Drill Press Terminology

a drill mounted so that the drill can only move in the direction of the bit.
These machines are lightweight, often in the range of 10lbs, and offer many of the advantages of a traditional full size model. The one draw back is the lack of capacity that portable models offer due to their small size.

A radial drill press is the solution if you need a drill press with a large throat capacity. Radial Drill presses have throat capacities ranging from 22” to 36” inches, allowing a lot of room to work. Radial drill presses are great for working the center of large panels. The only downside to a the use of a radial drill press is they have slightly less accuracy than a normal drill press, but this can be managed with careful use. Radial drill presses can be found in both bench top and floor models.

the cast iron housing the holds the quill. The chuck is at the end of the quill.

The Column rises from the bases and the head moves up and down on the column, and can be locked in place anywhere along the column.

generally square and made of cast iron to provide stability to the rest of the machine.

like the head, moves up and down on the column above the base and can be fixed at any point. The workpiece can be secured to the table through the use of clamps. Some tables can be angled to allow angled drilling.

The Depth Stop allows for control of whole depth. Once set correctly multiple holes can be drilled at the same depth.

Variable Speed settings range from 150 to 3000rpm. Speeds can be adjusted by moving belts between pulleys. Some drill presses offer an easy speed adjustment feature.

a measurement of how far a drill bit can penetrate. Quill Travel typical varies from 2 to 6” depending on the model selected.

is important as it measures the workable size area. Drill Press throat capacity is the distance between the bit and the rear of the workbench.