Small pillar / bench drill for model making

Hi all,

I'm looking for a small bench dril ( I have a much bigger Axminster Pillar drill) for model making, say up to 5mm diameter. I've a small X-Y table (proxxon) that will go on to it.

Anyone have any recommendations? I see Axminster do one, but for that price and a wee bit extra I could buy a mill/drill all complete!!

Thanks in advance.

Steve

Steve,

Look out for one of these [but prefereably in original condition]

Mine has a rectangular table [plain, not tee-slotted], and a balanced 3-phase motor.

Short of spending an unrealistic amount of money, I don't think you would find anything better built.

MichaelG.

Steve,

I've used one of these Proxxon drills. It is accurate and nice to use but there isn't a vast amount of headroom, especially if you put an XY table on it. George Thomas' Univesal Pillar Tool makes an excellent precison drill, here's mine:

HTH

Rod

Edited By Roderick Jenkins on 27/07/2014 12:11:30

Screwfix currently have a budget one at £70 inc vat

Clicky

Whats more, there's one on Ebay for £64!!

Clicky

I bought one similar to the above, about half that price, from a big DIY shop. It was ex-display and I had to sign a disclaimer because the instructions were missing. I bought it for the motor and switch. When I had a good look at home it was a bit sloppy at table and head, the column was undersize, also notable flex at the table. A piece of tube for the column was found by luck, and the table braced underneath, this gave a vast improvement at little cost. I use it every day in my "little w/shop"

Whilst searching for [and failing to find] anything of a quality comparable to J&S that I mentioned in my first post; I happened across this delightful little "sensitive drilling table" ... What a brilliant idea !!

MichaelG.

I would be cautious about that budget drill. The Naerok in my picture was bought originally for woodworking duties. Fine for that but there was always too much slop in the quill for model engineering. It has now gone (to a woodworker) and been replaced. You may be lucky but, as is mentioned elsewhere at the moment, the quality control is likely to be rudimentary. You need a good quill/spindle and chuck on a small high speed drill.

Rod

Expensive as a hobby tool, but yes, very neat.

We have a small 'tapping drill' type stand at work that has the same action as that for the table, and a double cone drive for the chuck. It releases the drive as the table rises and the tap meets a set depth then drives the opposite way to screw the tap back out of the new thread as the table is lowered.

Edited By Pete Gilbert 1 on 27/07/2014 16:21:05

Edited By Pete Gilbert 1 on 27/07/2014 16:21:48

Rod, please, leave it out with the drill head for the UPT. I can see me losing another couple of days out of my life while I build the attachment - like I need it!

John Moore has a really nice High Speed drill that I covet, maybe he will butt in and show a few pics. Lovely thing, magnetic table too......

graham.

Sorry

Rod

Many years ago we bought one of these at work - we used it to drill holes with diamond drills in ceramic substrates. Very,very nice machines, I've no idea what they cost.

Rod

.

Rod,

There's a good write up about the Cameron, here.

MichaelG.

Thanks for posting the picture of the Meddings, John

... I knew there was another one comparable with the J&S, but couldn't remember the name.

J&S is also cast iron [except for the Aluminium belt guard], but is quite thin-walled, so probably lighter in weight. [H&S would scowl, but I can move it quite comfortably on my own.]

MichaelG.

Pollard Corona is another make. Not sure which part of the name is the mfr and which the type.

Edited By Bazyle on 28/07/2014 12:44:59

Looks interesting, Bazyle

For info. Frederick Pollard

MichaelG.