Drilling and Sanding Questions

[TammyG]

I don't have much luck with the 'regular' drill I use and was wondering if it would be worth my while to get a drill press and are there any good small ones as I don't have a lot of space? I was also wondering if there were any good small sanders that would be good for intarsia?
Thanks!
Tammy

[Forester21]

Tammy - I use a dremel to sand most of my intarsia.
T

[tgiro]

Tammy,

Drill presses and Drum sanders vary in price depending on how big you get them.

If you are just drilling small holes for inside cuts, any small drill press will suffice. There are a number of 10 & 12 inch drill presses that can be found, on sale, for around $100. You just need a decent work bench or table to mount it.

There is, also, a drill press attachment for the dremel devices that isn't very expensive.

Dremel sanders are good if you are steady with your hands (I'm not). I need a mounted sander. If you can find a variable speed 8-inch grinder that will run at 1750 RPM, then you can strip the grind wheels and covers off it and mount Seyco's Flex-Drum sanders on it. Seyco sells a motor & shafts for a good sanding unit, but with the stand & everything, they run around $250. I'm using a Craftsman variable speed grinder that cost about $145, on sale a couple of years ago.

I bet, if you check the big box stores, Seaars,Lowes & the Depot, you'll find what you need for decent prices. Harbor Freight has good prices but quality can sometimes be chancy.

[Jim Finn]

I need to drill starter holes at a 3 degree angle ( approx.) for inlay work. I use a hand held dremel tool with small bit in it. works well for me.

[Jan]

I do a lot of intarsia and use flex drum sanders mounted on a grinder motor. I also have the Seyco/General Tool Dual Drum Sanding System. Love it. I'm not very good doing shaping with a Dremel. I find it to be slow and tedious but that's just me. I have a table top drill press and the Dremel workstation which effectively turns the Dremel tool into a tiny drill press. It works quite well as long as you don't need big holes drilled. I have never mounted a sanding drum to a drill press so I can't speak to that. I have been told that can cause damage to the drill press. If you look at grinders for the purpose of shaping intarsia make sure you find one that is variable speed or runs at 1750 rpm or so. That's the accepted and very effective speed for shaping wood. Check out the stickys at the top of the Intarsia/Segmentation section of this forum and you'll find a lot of information about this subject.

Jan

[thawkins57]

Tammy, this Drill Press - 5 Speed is what I use to drill my holes... It's not a GREAT drill press, but it does the job for me and I got it on sale for $60. I also chuck a 1 1/2" drum sander in it when I need to do some curved sanding.
Tim

[louhodson]

another drill press

Dremel makes a plunge router base for its products. If you have a battery powered Dremel tool that has the optional chuck attachment you would have the best portable drill press around. I use mine in the garage because its easy to move around, no cords to trip over, fits in a drawer when you are done, and it holds the parts down while you drill. That plus the cost of about $40 dollars( if you have the cordless tool already) makes it a great alternative to a drill press. The drill press can drill bigger holes and use sanding spindles along with other advantages, but when you need a hole 12 inches from the edge of a plywood project, this works great. A drill press that will reach that far costs about $150 in the Chicago suburbs.

[TammyG]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm going to go Dremel shopping this weekend!
Tammy

[qlty]

I used to use a dremel but found when stacking and useing a fine pattern I would often not get a straight hole and be off the cut lines i found a used delta 10 inch table drill press at a yard sale and it works great for me.

[welcon2]

Tammy I am just gathering tools for intarsia I have never done it befrore but I plan on purchasing a Kirjes sanding system available from King Arthurs tools. they call it the Guinevere, from what I know ( very little ) that looks like a really good system.

[welcon2]

Tammy page #1 of issue #46 ( Scrollsaw magazine Spring 2012 ) Seyco has a new scrollers drill that they are advertising, check it out.

[karen12]

Jim Dandy Products: Products
I don't know what exactly you need or if you've already found it but this site has a 1/4 inch round and 3 inches long and comes in three grits. It looks like it might attach to scroll saw. you would have to call them to find out more. He doesnt have a shopping cart. You call in your order or he recommends where you might buy the product.

[oily]

this may be of use. Rotary Tool Drill Press Stand Model 1097-10970003 at The Home Depot