Tony,

I've always had 'some sort' of 'drill press'. First one was a simple
'adapter' to hold a drill that attached to a board . . . could be used
horizontally or vertically. Many years later it was a 'Craftsman' unit that
was basically variable speed hand drill components in a plastic housing that
slid on a 24in tube.

Because of the type of work I do, and the restricted space, I looked for a
long time to find a DP that suited MY requirements. A few years ago I got a
Grizzly Bench-Top RADIAL. Like many tools - unless you are a production shop
with specific set-ups - the press is there for 'when you need it' . . . and
when you need it . . you NEED it !!.

One of the reasons I settled on a RADIAL press, and mounted it on the corner
of a bench, was for the large 'swing' and the ability to put a tall item on
the ground and get the abilities of a 'floor standing' press in a compact
package. One of the main reasons for ANY drill press is the relative
ACCURACY of the drilled holes - 'squareness', 'placement', and
'repeatability'. Also, depending on the press . . . holes with a 'Specific'
{and repeatable} angle. At the other end of the spectrum is such 'exotic'
uses as a 'vertical lathe', etc.

I would suggest a visit to your local library and the 'Woodworking' section
of the stacks. Just browse. While there should be at least one book specific
to the 'Using the Drill Press', there will be others with 'Tips &
Techniques', or 'Woodworkers Projects' that will typically give you a good
idea of various uses.

Regards & HAVE FUN . . .
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"HerHusband" wrote in message
...
I bought a Delta benchtop drill press a couple of years ago, thinking it
would be one of the most used machines in my workshop.
SNIP
But I'm curious what other people do with their drill
press to get more use out of them?

Ideas please...

Thanks,

Anthony