Your answer below is right on, however, please tell me what is wrong with
this amateur approach.
Center punch the material, rather deep. Enlarge by using a centering drill
in the drill press, BUT, assuming the project is quite small (one or two
pounds) let it float on the table and have it center itself as you start
drilling. You seemingly end up with no drill bit deflection and, I assume,
a hole that is quite close in location to your initial center punch.
I know that I am a mere amateur, but it seems like every time I fasten a
product to the table, I end up with drill bit deflection. When it is light
enough to float and self center, I get better hole location.

Ivan Vegvary
"Silvan" wrote in message
...
Doc wrote:

Looking for any tips/tricks for drilling a hole w/a drill press that's as
close to dead-center to a specified point as possible.

First tip: use an awl or center punch (depending on whether it's wood or
metal you're drilling) to mark the precise location of the hole first.
Even with a brad point bit, it's difficult to prevent drills from
wandering
off the target when they enter the material. The smaller the gauge of the
bit, the worse the problem is.

Second tip: depending on the nature of the work involved, you may be able
to use a cross-slide vise for fine positioning of the work relative to the
bit. They only work on stock that can fit inside the jaws, but they are
quite useful to have when precision matters.

Something like this:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emnumber=G1064

Now, whether you have one of those handy gizmos or not, position the work
(with the hole locations pre-punched), then pull down the quill with the
motor off. Listen for a plinking sound, and watch with hawk eyes for the
slightest bit deflection. If the bit is deflecting to enter the dimple,
your hole won't come out right.

I find it helpful to rotate the chuck by hand to position the flutes or
other cutting edges in a way that allows a clear view of the very tip of
the point in relation to the dimple. Repeat the process of making fine
adjustments to the X and Y axes and then checking with the quill until the
bit enters straight and true, then drill the hole.

This process is tedious and time consuming, but if there's a better way to
ensure a hole as close to perfectly placed as possible with a drill press,
I haven't discovered it.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
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