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Yesterday I found a Steel City 17" Drill Press (DP) on craigslist. I went and looked at and it looked brand new. The DP was bought in Feb 2015 and was probably made in 2014. I got it home and did a little maintenance. I oiled and greased the drive pulleys to make sure they run smoothly. A dry shaft on a Reeves Drive is the kiss of death. The DP is a variable speed which means it has a Reeves drive. The Reeves Drive is using pulleys that change size to increase or decrease speed. The Shopsmith is a classic example of a Reeves drive. The previous owner had a table but it was small and poorly made. I made a big table and fence today. The thing about this DP is it has a 6" throw.
That is pretty good for woodworking.
My old DP is a benchtop Ryobi. That DP has served me well but it has a 2.5 or 3" throw and was just not enough. Earlier before Christmas I bought some Wrangler Pens from Craft Supply. The pen blanks were about 5" long. My little Ryobi could not get all the way through. I tried to very gently turn the blanks over but several were not properly centered. That problem is now solved. I can make the hole in one go with the Steel City.
Steel City products had good reviews but sadly they went out of business in March 2015. If you build a better mouse trap sometimes the world just does not beat a path to your door.
Now my only issue with this DP is full size floor standing DP is not really good on wheels and I need to find a permanent home somewhere in my shop. Purposely every tool in my shop is on wheels. I stash most stuff in the side of the shop and move what I need out and use it. Sadly I have too much stuff to give everything a permanent home.
Please do not shed any tears for me because I have too much stuff.
That is pretty good for woodworking.
My old DP is a benchtop Ryobi. That DP has served me well but it has a 2.5 or 3" throw and was just not enough. Earlier before Christmas I bought some Wrangler Pens from Craft Supply. The pen blanks were about 5" long. My little Ryobi could not get all the way through. I tried to very gently turn the blanks over but several were not properly centered. That problem is now solved. I can make the hole in one go with the Steel City.
Steel City products had good reviews but sadly they went out of business in March 2015. If you build a better mouse trap sometimes the world just does not beat a path to your door.
Now my only issue with this DP is full size floor standing DP is not really good on wheels and I need to find a permanent home somewhere in my shop. Purposely every tool in my shop is on wheels. I stash most stuff in the side of the shop and move what I need out and use it. Sadly I have too much stuff to give everything a permanent home.
Please do not shed any tears for me because I have too much stuff.
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