Thread: Newbie question on rpms for drill press

Guys,

I'm still setting up a workshop. I just now got the drill press assembled. The rpms on this speed can vary from 760 to 3070.

Any recommended speeds for various materials? I'm especially interested in bone and horn but might use some wood at some point, too.

Joe

Google Drill press speeds,is all there

Here's a nice little chart.

https://www.fnal.gov/pub/takefive/pd...peed_Chart.pdf

The problem with a lot of smaller tabletop drill presses is they don't tend to offer low speeds. I have the same issue with mine.

Ask and you shall receive. Thanks! Got what I needed.

Joe

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Google Drill press speeds,is all there

That is some good advise,

Basically, small bits fast, big bits slow. make sure the bit has pressure on it and is cutting not rubbing, use the right lubrication as needed.

mrpete222 has a great YouTube channel on machine shop stuff. He has videos on using and sharpening drill bits. I like his channel a lot, he is a good source of common sense information pertaining to machine tools.

mrpete222 - YouTube

Charlie

I googled drill press speeds, looked at charts, read guidelines, and watched a video. My only current plans for using the drill press are to drill 1/16th inch pin holes in scales made of horn, bone, and wood. For that one purpose, it looks as if I'll almost always be using the highest speed this drill press offers, 3070 rpms. I had tried drilling a hole through soft wood at medium speed. After reading the material on drilling, I changed the speed to 3070 and did it again. Both speeds worked fine, but I suppose the higher speed will get through the material more cleanly.

Does that sound right?

Joe

That will work just fine.

If I'm drilling a small hole like that through a piece of scale material I honestly don't think about drill speed at all. I just drill at whatever speed it happens to be set to

Drill speeds in my experience are only really important when drilling metal.

Yeah higher speeds can make a cleaner hole. Another tip is if you are drilling a fresh hole (as opposed to drilling out an old pin), a thin piece of material clamped above and below the scale can prevent chipping. But that makes it harder if you're just eyeballing the location.
Just play around with it...

Originally Posted by RoyalCake

Another tip is if you are drilling a fresh hole (as opposed to drilling out an old pin), a thin piece of material clamped above and below the scale can prevent chipping. But that makes it harder if you're just eyeballing the location.
Just play around with it...

Thanks for that tip. I read an online article that advised using a thin piece below wood but had not realized that it applies also to other materials or that a piece should also go above the work piece.

This morning, I ordered a clamp and also a vise. I'll have to see how they both work. I'll play around with some scrap wood before I start messing with real scales.

Joe