McIntire Department of Art

safety procedures

McIntire Department of Art, University of VirginiaP.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904

Last Modified: April 2014

1

14” DRILL PRESS

TopicsUse

Safey procedures

Appropriate PPE

Other things to remember

Drill bits

What this tool is primarily used for The Drill Press is used for drilling holes in various materials. The main advantages of the Drill Press over the hand-held counterpart, the Hand Drill, is that using the Drill Press will allow you to drill with more accuracy, drill larger holes, and drill at specific angles more success-fully. The Drill Press does have a limited distance a hole can be drilled from one edge of the material- 14 inches. This is the distance from the base of the chuck to the column.

Safety for this machine

n DO NOT operate while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication

n SECURE any loose fitting jewelry or clothing, tie back long hair - they can get caught in moving parts

n ALWAYS BE AWARE of where your fingers are in relation to the drill bit

n DO NOT USE bits that are dull, bent or damaged

n MAKE SURE bit is centered in chuck and tightened before operating the drill

n DO NOT leave chuck key in chuck while operating machine

n USE A CLAMP when drilling metal, this will help prevent the material from spinning into your body or hand

n NEVER hold metal in your bare hand while drilling

n NEVER turn the drill press “on” before clearing the table of all objects (tools, scrap pieces, etc.)

n DO NOT USE DRILL BITS THAT HAVE A SCREW TIP(called wood boring bits). At drill press speeds, they will bore into the wood so rapidly as to lift the work off the table and spin it. This can be very dangerous!!!

n SEE CHART BELOW for identification of drill bits

n DO NOT start the drill press with the drill bit in contact with the work piece

n ALWAYS let the drill chuck come to a complete stop on its own. Never grasp the chuck in an attempt to stop the drill bit

n AVOID awkward hand positions where a sudden slip could cause a hand to move into the drill bit or cutting tool

n DO NOT ATTEMPT to drill material that does not have a flat surface, unless a suit-able support is used

McIntire Department of Art

safety procedures

McIntire Department of Art, University of VirginiaP.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904

Last Modified: April 2014

2

n TO PREVENT ROTATION OF THE WORKPIECE, ALWAYS clamp work securely to the table if it is too short to contact the column or when using a hole saw or cutting tools larger than 1/2” diameter

n NEVER work on the drill press table while the drill is operating

n DO NOT wear gloves, neckties, or loose clothing when operating the drill press

n REFER to instruction manual for further information (see Studio Technician)

Always use appropriate PPE for this machine

Head/Face or EyeREQUIRED: clear face shield, safety glasses or goggles ClothingREQUIRED: long sleeves rolled upRECOMMENDED: long pants

HandsNo PPE needed. Do not wear gloves as they can get caught in moving parts FeetREQUIRED: shoes or boots. NO open-toed shoes, slip-ons, or high heels allowed in the shops EarsRECOMMENDED: ear plugs or ear muffs (general shop noise RespiratorNone needed unless drilling generates large amounts of dust. RECOMMENDED: N95

Safety glasses or goggles

Clear face shield

Respirator

McIntire Department of Art

safety procedures

McIntire Department of Art, University of VirginiaP.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904

Last Modified: April 2014

3

McIntire Department of Art

safety procedures

McIntire Department of Art, University of VirginiaP.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904

Last Modified: April 2014

4

Other things to remember

n The shop has two drill presses. One in the wood shop and another in the metal shop. Please do not drill metal on the wood shop drill press

n Remember to re-tighten the table lock lever before using the drill n Always check the drill press speed chart to determine correct combination of material, bit

size, and drilling speed n Insert drill bits about 3/4” (and at least 1/4”) into the chuck and tighten securely with the

chuck key n The chart is located on the wall behind the drill press n Factors which determine the best speed: n Kind of material being worked (metal, acrylic, aluminum, wood, etc.) n Size of hole n Type of drill bit (see pictures below) n Quality of cut desired n Typically, the smaller the drill bit, the greater the required RPM n In soft materials, the speed should be higher than for hard materials n To drill a through hole without splintering the bottom face, place the material on a scrap

piece of wood. This also protects the point of the drill bit n !!!IMPORTANT!!! Use a scrap piece of wood to also prevent drilling into the metal table

surface n Setting the depth stop can also avoid this problem. Drilling into the table not only dam-

ages the table, but also the drill bits n To prevent rotation of the work piece, clamp the work secure to the table, either with a “C”

clamp or the drill press clamp n When using paddle/spade drill bits, you should always use a hold down clamp n Paddle bits are not to be used on metal n When drilling into metal, a cutting lubricant should be used. Cast iron and brass/bronze

should be drilled dry n Return bits to drawer when you are done and clean the area around the press

McIntire Department of Art

safety procedures

McIntire Department of Art, University of VirginiaP.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904

Last Modified: April 2014

5

Various Drill Bits

Auger Bit n Use with hand drill onlyn Do not use on metal

Paddle/Spade Bit n Easier to use larger diameter bits on drill press, but hand

drills can be usedn Do not use on metal

Wood-boring Bit n Use with hand drill onlyn Do not use on metal

Twist Bit with pilot tip n Use with drill press or hand drill n Do not use on metal

Twist Bit n Use with drill press or hand drilln Great for metal (use carbide tipped)n Carbide tipped bits are usually black

Masonry Bit n Use with hammer drill onlyn Use only on masonry or plastern Note the “hammerhead” tip n Do not use on metal