How many times have you tried to drill really small holes using a big clumsy drill press? Oh, and how many broken drill bits & ruined work pieces? Well, having been there and done all that; in the early 1970's I designed and built this really sensitive miniature drill press for the small work. I use it on a regular basis and it has served me very well over the years.

There is zero backlash in the quill feed and with just 3/8" quill travel with each turn of the down feed knob, control of the drill bit is a cinch! There is a graduated depth stop and if desired, you could mount a small dial indicator for precise depth control on yours.

An optional shop made electro-magnet is built into the base directly below the spindle to hold ferrous work pieces or your own holding device for non ferrous materials. This has proven to be a valuable asset to the utility of the drill press. The magnet pole is not visible in this photo.

The drill head moves up and down and will swivel around the column to accommodate the work. I routinely drill .006" holes with my drill press you will be able to reliably drill holes in metal down to .004" diameter should the need arise. It is capable of drilling holes up to .063" (1/16"). Many shops will have lots of uses for this easy to build bar stock tool.

The plans set consists of 6 sheets of drawings and a sheet of construction and assembly notes.

Specifications:  Quill Diameter: 1/2", Quill Travel: 1/2", Throat Depth: 1-3/4", Drill Capacity: 1/16", Height: Approx. 7"