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Thread: Buying cheapo drill

  1. #1
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    Default Buying cheapo drill

    I want a drill.....quite simple huh. problem is, i almost never use a drill, but need one for the laser hobby...
    So what is a good drill that isnt expensive and can the job done to drill and tap m4 holes in 1cm thick aluminium without problems?

    i have a 500W drill from like 1950 here but it sucks really much. no matter how tight you make the drill accesoire it will get loose during drilling.
    what can you recommend me or what do i need to watch for if i want quality. watts? voltage? amperage? or...?

    thanks!
    Last edited by borgqueenx; 10-14-2011 at 08:46.
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    To tap m4 holes you will need the tap and the handle/ clamp thingy (cant remember what it's called right now) that holds the tap bit. You can't use a drill to tap unless you're a very experienced machinist . As far as drills go, a cheap black and decker is ok as long as it's variable speed.

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    think about getting a drill press. it's much easier to do a precise job with one.

    Quote Originally Posted by borgqueenx View Post
    I want a drill.....quite simple huh. problem is, i almost never use a drill, but need one for the laser hobby...
    So what is a good drill that isnt expensive and can the job done to drill and tap m4 holes in 1cm thick aluminium without problems?

    i have a 500W drill from like 1950 here but it sucks really much. no matter how tight you make the drill accesoire it will get loose during drilling.
    what can you recommend me or what do i need to watch for if i want quality. watts? voltage? amperage? or...?

    thanks!
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

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    Quote Originally Posted by swamidog View Post
    think about getting a drill press. it's much easier to do a precise job with one.
    i second that. there is absolutely no way you can drill exactly vertically by hand.

    get a cheap drill press (around 100euro or so) and you'll be golden!
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    i dont want one. i want a portable one. doesnt matter if its corded or battery powered.
    A drill press is really big so i doubt my projector will fit under it so that will be drilling unconfortably with holding one hand on the projector so it doesnt fall..
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    look into bench top drill presses. they're not as excellent as the big floor standing presses, but they're still much better than using a handdrill.. especially if you're going to tap the holes later.

    Quote Originally Posted by borgqueenx View Post
    i dont want one. i want a portable one. doesnt matter if its corded or battery powered.
    A drill press is really big so i doubt my projector will fit under it so that will be drilling unconfortably with holding one hand on the projector so it doesnt fall..
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

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    Quote Originally Posted by swamidog View Post
    look into bench top drill presses. they're not as excellent as the big floor standing presses, but they're still much better than using a handdrill.. especially if you're going to tap the holes later.
    still desame i do not want.

    Thanks for the advice and maybe im selfish but the projector plate is quite big. i dont see myself putting it on such a mini table wich such a bench press drill thing has.
    Thats why i want something portable.
    arnt there any good options?
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    I think Dremel make a drill press assembly to clamp their tool into. That looked quite compact.

    Be careful getting a drill press that's too cheap. If the drill part wobbles in the sleeve especially when extended, you can easilly be out by a mm or two.

    @Steve-o - tapping using a drill is a piece of cake. And I wouldn't say I was a good machinist at all (the opposite is more likely true)! A small lightweight cordless drill with forward and reverse which stops rotation when you release the trigger is all that's needed. With a pre-drilled hole (e.g. 3mm for an M4), dip the tip of an M4 tap (attached to such a drill) into some cutting grease then press down into the hole and give the drill a few pumps of the trigger in the cutting direction. When you feel it cutting in, give it a pump or 2 in the opposite direction. Repeat, working your way through the cut. Eventually you will feel no resistance when your cut is good and them you can run the drill free to near the end of the tap, reverse and run free to withdraw the tap. Wipe off the grease, file your work down, job done!

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    You don't need a drill press. Just use a punch and some center drills to start the holes. I went through two Black and Deckers before finally buying a nice Makita. But I used them a lot.

    Center drills:

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    Any Makita or Dewalt wil do just fine.
    (even a Gamma/karwei house brand wil drill just fine of you use sharp drils and centre drills)
    Allu is soft...spray some WD40 and a sharp drill wil drill that like warm butter :-)

    I must admit... a drillpress is 10X better and more safe.

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