"Tim Killian" wrote in message
...
A mill-drill is far superior for drilling metal

Hi Tim,

Thanks for responding. I agree that a mill-drill is superior. Just so you
know, I have a 9x20 lathe and one of those tiny micro-mills (usually
referred to as a mini-mill). I wanted larger machines for both (particularly
the mill since the one I have is so limited), but I was/am seriously
constrained by space (primary problem) and money (secondary problem). I will
be buying larger machines in the future, but not anytime soon.

There is another consideration: for this job, I need to be enlarging the
holes in base plates that have already been welded to posts that are up to
4-1/2 feet tall (I'm correcting someone else's mistake). The holes are 1"
away from the post so there's no way to drill them from the top; they will
have to be inverted and drilled from the bottom, which means I need more
than 4-1/2 feet clearance under the workpiece. That pretty much rules out
the typical bench-top mill-drill (unless I want to custom fabricate a really
tall stand for it).

So I think I'm stuck with the floor-standing drill press idea. But if any of
you have any better ideas, my mind is still open!

Regards,
Michael