[sdiy] speaking of drilling... Small drill press recommendations?

[Scott]

Reading some of these drilling posts is almost enough to scare me away from making my own panels! (and I've been making them for 10 years)
We're just making panels here, not rockets or satellites.  A perfectly round hole usually isn't an issue, as the washer from whatever you're attaching to the panel will cover it up.  
Center punching is always a good idea, and I always did before I got my drill press. I don't anymore, though.  
Starting w/ a small pilot hole always works well, but really isn't necessary w/ a drill press.
Here's the first thing I drilled w/ my new press and I didn't center punch or pilot hole anything (other than a few extra large holes where I did start w/ a pilot)
http://www.sdiy.org/wicked1/images/seqpanel.jpg

When I design my panels I do put a point in the center of every circle, so I know where to drill.  If I were going to build something to sell I might go the extra mile and center punch everything so it is exactly perfect, but for my own stuff, it looks good to me!  There are a lot of holes lined up on that panel I linked above, and I don't see any deviation w/ the naked eye.  

The laser x's on any of these inexpensive drill presses are pretty worthless for what we are doing.  The thickness of the beam could lead to a gross misalignment.  For making furniture or something it would be close enough.  I just look closely at every spot and make sure the point of the drill bit hits the dot on my panel layout.

-----Original Message-----
From: synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl [mailto:synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Neil Johnson
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:58 AM
To: sdiy
Subject: Re: [sdiy] speaking of drilling... Small drill press recommendations?

Hi,

For drilling 'accurate'[1] panel holes I use the following steps:

1/ Pillar drill - keeps the bit perpendicular to the panel, and if  
needed you can step through the speeds as you go.

2/ Centre drill to start the hole - does not wander around as much as  
a thin drill, e.g, 1/8in.

3/ Clamp the work to the work table - stops it moving around as you  
work your way up the drill sizes.

Neil

[1] - drilling is a roughing out technique.  For a round hole finish  
off with a reamer.  For truly accurate round holes I'd use a milling  
machine.
--
http://www.njohnson.co.uk



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