77 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

Is this Harbor Freight model going to suit my slot car building needs ?

http://www.harborfre...60238-9067.html

 

What attachments would I need to secure the work ? Clamps ? Etc ?

Plan on going to Harbor Freight tomorrow   Need quick advice

[chaparrAL]

I have one. Its OK  Do get a small machine vice and C clamps

Check for lose bolts and nuts and loctite them.

I even bought an X Y table !  Only used it once on a VW part.

[Pablo]

I'm clueless, I don't know what a machine vice is, nor a X Y table.

I do know what a C Clamp and a VW are !

[Tim Neja]

A machine vice is something you can use to hold your parts on the table of the press when you're going to drill.  I"ve got one that can be bolted down--but it's heavy enough that I just use it setting on the table. It's a vice with a "FLAT" bottom so it sits well on your table. You can also get one that has "brass" jaw inserts as well as "soft" inserts that sometimes helps holding  different materials.

FWIW

[SlotStox#53]

I can only guess an X Y table is a base that you can move through X & Y axis , as in move it up towards you & away from you on the drill press base, plus move it to the left or the right on said drill press base/table

 

Machine Vise = Heavy vise that you can bolt down to the drill base, but is often heavy enough to not need bolting down. As Tim says they are flat bottomed to sit on the drill press base *table*

[Pablo]

Cool, Tim. I assume I can get one at HF ? Which model, how much should I spend on one ?

[Tim Neja]

It's been a while since I got mine--but it weighs about 8-10 lbs with a heavy cast base and is small enough to fit on my table easily. Just check out what they have--should not be very expensive at HF!! 

[James Wendel]

I have a Harbor Freight drill press and while it is far from a precision instrument, it's a big step up from a hand drill.

 

Mine has a keyless chuck, which I find convenient. 

[Phil Hackett]

Forget the x-y table unless you're going to drill precision located holes. Even then a drill press isn't going to be good enough....

 

My take on that press is that it would work OK BUT.... what size is the chuck? You **really** want a 1/2" capacity but I'm sure with a 2/5hp motor it doesn't have it. It's probably a 1/4" capacity. Be careful about running the machine at high speed for a long time. I have had experience with some of the Chinese AC motors and they run **HOT** and they die relatively quickly. Whether that motor is built to standard specs, no one knows, but if replacement is needed you might be surprised.

 

The low speed setting seems rather high (780 rpms) for doing certain things. Things you **will** find the press useful for...

 

Overall.... it's a $70.00 drill press (the drill presses Sonic bought back in the 80s were $200/each now are $450+/each). Don't expect a lot but it'll probably do an OK job..

 

And know the "tooling" for that machine will cost more than the machine... hit used tooling stores/ebay or just grit your teeth a pay for the accessories.. unless you already have the stuff...

[old & gray]

Cool, Tim. I assume I can get one at HF ? Which model, how much should I spend on one ?

 

http://www.harborfre...vise-69159.html

 

 

Should be in the next aisle.

 

(now there is the link, I tried to add)

Edited by old & gray, 29 October 2013 - 09:21 PM.

[Pablo]

  I'm following.

Phil, do not hesitate to recommend something better. Tools hold value pretty well

Cheap tools are never a good idea   That much, I do know

[SlotStox#53]

Although not expecting ultra high tolerances on the jobs this HF press can do (for the price) , I would reckon it would be fine for doing the motor bearing holes for BB in old 16Ds using your modified BIT tool, endbell mounting screw holes in cans/endbells, knocking up your own motor brackets (bearing/tube/motor screw holes) ... Unless I'm wrong?   Personally for the price I'd definitely look at this model , or the one Rick T got on epay for around $80 ish ...

As already stated this drill press and others in the similar bargain price range are going to be a huge leap forward from good old fashioned hand drills

 

Oh and should make your arm balancing holes easier to drill too

[slotbaker]

Drill Vice, and XY Table
The XY Table is fairly high, so you would need to check what space the drill press can handle.

[Tim Neja]

I wouldn't bother with an x y table.  But be sure your chuck is capable of holding the smallest drills!! Sometimes on cheap chuck's--they DON'T close all the way down.  And a good chuck is primarily the key to getting precision holes drilled!! A cheap press will work fine--as long as the chuck is nice and straight and true!!

[Bill from NH]

Pablo, that drill press should be all you need. I got an HF flyer in the mail today & I noticed their stores have it on sale for $59.99. I bought a similar, but slightly smaller, Taiwanese 3-speed model about 35 years ago & its still serving me well. It has done mostly woodworking over the years, so I've never bought a vice or an X-Y table for it. I have made a larger plywood table top (work surface) for it as well as some other jigs.

