On Jan 13, 9:12*pm, Larry Kraus wrote:
Bill wrote:

Is it true that using the DP as as shaper is unhealthy for it (likely to
lead to "run out"), or is occasional use like that okay?

I do not recall hearing of anyone using a drill press as a shaper. I
suspect that would be too slow to provide a clean cut.(Which is why
router bits do not work well in a DP)

I have read that even sanding drums are not recommended for any DP
where the chuck *is mounted to a Morse taper quill. My understanding
is that the side load causes the chuck to loosen and come off.
Probably exciting enough with a sanding drum, but I think I'll step
outside it you want to try it with shaper knives...

Lots of drill presses have a top speed of 5,000 or so RPM. Not quite
up to the speed of most shapers, but enough so that you can get a
decent cut.

You are right about the side load being a problem, though.

Many drill presses have a spindle with a female Morse taper, and use
an arbor with a male Morse taper and a male Jacobs taper to mount the
chuck. Typically, there is no drawbar holding the arbor to the
spindle - and the side load imposed by a shaper cutter or a sanding
drum can loosen the arbor from the spindle.

The chuck on most drill presses has a female Jacobs taper, and mounts
on a male Jacobs taper on the abovementioned arbor or directly on the
spindle. Some have a threaded locking collar which holds the Jacopbs
tapers together. Most don't, though. Although the Jacobs tapers are
not intended to be frequently separated, the short length of the
Jacobs tapers make them more susceptible to separating from side
loading than the Morse tapers.

Finally, even if the chuck is firmly connected to the spindle, a
Jacobs chuck is not designed to take heavy side loads. Heavy side
loads can cause a cutter to walk its way right out of the chuck jaws.
Take a look at any milling machine whose owner regularly uses end
mills in the drill chuck, and you'll usually find that those end mills
have left tracks in the vise and mill table.

I have an old Delta Milwaukee 14" drill press, which uses
interchangeable spindles. The usual spindle has a male Jacobs 33
taper, and a drill chuck stays on it. I have another spindle with a
1/2" hole in it and set screws - that one can take router bits or
bushings for mortising bits. Another spindle has a 5/16" shaft,
threaded on the end, for a line of special small shaper cutters.
Another has a flange and a short 1/2" shaft, threaded on the end, for
cup-type grinding wheels. Finally, some have female Morse #1 and #2
ends - some solid and some with the Morse socket carried on a Jacobs
taper. Lots of variations, depending on the job.

John Martin