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I Forge Iron

Drill Press ?


bsiler

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I have a fairly new drill press. I've noticed when drilling a hole that is an inch or more deep it doesn't drill straight. I'm sure it's off on short holes too, just don't notice it as much. I've checked the manual. Just wondering if anyone here has a good way they check before they drill a long hole (or any hole).
Thanks
Billy

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Same here put a large bit in the chuck and use square between bit and table or vise, a lot of drill press's have a swivel head so that you can drill holes on an angle, yours may need adjusted and se on zero or 90 degrees. Most dp's that have a swivel head will have degree markings so you can set exact angle you want.

welder19

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I never trust the degree marks for setup, unless I'm drilling sheet metal, or I have had the time to verify function on larger/nicer presses. On my cheap import press, the markings are just a ballpark.

For deep holes, over 4-5 diameters deep, the bit can force the hole crooked if the entry is not clean or the bit is not sharpened evenly. This means that using the final size bit to start instead of pilot/chasing *should* produce a straighter hole, even though this is not always the case in practice. Using a short drill bit to set up the entry can also help at times, especially if you are not entering perpendicular to the surface, or have surface texture to deal with.

If your material has a bias to the grain (wood, laminates, fiberglass) everything is more difficult.

I have made enough deep holes to know that they can be a pain. Someone who does this for a living can tell you how to get them correct most of the time.

Phil

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  • 2 months later...

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