Drillin’ not Grillin’

I need to make up some loading blocks for the Cowboy Action shootin’ and I honestly don’t know why it took so long to get to this, every home shop needs one – and this is about as cheap inexpensive a piece of offshore tooling as they come while still being useful.
Also it was heavier than the others (Sears, Home Depot, WalMart),and so more stable (one hopes), and had a useful low-speed setting for metal or sanding (belts and pullys in the tray above).
Plus I had a few $10-off TrueValue coupons from being a “rewards” member, so it came in under a hundred bucks. Now I need a clamp for the worktable…

About NotClauswitz

The semi-sprawling adventures of a culturally hegemonic former flat-lander and anti-idiotarian individualist, fleeing the toxic cultural smug emitted by self-satisfied lotus-eating low-land Tesla-driving floppy-hat wearing lizadroid-Leftbat Califorganic eco-tofuistas ~

5 thoughts on “Drillin’ not Grillin’”

  1. I’ve got the Chicago Machinery (Horror Freight), 5/8″ chuck version of yours. Works well enough, but I’ll be replacing the no-name chuck with a Made in USA Jacobs brand 5/8″ unit.

    The no-name chuck isn’t concentric enough, has noticeable runout. The machine overall though, is ok. Bought mine as an unwanted trade-in from a commercial tool outlet. $50, in factory-mint condition.

    Jim
    Sunk New Dawn
    Galveston, TX

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    • Check the runout with the ram extended for comparison. With those big bits, you might be better to look for the jobber length ones, to reduce the total runout.
      Yeah, those cheap chucks can be trouble. Check at fleamarkets and used tool stores for better brand name ones. Knock the original one off to see what the spindle taper is that you need. Actually, the paperwork may tell you this. You may also need to replace the spigot to get one that is concentric, as the HF ones aren’t noted for accuracy. That’s two tapers you need to keep track of for shopping. Matching one doesn’t automatically get you both ends correct.

      Keep an eye out for replacement headstock bearings, as the OEM bearings tend to be roller-skate/skateboard quality. Which is to say, not the best for chatter-free use. Don’t even think of using a milling bit without upgrading these.

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