Drill Guide/Stop Collars

R

Rob Nelson

Well-Known Member
Aloha,

Anyone use a drill guide? I don't have space or $ for a drill press, so I was wondering if anyone uses a drill guide with their standard drill motor. I would like to improve the consistency and accuracy.

And while I'm at it, how about stop collars? I've had cheap ones in the past, but I'm thinking a better quality set might help with corbys and receiver screws.

Thanks!
 
stop colars work ok, ive seen little rigs that you put a hand held drill into and it kind of makes it into a drill press but i dont know what there called i dont think they are to much maybe some one else will now.
 
Short of using a magnetic drill (definitely overkill for us), it's going to be difficult to match the accuracy of a drill press with a vise, even the cheapie drill presses.
But the drill guides do come in handy for those applications that require more throat clearance than what a press could accommodate, and that is the only time I use one.

There are many different makes on the market; some of them even have built-in stops. Quality, and the results obtained, will be all over the place.
This might be a case where searching different sites that allow product reviews could come in handy.

Regarding stop collars, you love 'em or hate 'em. They're a cost-effective way to control depth as long as the material being drilled is not affected when the collar comes in contact. If you're drilling an as-yet unfinished item anyways, it's no concern.

I loved it when all the tool manufacturers started putting stops at the handle on the drill presses.
 
I've had several sets of stop collars and I've hated every one of them. I've never had a collar that didn't move up the drill when the collar came in contact with what I was drilling.
 
I think you'd be surprised at how little space (and money) a small bench top drill press takes up, vs. how invaluable it it for making knives. Heck, mine's small and light enough that I can just pick it up and stick it somewhere when I'm done.
 
Andrew, which press do you have? The ones I've looked at weigh in at 58 pounds which ain't bad, but not what I was thinking of with the word light.
 
It's a Ryobi DP100 if I recall correctly.... I'd say it's around that same weight or so. Not something your gonna swing around with one hand, but still manageable as far as sticking it under a workbench or a table if needed.
 
Rob I got an old craftsman press for a hand drill I'd let you have if you'd pay shipping for it. I've never used it and the strap that holds the drill is a little rusted but I think it would work for what you want. PM if your interested. I'll post some pics of it in a little bit too.
 
Here it is...

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The cheapest/smallest harbor freight one is about 35lbs. Not heavy, but not featherweight either, which a drill press should not be.
 
that drill press from HF is actually a really good press. I picked up one not to long ago for about $20, and honestly, i couldn't be happier with it. JMO HF has pretty good tools for the hobbiest like me, and they have a really good warrenty on just about everything.

This one in particular is small enough to hide and move around if space is limited.

good luck and have fun!
 
jay yep thats the one i was talking about. i dont see them to often but have herd ok things about them.
 
I've never even used it. I found it in a building that was being torn down. I brought it home and set it in the corner. If I didn't already have a few drill presses I would have proabaly tried it out. I think once you got the drill secured to it would be pretty solid. I'm pretty sure you can still get parts for them through sears.
 
I was disappointed with stop collars until I made my own. For a 5/16" drill bit, I made my stop from 7/16" square stock, about 3/4" long, with two opposing set screws. And I made it from W1 that I hardened. The set-screws fit into the flutes and do not mar the cutting edges at all. The annoying thing about stop collars (even good ones) is that chips/swarf don't clear properly; they often get jammed in the stop-collar. This is especially true when drilling aluminum.
 
I have one of those Craftsman set up like jaysmith10's. Make sure you check to make sure the drill is mounted square when you set it up. It's not as nice as a regular drill press, but it quite functional. One thing I would do if get one, is to get some sort of remote switch or foot switch to turn your drill off and on. With a remote switch, you can lock the drill on so you don't have to squeeze and lock the trigger each time. Turning the drill on and locking the trigger on can get to be a little annoying after awhile. Only other goofy thing is that the old Craftsman (30+ years) I use with it is very noisy.

I have a small Craftsman drill bench top drill press now. I should get mine out and set it up for a spindle sander.

Ric
 
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