Drill Press

DRILL PRESS

A. Safe Operational Procedures:

General Drilling

1. Dress Appropriately

   1. Wear eye protection at all times

   2. Do not wear loose-fitting clothes

   3. Never wear gloves while operating the drill drill press; They may get caught

   4. Keep long hair tied back or covered to keep it from getting wrapped around the chuck

   5. FInges should be at least 6" away from the bit at all time

2. Secure the BIT and STOCK

• 1. Be sure the chuck is tight on the drill bit and that the drill and chuck match.

  2. Always remove the chuck wrench from the chuck immediately after using it

  3. Use a clamp to secure the stock firmly to the table (rule of thumb, if it's longer then the width of the table, you don't need to clamp it. If it's less...you do).

  4. Place work on a flat block of wood to prevent damage to the table AND to ensure a clean cut upon exit

  5. Before moving the table up or down be sure to LOOSEN the table LOCK

  6. Never use a Auger bit with the drill press as it is design to pull the wood. This could cause lost of control and injuries

3. Plunge the wheel

• 1. Do not feed the drill faster than it can easily cut

  2. Slow down when it is breaking through the material to finish a hole. Feed drill into material at a constant rate

Wood Drilling

• 1. Using a combination square, draw two lines perpendicular to each other with their intersection being the center of the hole to be drilled.

  2. Be careful NOT to burn your stock when making large / deep holes. Use the pressure release technique to cool down the bit

  3. While smaller bits can be run at higher speeds, Larger bits should run at a slower speed, or they can burn the bit and the stock.

  4. Bits that run too slow may jam or bend; Bits run too fast may burn the stock

B. General Safety Practices:

• 1. Do not operate the drill press without permission from your instructor

  2. Place the long end of the piece being drilled to the left so it will hit the post and not the operator should the material slip and start rotating

  3. Remove the chips from the machine with a brush or scrap wood.

  4. Never reach around a machine that is still running.

  5. Do not talk to anyone while operating the machine.

  6. Do not drill into container that may have contained gasoline or other flammable materials.

  7. Ask for help in supporting long materials being drilled.

  8. Hold cylindrical stock (ie dowels) in a “V” block.

  9. Clamp sheet metal between two blocks of wood and drill through wood and metal.

Bank of Questions (Drill Press)

Missing words

1. Before you use a drill press, the __________setting should be set first.

2. Always wait for the machine to be completely __________ before walking away

3. Long hair and loose clothing must be____________ before you use a drill press.

4. The risk of a bit jamming is greater when the speed setting is too_________

5. Your hands should always be at least __________ away from any moving part.

Short answer Questions

1. What happens if the speed setting on a drill press is set too high?

2. State two reasons why you should have a separate piece of wood under your work piece when making a hole through?

3. Why should you use a dust mask when you use a drum sander on a drill press?

4. Describe why leaving debris on or around your work area represent a safety hazard?

5. What type of drill bit should never be used in a drill press?

6. When should you clamp your work to the table and why?

7. As a general rule, what speed should a large bit turn compared to a small bit?

8. What procedure prevents a drill press bit from overheating when drilling

deep holes?

Please state why each of the following represent a safety hazard.

1. Wearing gloves while operating the drill press

2. Loose hair

3. Not securing the table

4. Holding a small piece of wood by hand (vs. using a clamp)

Additional Resources

When using a cutting edge in a power tool, it is wise to determine the RPM range of the cutter in order to achieve optimum performance. To do this, we use the following formula.

The cutting speed is the the rate (or speed) that the cutting edge moves past the material that it is cutting. Typical cutting speeds can be found in the table below.

For each type of material, there is an optimum cutting speed that should be used when removing material. Factors affecting the calculation of cutting speed are:

1)The type of material being machined (steel, brass, tool steel, plastic, wood) 2) The material the cutter is made from 3) The life span of the cutter

If proper cutting speeds are not used, a number of problems may arise. These include limited lifespan of the tool which will lead to premature tool wear, breakages, and tool chatter. Tool chatter leads to a poor quality operation. Using the correct spindle speed for the material and tools will greatly enhance tool life and the quality of the surface finish.