4". Congrats on the good score!200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Originally Posted by bert the welderI run a minimum of 680rpm, dry. Anything less takes too long for me. Never had a problem. I don't use coolant or oil. Too messy and adds one more clean-up step that's not needed. I use Ti coated bits up to 3/4". Congrats on the good score!
Reply:Originally Posted by bigbWhat brand of bits do you use?
Reply:ill tell whats a good thing to get if ya wanna have sharp bit is the drill doctor.  i had all kinds of broken or dull bits. got a dr and there nice and sharp. i know you can do it with a grinder or what not but the dr is fast and easy ive used alot of chepie harbor freight bits and just resharpen as needed and they do just fine nice lil press by the way 350P 30A spool gun cut master 51  syncro 250 other stuff " take a dog off the street and make him prosper and he will not bite you sad the same cannot be said for man" i didnt use punctuation just to piss you off
Reply:Was never sure how well the Drill Doc. worked, plus the price is a bit much since I just do them by hand. Thanks for the heads up though!200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I needed to drill about 100 7/16" holes in some 1/8" so I thought it would be a good time to try some cheap HF bits. I got the $20 coated ones. The 7/16 bit had no problem cutting those holes dry. I leaned on it too. After 100 holes it is still sharp.One thing I did notice however, when I tried the 1/4" it was not straight. It was not even close, you could really see it wobble.At any rate they are throw away bits.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:Originally Posted by bigbThere doesn't seem to be any runout, but the spindle does move up and down about 3/16" in the quill, in other words there is about 3/16" of slop between the lowering rod and the chuck, not sure if that is normal or if there is an adjustment.
Reply:It was a threaded collar which was held on by a rolled spring pin (right above the chuck). The roll pin was sheared allowing the collar to drop 3/16" and causing the play. A new rolled pin fixed it. I understand the collar is there for some types of chucks, a threaded ring fits over it to install and remove certain types of chucks.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.