Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Features:

• Capacity: 13″
• Chuck: 3/4″ (20mm)
• Manufacture Date: 1997
• 12 Speed
• 340 to 2,800 RPM

Experience:

This week I’m using the drill press to set up adjustable shelving, pre-drilling cabinet sides before assembly. I’ve made a few jigs for the task over the years. I’d guess that’s my most common use for this press. Drilling long rows of holes to a certain depth – over and over. Which reminds me of the hundreds of 1/2″ mahogany plugs I made for a siding job with this press.
I bought the mortising attachment and some bits and tried that once. Yikes, I might as well chisel by hand. It seems best for softer wood since it’s a fairly manual operation and this Reliant doesn’t like to be pulled on hard. The mortising assembly and the bits are collecting dust.

The Delta Sanding Drum Kit has come in handy and creates one of the few times I actually change speeds on this thing.

Comments:

I had to set this Drill Press on rollers so I could move it around to accommodate longer boards. In 12 years, I rarely change speeds. Changing the drill speed is a manual operation. Open the lid, crank a lever loosening the pulleys, read the chart to figure out where the belts go on then close it back up.

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If you don’t have to leave one or two crank handles off they’ll vibrate loose and fall out anyway.

Overall this has a small motor, low-quality fit and finish and a few issues. I think that’s goes with, you get what you pay for – but.. It’s 12 years old. It works for my purposes.. except when things get heavy-duty, then it’s better left for drilling 17/64″ holes down a face of birch ply.

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Links:

Here are a few different drill presses at Amazon.com
Grizzly G7944 12 Speed Heavy-Duty 14″ Floor Drill Press
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DELTA 17-950L 16.5-Inch TwinLaser Crosshair Drill Press
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DELTA DP300L 12-Inch TwinLaser Crosshair Drill Press
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I originally purchased the Delta Sanding Drum Kit for my drill press. Pop one of these on and lower the press and I’ve got the spindle sander I needed. So versatile this kit has proven I own two. I didn’t want to steal drums from my drill press to use in the rougher arena of my job.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars – decent value, any longer one?

Features:

• 25-Piece Sanding Drum Kit
• Five drum sizes: 1/2-, 3/4-, 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-inch.
• Drums will also work in hand drills
• Two sets each of 80 and 120 grit sanding sleeves
• Compatible with any drill or drill press with a 1/4-inch or larger chuck.
• Carrying case.

Experience:

Even if you don’t have a drill press Delta’s Sanding Drums are great accessories to have. I just used one of these to smooth out bandsaw marks from an cutout in 5/4 mahogany and on the same project I used a larger drum to free-hand contour the wood to custom fit my piece. I use these on cabinet installs when a fitting pipes, if I miss by a 1/4″ I can quickly sand it off instead of risking the veneer with a jigsaw. I mostly use them on a cordless drill to contour a block into some irregular shape. I’m often sanding curves and this is what I use most of the time.

Comments:

Each sanding drum might not perfect, but you get a lot for the $$ and they’ve found plenty of time in my shop. One more tool box… 25 more tools. I owned these for a few years before buying a set for the job and I haven’t had any wobbly ones I read about in another review.

Links:
Delta 17-940 25-Piece Sanding Drum Kit