A drill press, also referred to as a pedestal drill, may be defined as an integral woodwork appliance that may be attached to a radial arm saw when woodworking.

It may be used for the purposes of drilling woodwork and may also be applied in drilling square holes if fitted with a mortising attachment.

Drilling is essential for joining certain woodwork parts to achieve functionality and many at times functionality for instance, joining stands to furniture, creating screw holes etc.

Steps for a successful drilling operation

When holes are to be drilled in woodwork pieces, a cordless drill or a hand operated power drill may be desired. For holes of slightly large diameters, a drill press may be employed.

Compared to a hand operated drill, the motor of a drill press is more studor. The adjustable height drill press table makes sure holes are vertically aligned during drilling because the quill and chuck are usually in alignment with the table.

For one to complete a successful drilling operation, they may need to follow certain steps which are listed below.

Familiarize oneself with components

Just like any other workshop appliance, the handler should be able to know each and every component of his drill tool, their functions, how to adjust angles, how and when to increase speed and most importantly when to replace worn out parts.

The key issue in familiarizing oneself with the with the drill press components is improving efficiency in terms decisions during drilling, that require insight, instant decision making when challenges like repairs and adjusting and replacing bits on the appliance etc.

Installation of components

The handler should be able to differentiate or identify the specific drill press equipment required for instance if they want to achieve round holes or square holes. The handler should also be familiar with the appliance manual so that they may be able to make sure all components are correctly attached.

Fitting of correct drills is important as the various drills available like the HSS bit, Brad Point bit, the Masonry bit may be required for specific outcomes and different wood materials.

Clamping of woodwork material

Before any drilling begins, the woodwork material needs to be clamped so as to avoid unnecessary movements during drilling.

More often when drilling is made with say twist drills, the cutting force usually generates a torque that may result into alignment or even safety issues.

Clamping may also be applicable if too many woodwork pieces are to be drilled at once and the working area is not spacious enough or when handling abnormally sized woodwork pieces.

Application of the desired drill

After all the safety measures have been taken into account, the handler has knowledge of the components and installation, the handler can therefore proceed to perform the drill operation on the woodwork.The drill press can be used for the following.

Sandling spindles

A drill press may be used as a spindle sander when attached to a sanding drum and a plate which could lift the working surface of the bottom of the drum. This usually is the case when a spindle sander is not readily available.

Using the drill press as a sanding tool is quick as the drill can be adjusted to various speeds in accordance with the woodwork material to be worked on.

Dowelling

Dowelling is the process of forming strong bonds in woodworks. Dowels are wooden sticks that are small and round, inserted in almost similar sized holes of corresponding boards, applied together with glue to strengthen or reinforce a bond.

The drill press ensures the holes are drilled and aligned perfectly so as to achieve a perfect joint. For pinpoint accuracy, the centres of the holes to be bored are to be clearly marked before proceeding with the drilling.

Cutting mortises

A drill press can create a mortise, which is the hole created in the woodwork after drilling. The handler should ensure the mortise is of correct length, perfect width and has clean and sharp corners.

A mortise may be a square or a rectangular hole that is made during drilling of a woodwork piece.

When your drill press doesn’t have a mortising attachment, your drill can also perform as a mortiser.

In the earlier ages, mortises were cut by hand using chisels and hammers, this practice has been slowly reduced, due to the emergence of the mortiser, containing a drill bit which combines the process of creating a mortise and shaping the square edges of the mortise.

Conclusion

As we have discussed above, do you think the invention of the drill press was handy? The answer is yes! The use of the chisel was greatly limited in terms speed, efficiency and even reliability in application of massive woodwork pieces. The information on how to use a drill press in this piece should help you be able to conduct small scale woodwork projects at home with the desired safety standards and basic tips to make the projects.