MescaBug Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 (edited) Anyone think it might work? I just got a used 16" drill press. The motor is toasted, so I need a new one. But I already have a drill press for my day to day usage. A large drill press, with a powerful motor (1.5HP min), a table with a pin. The drill press has a depth lock, and a 1/2" chuck. With the right pulleys, it should spin fast enough. I usually set my router between 3000-4000RPM. Maybe I'm just dreaming. I'm not at all into mechanics... It's just that a pin router is mechanicaly very similar to a drill press, ; overarm, up/down movement of the cutting tool, a table... My concerns are; mechanicaly, can it widthstand horizontal pressure? A drill press works vertical only.. Is the drill press chuck strong enough to hold a 1/2" router bit spinning very fast? Edited February 11, 2008 by MescaBug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 That will end in one of three ways. Damage to your workpiece, damage to your drill press, or damage to yourself. Routers spin MUCH MUCH faster than 4,000 RPM. Drill presses don't go that fast. They aren't designed to take the lateral load you'd be putting on it, you're asking for trouble. If you want a pin router, buy a pin router. If drill presses could do the job why would pin routers be on sale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyb Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Anyone think it might work? I just got a used 16" drill press. The motor is toasted, so I need a new one. But I already have a drill press for my day to day usage. A large drill press, with a powerful motor (1.5HP min), a table with a pin. The drill press has a depth lock, and a 1/2" chuck. With the right pulleys, it should spin fast enough. I usually set my router between 3000-4000RPM. Maybe I'm just dreaming. I'm not at all into mechanics... It's just that a pin router is mechanicaly very similar to a drill press, ; overarm, up/down movement of the cutting tool, a table... My concerns are; mechanicaly, can it widthstand horizontal pressure? A drill press works vertical only.. Is the drill press chuck strong enough to hold a 1/2" router bit spinning very fast? What router do you have that spins that slow??? Variable speed routers don't really go below 10,000 RPMs. I would NOT attempt to use your drill press for routing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 What router do you have that spins that slow??? Variable speed routers don't really go below 10,000 RPMs. I would NOT attempt to use your drill press for routing! +1 on that. Drill presses just aren't designed to take much sideload. Even drum sanding (like with a robosander) is pushing it on my drill press. Also, 3-4k RPM is too slow for even the largest router bits. You won't get a clean cut running them that slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MescaBug Posted February 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) If you want a pin router, buy a pin router. If drill presses could do the job why would pin routers be on sale? These type of answers makes me laught. Yeah I know that I can buy a pin router. And I also know what a drill press is used for. But sometimes in life, you try stuff that will make you saves money. Or just for the simple matter of being creative. I'm sure lots of people here would love to have a CNC, but instead they build routing rigs, templates and other things because they can't afford the perfect solution. It's easy to say; you need this? Well, go buy it! Thanks for the answers. That confirms what I tought. As for the router speed, my mistake. It's set at the lower setting, manual says it's 8000RPM. By the sound it makes, I tought it was way slower than that. Edited February 12, 2008 by MescaBug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) If you want a pin router, buy a pin router. If drill presses could do the job why would pin routers be on sale? These type of answers makes me laught. Yeah I know that I can buy a pin router. And I also know what a drill press is used for. But sometimes in life, you try stuff that will make you saves money. Or just for the simple matter of being creative. I'm sure lots of people here would love to have a CNC, but instead they build routing rigs, templates and other things because they can't afford the perfect solution. It's easy to say; you need this? Well, go buy it! Thanks for the answers. That confirms what I tought. As for the router speed, my mistake. It's set at the lower setting, manual says it's 8000RPM. By the sound it makes, I tought it was way slower than that. And sometimes in life you'll try stuff that'll make you lose a finger. Seriously, tools should only ever be used for their intended purpose. Posts like this simply encourage the less experienced readers of the board to go out and try something like this, which could end catastrophically poorly. And your analogy there is flawed - not having a CNC and using handheld router jigs/templates is an accepted use for a router. Not having a pin router and therefore using a drill press (a tool completely unsuited for the task) is completely different. Edited February 12, 2008 by Supernova9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Could a jig to mount your router on be of any use. That would be a lot safer. But to back up what the other guys have said, drill presses have a conical friction fitting between the chuck and the shaft, if you start to put too much horizontal pressure on it, it will come loose. I did this with a drum sander, very cheap pillar drill and too much drunken enthusiasm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 drill presses have a conical friction fitting between the chuck and the shaft, if you start to put too much horizontal pressure on it, it will come loose. I did this with a drum sander, very cheap pillar drill and too much drunken enthusiasm. Yeah, me too, minus the drunken enthusiasm (which really has no place in a woodshop). The chuck on my drill press stopped falling out after I bought an OSS. I have been known to chuck a chamfer or roundnose router bit into my drill for use as a countersink, but that's very different from actually trying to route with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Ross Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 If you're really have a burning desire for a pin router, save your appendages and drill press, spend $600 and pick up one of these: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Bench-Top-...rm-Router/G0587 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshuffle Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 (edited) It can be done. This worked out well for myself. Took some time to build but was worth it. The chuck holds a 1/2 bolt drilled thru the wood and the clamps hold it to the shaft from behind. Anyone needs help I'll be more than happy to answer any questions about the way it was built. Ken My Web Site http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endid=126627865 Here are the plans. http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journ...op/1274466.html Or you can buy this one for over a grand your choice. http://www.general.ca/pagemach/machines/40850a.html Edited June 30, 2008 by eshuffle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 That, my friend is something else entirely! :-D Great work. MescaBug on the other hand, wants to utilise the pillar drill in place of a router rather than just the mechanism. First question is valid - yes, you can use the mechanism (as you've amply demonstrated, eshuffle) although the drill itself is a poor, if not plain dangerous replacement for the router itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Seriously, the first time that slow-spinning router bit overloads and the chuck (which is likely held on by a taper friction fit) falls off, drilling the bit through your top, you'll be cursing yourself that you ever thought using a drill press to route was a terribly good idea in the first place. That Grizz looks handy, although I'll resist the urge for now. I've got a daisy pin routing setup (from MCLS) which works wonderfully with a table router, and most cavity type work I can do very safely and easily with a handheld plunge router. Or so I tell myself so as not to go off and buy tools I don't have any more space for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I have used my mill/pillar drill combo (friction conical fit of the chuck) for routing several times. Max speed 4000 rpm. Some problems with tearouts but generally worked fine. Gotta use a sharp bit thou... Mattia: got a link for that pin router? I'm always on the quest for new tools that makes my life easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have used my mill/pillar drill combo (friction conical fit of the chuck) for routing several times. Max speed 4000 rpm. Some problems with tearouts but generally worked fine. Gotta use a sharp bit thou... Mattia: got a link for that pin router? I'm always on the quest for new tools that makes my life easier. Check out MCLS woodworking (I think .com) for the US site and the spiral bit set, but the arm itself I got from Axminster: http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_...le=1&jump=4 it has it's limitations: not very tall, to the point I'm considering adding a block of wood to raise it a touch higher (I don't template route very thin things, as a rule), and the welding was frankly a bit crap on mine, so I needed to shim it to make it square up perfectly. Took about 3 minutes to shim appropriately, mind you, but it's still handy. Nice cheap add-on to the router table, and works lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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