Drill press

[sniper]

I have heard that a Clausing drill press is one of the best out there.
But does anyone here have one or experience with them.
I may have an opportunity to steal one at a cheap price.

All comments welcome.

[deuce_454]

Originally Posted by sniper

I have heard that a Clausing drill press is one of the best out there.
But does anyone here have one or experience with them.
I may have an opportunity to steal one at a cheap price.

All comments welcome.

why the question.. if its cheap and in working order... and you need it.. get it!

really any older tool mashine is worth having if you can afford it, need it and have the room for it

[sniper]

Why the question?

Because I really don't know anything about them but some jibber-jabber.
Just because it's old doesn't mean it is a quality piece.

I'll probably try to get it anyway, but thought I would ask for some experience first.

[ricer]

i just picked up a variable speed (16 speeds i beleive) 14" Porter Cable from Lowes. $299 comes with laser beam, work light, tilting table, etc can't beat that deal.

[GregWeld]

If it says CLAUSING on it! Grab it!

That's a real industrial quality piece.

One thing I'd check before you grab it though --- is to look at the motor rating plate. Some of this stuff is 208V -- or maybe 3ph... or some other weird industrial electrical version. Then it might not be worth having cause to change out the motor might be more than it's worth.

I had this on a Baldor grinder once... never bothered to "check" the rating plate and it was unusable.

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by ricer

i just picked up a variable speed (16 speeds i beleive) 14" Porter Cable from Lowes. $299 comes with laser beam, work light, tilting table, etc can't beat that deal.

I bought a junk one like that too once apon a time. You will learn about real tools just like I did soon enough

[Northeast Rod Run]

Clausing is a good name in the industry. all the Clausing stuff I've come across has always been older, but I like it just as much as the Bridgeport or Cincinnati stuff. usually real beefy stuff

[Warpath Pontiac]

Originally Posted by 1969 SS

Clausing is a good name in the industry. all the Clausing stuff I've come across has always been older, but I like it just as much as the Bridgeport or Cincinnati stuff. usually real beefy stuff

I second this.
Clausing makes some really long lasting and well built machines.

[MODO Innovations]

Originally Posted by Warpath Pontiac

I second this.
Clausing makes some really long lasting and well built machines.

They used to make a really good lathe. I agree with GregWeld, check the motor plate for the voltage info. How big is the drill press?

[JRouche]

Originally Posted by ricer

i just picked up a variable speed (16 speeds i beleive) 14" Porter Cable from Lowes. $299 comes with laser beam, work light, tilting table, etc can't beat that deal.

I have a thing for drill presses.

I started with a very small 12" ryobi drill press when I decided to start playing with metal. I have to say, that lil drill earned its keep. I even made my 50 ton press with it. Drilled twenty 1" holes in some heavy wall I-beams. I had to remove the table and clamp the base to the beams, but that drill press and a quality greenlee hole saw punched alot of holes. Not to mention all the other work it did.

When I moved to a house I had room so I bought a harbor freight 20" DP. Just when they stopped putting the Chinese motors in them and used Taiwanese motors. The motors were the down fall with the HF DPs. The taiwan motor lasted the entire time I used (abused) the HF DP. I had a lil X-Y table on the table of the DP and used it for some simple milling operations. Like slotted holes and pocketing. Before I even could afford a mill.

I used the heck out of the HF DP, suited me just fine. Then I saw a nice lil clausing 20" DP for sale locally. It was mounted to a clausing table, flat bench with a smaller 14" DP mounted beside it on the table. It was a beast for me, but I bought it.

I stripped the 14" off the table, I already had too many drill presses at this point. And the extra table room was nice. Very stout table by the way.

So I got her wired up, 220vac. And lemme say. It was like night and day from using the HF DP. Besides the variable speed. No belt changes. And the power, cant stop it in any of the worst drilling cases. And it has power down feed. Kinda a nice lil benny. But all that aside. The smoothness of the spindle!!! Even with a small 1/16" bit chucked up, and extending the spindle all the way down to reach a part it is running true and smooth. At max RPM.

Thats where the clausing shines. The spindle runs true and straight. Drill a 1/16" hole in one part then swap out the bit to a 1-1/8" bit to drive through some 1" plate for another project is just a turning of the speed dial. OH!! And it makes big chips with a 1-1/8" bit in 1" plate. Even with power down feed. Intimidating at first letting the down feed do its work. I stood back abit and focused on the red button. But, no worries, it just ate the hole up and didnt even complain.

I have a 24" walker electromagnetic chuck to hold the vise. It makes repositioning the vise a snap. I flip the switch for the mag chuck, move the vise, flip the switch and its firmly held. Even with difficult drilling. Like a 3" hole saw through 1" plate. Nothing moves, til I flip the switch.

I have a few drill presses, some neat ones too, nice lil servo that isnt good for much more than 1/8" holes. But my go to is always the clausing..

And really, my point is, any tool is worth owning. I was very happy to get my lil 12" DP. It saved me from alot of hand drilling. And I was in heaven with the harbor freight DP, it saved my butt a few times. And made it possible to do some work I couldnt have done without it.

One last thought. I would take a brand new import drill press for 300 bucks before I would spend the same 300 or more for a clapped out machine that needs some work. I got a good seven years of work out of my harbor freight DP before I sold it to the next guy, and it was still in good condition. JR

My clausing, waiting for another job to eat up.....