Is it worth getting the Dremel Workstation 220-01 instead of a regular mini drill press? You save a little money by going that way but if it's clunky I won't be happy. I don't need the flex shaft holder aspect (already have one) and I already have the multi-vise so I don't need it to hold the rotary tool.
I can do most drilling with my big drill press and only occasionally find the need for a smaller one. Up until now I have managed with a pin vise for small bits. I probably don't need it but I will get it if it works well enough.
Rick
I bought mine about 8 years ago and I really like it. I made an adapter to hold my Black & Decker 4 volt cordless screwdriver/drill. That gives me the ability to drill holes at very low RPM (280RPM) which really comes in handy for drilling very small holes (#75 to #80) that don’t work at high speeds. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Thanks. Low speed is something I hadn't thought about. I need to look at drill press specs vs my 395 Moto Tool.
Hello All,
For me it was a matter of space in deciding to purchase the Dremel Work Station over a mini drill press.
If I had the space I would have opted for the mini drill press.
The drawback of the Work Station is stability.
Even with a center punch dimple to start the drilling, the lack of stability of the bit it can wander, unlike a drill press.
As has been mentioned the speed of the rotary tool can come into play as well.
The rotary tool I have is from Harbor Freight & Tool and has a variable speed wheel.
Even on the slowest setting it still quit fast for small bit drilling.
If you have the space I would opt for the drill press, if not the Work Station is a good but not perfect option in my experience.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
What jj's describing comes up in some of the reviews. It seems there's a lot of "horizontal sloppiness" in the setup. Yeah, the bit goes up and down. It also does it "here and there".
It does sound like a drill press is the far better solution. I can see some on The Site that are about $80 that look doable. Little tabletop ones. I got the expensive one from Micro Mark, and am very happy with that one. It's quite heavy--lots of cast iron, or something. I use it quite a bit.
The drive belt failed finally. I got several replacements.
I had thought the spring return upwards was too heavy, but as I've used it, I've gotten use to it.
I do recommend the one I bought, though it's far from cheap.
Ed
PS: when I was a kid and had no money, I bought the version of this thing that Dremel sold at the time. It, too, pretty much sucked; and I never used it.
The Dremel itself, however, is a very nice GRINDER. And not much else.
Thanks for all of the feedback. At this point I have decided that the Dremel Workstation isn't going to leave me satisfied. As I mentioned I have a big drill press that works for bits down to 1/8 and even smaller, it just doesn't do the micro bits. For the few times I need that I'll keep using the pin vise.
I know what you mean about the quality Micro Mark stuff. Just this year I have gotten their better table saw and the chop saw. I have used both but after splurging on the table saw and accessories I'm not ready to get the drill press when I can't see me using it much. If my modeling changes I'll revisit.
hbgatsfAs I mentioned I have a big drill press that works for bits down to 1/8 and even smaller, it just doesn't do the micro bits.
Micro-Mark offers two small chucks that you could use in your drill press:
Yes, these are designed to be used in rotary tools but they could also be used in the chuck of your drill press for smaller bits at lower RPMs.
jjdamnit Hello All, hbgatsf As I mentioned I have a big drill press that works for bits down to 1/8 and even smaller, it just doesn't do the micro bits. Micro-Mark offers two small chucks that you could use in your drill press: Micro Drill Chuck with 1/8 inch shank. #61 (.039 inch) to #80 (.0135 inch) capacity. Closes to 0. Universal Chuck For All Rotary Tools: Keyless 3-jaw chuck. Holds drill bits and all accessories from 1/64 inch to 1/8 inch. Yes, these are designed to be used in rotary tools but they could also be used in the chuck of your drill press for smaller bits at lower RPMs. Hope this helps.
hbgatsf As I mentioned I have a big drill press that works for bits down to 1/8 and even smaller, it just doesn't do the micro bits.
Good ideas. I'll look into them.
You will need to test the runout in the drill-press spindle before running very small bits or cutters via one of the smaller adapters. Some spindles can be adjusted to take up any play in the bearings due to wear.
Also be sure that the spindle is at right angles to the table over the (short) operating range of stroke to be used.
In my opinion the 'important' part is not the drill but the 'table' surface for the work: I would recommend getting a small adjustable table that either clamps or attaches magnetically to the drill-press table (mine had two cross-slides) and facilitates clamping small work at the correct position and angle as the cutter is brought down to it. This can also adjust for a slight angular twist or warp of the drill-press table.
One thing that might be of use is to make an adjustable handle for the drill-press feed that gives a longer operating lever that is 'ready to hand' over just the vertical stroke of the small tool. Often there is only a single lever or a wheel with some limited number of spokes that is not at a convenient angle for the necessary delicate feed control when the work is positioned at convenient viewing height. A variety of approaches can be used to address this without modifying the machine itself as a regular drill press.
On the issue of small chucks: the "closes to 0" is an important thing for small bits. I have had several of these and have taken the jaws out and lightly stoned and lapped them on the internal faces so there are 'sharp rails' at 120 degrees that are true the length of the bit at very small sizes. The alternative is to buy a collet chuck and an appropriate set of collets that are (or can be) sized to hold your bit concentrically, with precisely ground front and back tapers that center the collet with the chuck shaft. I confess to stoning and shimming the shaft faces on my hex-shaft 'micro' chuck so it ran precisely in a three-jaw chuck, but that may be overkill.
Good stuff. Thanks.