 

Micro Mart sells collet chucks that hold round stock smaller than the larger drill chuck clamp. One of mine will firmly hold a #80 drill.

[Phil Hackett]

  I'm following.

Phil, do not hesitate to recommend something better. Tools hold value pretty well

Cheap tools are never a good idea   That much, I do know

 

The cheapest bench press I've found is $290. It's just like the ones Sonic uses (we use the floor model) and has a 5/8 capacity, 12-speeds, 13" throat (from column to center of spindle) 1/2 hp and runs on 110v (as would anything from HF... I've not seen too many 3-phase tools there).

 

Is that in your price range? $300?

 

Like I said, the $70.00 press will probably do the job for you. I have to look at machinery from a different view when purchasing than someone using a machine for a hobby. I have 4 drill presses at the shop. 1 is used for simple deburring, 2 are used for tapping parts and 1 is a spare in case one of them goes down.

[Tim Neja]

Item #30999---table top vice $16.99 and will work fine for your first piece.  You can spend more for a nicer one--but this will help you learn to hold your pieces in place correctly and drill accurately! 
And I wouldn't buy a $300 drill press for building a few slot cars--if you're going into some kind of production work--then yes!!

[Craig]

Pablo, check out http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1423.l2649

 

Small and should do the job.

[Pablo]

I don't have a "price range" but I'm sure not looking to buy more features than I need.

Sounds like the HF model will work fine for me, along with some sort of vice and clamps.

Thanks everybody, much appreciated !

[chaparrAL]

I recall drilling holes .059 with mine and should go a little smaller yet.

You can also chuck a pin vice and get real small.

[dc-65x]

Is this Harbor Freight model going to suit my slot car building needs ?

http://www.harborfre...60238-9067.html

 

What attachments would I need to secure the work ? Clamps ? Etc ?

Plan on going to Harbor Freight tomorrow   Need quick advice

 

Hi Pablo,

 

I will offer my 2 cents.....

 

First you are asking for a drill press for "my slot car building needs".

 

It is more important that the chuck hold the smallest drills than it is to hold large drills like 1/2".

 

I have the little drill press shown above on eBay and I like it.....but it doesn't have enough power for your all around slot car needs.

 

 

I'm clueless, I don't know what a machine vice is, nor a X Y table.

I do know what a C Clamp and a VW are !

 

The way it works is, the machine chuck holds the drill bit. One hand feeds the drill downward. Now something has to hold the workpiece (the thing you what to drill). You can simply use your hand but that can be very dangerous.

 

The next step up is a small vise that you clamp the workpiece into. Usually you are still holding the vise by hand. It can be clamped to the drill press table but it is difficult position the workpiece exactly where you want the hole to be. If you center punch the workpiece where you want to drill the hole you can often move the vise around under a small diameter pilot drill to get the hole started where you want it. I've shown this technique often in my posts.

 

I think you might want to start with something like that Harbor Freight $69 drill press. Make sure you can change the belt to adjust speed pretty easily and that the chuck will clamp down on small drills. It should say it's smallest and largest capacity on the chuck itself.

 

By all means, get a drill press vise too and try things out. That may be all you need for you slot car fun.

 

The X-Y table is a vise that clamps to the table but can be moved front to back and side to side to position the workpiece where you want to drill the hole with a good degree of precision.

 

In the pictures I show of drill balancing my armatures, my arm is clamped in the vise. I have a "stop" so I can take the arm in and out of the vise to check for balance and it always returns to the same place (under the drill bit) every time.

 

If the arm still isn't in balance but I can't drill any deeper, I just move my X-Y table to the side and drill another hole perfectly in line with the first hole.

 

I hope this helps.

[Dennis David]

An x-y table is for drilling a series of holes, you don't really need it. A good drill press vice comes in real handy.

Take a look here: http://www.grizzly.com/home

[Tex]

Pablo,

 

I bought that very same HF drill press close to a year ago for the same reason... to do a better job than using my hand drill. I've chucked up 1/16" drill bits in it. It may not be an ultra-precision instrument of the highest German quality, but it's good enough for my meager needs. The first time you crank on that handle and feel the bit go through the brass so easy, you'll know you made the right decision. Now, I gotta get me one o' those $16.99 tabletop vice's! And some C-clamps!

[SlotStox#53]

How heavy is that HF drill press Tex?

[Tex]

I'm guessing about 28 pounds from some info on the box. I have mine bolted down to a workbench in the garage.