The belts came loose and I didn’t know what speed to set them at.
If you need to use it, just know you’ll need some time to set the belts in or wait for a steward to untag it.
*I’ve already left, but in hindsight I could have just scanned the info code to find the belt positioning. Thank you stewards for the QR code system, apologies for being the user in “user error” lol
Kcoothnxbai!
We really need a new drill press. I found the Rigid to be poor for metal and doesn’t seem to have the correct chuck key. I’ve been using the Craftsman which is a better press, particularly for metal- although broken enough that it needs replacement. But mostly I’ve been taking work back home to put on my Harbor Freight (Central Machinery) drill press.
The one I have may be HFT, but performed fine. That one was purchased long ago, I can’t be certain if today’s are better or worse. But they’re cheap enough. This is their “top-of-the-line”:
Can we get something soon?
Could you be more specific? I don’t follow the leap from “wrong chuck key” to “need a new drill press”.
The belts might need to be replaced. I think the handles could be replaced. I find it odd that most drill presses of a similar size which are probably clones of each other behave differently.
Wrong chuck key is a start. IIRC the Ridgid didn’t have a catch table for coolant/lubricant, it didn’t have a wide range of adjustable speeds, the plunge didn’t seem to have good leverage for metal but would be OK for wood. I’m not sure, I worked on it for a short time and moved on to another drill press awhile back. The Craftman performed better, even with the missing arms. I thought we had drill press down as a priority item?
We do, but for the wood shop. If we get a new wood drill press we’d pick the nicer of the two old ones to put in metal shop before replacing that one.
I wouldn’t object to spending $750 on a metal drill press if it’s a real upgrade. I don’t want to just replace the one we have in lieu of routine maintenance (chuck and belts are both wear items).