Drill press spindle movement requirements?

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ndep

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Hi, I'd like to buy a drill press for pen turning.

Question: what is the minimum spindle travel distance I need if I am drilling blanks of up to 5" length?

One answer is > 5" which is obvious.

But what about buying a good jig and using a >2.5" spindle; and then drilling out the blank from each end? Would that work?

The reason I ask is that there are some bench drill presses that might work better for me, but they have relatively short spindle travel distances.
 
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Unless you are making 5" long pen bodies, a stroke of 3" would work for most of what you drill. Most benchtop models have a stroke of about 2" which you can make work it just takes two steps. Drill, stop motor and raise the blank up the bit and place a board underneath your holder, and finish drilling. I did that for many years. To drill something from both ends requires more than a good jig, your blank would need to be pretty true and square also. Good luck!
 
What Paul said ^.

Folks do turn the blank around and drill from the other side. I don't have the patience or desire to try to line it up and flip it around. Many excellent turners do though.

I also own one of Paul's jigs. Excellent equipment.

I, personally, would not by a press with less than a 3 inch throw. As you probably know, for under $200 you can outfit your lathe and use it to drill blanks.

Good luck :)
 
Drilling a blank in two steps from opposite ends in NOT a good idea. If the holes aren't aligned perfectly, there will be either a step or an angle (or both) which will make it difficult to insert the tube. Holes in pen blanks must be drilled from one end only.

If the pen body consists of two sections, then it is usually recommended that both holes be drilled from ends that meet at the center - that assures that the grain will line up better.
 
Unless you want a drill press for something besides pen turning you will find it is more accurate drilling on the lathe though you will need to buy some equipment. After you buy the drill press buy the equipment for the lathe anyway.
 
IF you want 5 inches of drilling travel, that can and should be done on the lathe. Paul in OKC is a machinist and has had years of experience. He can do it on a DP; very few can drill that distance or have equipment that will. The wood grain will divert the bit in some cases. Experienced people know how to "read" and make adjustments on the fly.

Any DP less than 3" travel will leave you (or I should say - most people) lacking and wishing they had just a bit more, so go for at least 3 inch quill travel. But when it comes to 4 inches or more, the lathe is best way for those. When you get ready for the long ones on a lathe, try drilling a few 4 or 5 inch blanks cut from a pine or fir 2x4. The experience on "throw-a-way" blanks is extremely valuable and helpful.
 
You can raise the table after drilling the Max travel and continue drilling through the blank from one end. A slight inconvenience, but it works. Just like advancing the tail stock when drilling on the lathe.

Danny


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I bought the earlier version of this Rikon drill press. https://www.toolnut.com/rikon-30-21...HVxjd6j98_6pDC8bu94uA9mPIBklw_rkaAn1GEALw_wcB

At the time, I was still in production mode for my game call business. It's quill travel was a little over 3", a plenty for my work at that time. I was drilling 36 or 72 blanks at a time. Using 3 different drill bits, where all 3 drilling processes had to be exact on each blank. My reject pile was as close to zero as I have ever had. A 4" blank, drilling part way first on one end, And drilling twice from the other end. I had a jig, that when I flipped the blank, it automatically lined up the previous hole with the new drill bit.
 
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