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Author Topic: Porter drill press, grizzly, and KMT ball jig review  (Read 6233 times)

skwira001

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Porter drill press, grizzly, and KMT ball jig review
« on: November 15, 2014, 11:46:53 PM »
OK so I know many of you are out there wondering how this all works.  Let me give this a review.

I have the porter floor drill press found here: http://www.lowes.com/pd_78742-46069-PCB660DP_0__?Ntt=porter+drill+press&UserSearch=porter+drill+press&productId=3162489&rpp=32
I have this compound mill table: http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-18-1-2-Compound-Slide-Table/G8750
I bought the KMT stand alone do do scale which is both a do do scale and a ball clamp jig: http://kmtballjig.com/ Also note I bought this off of Ebay directly from KMT.
I bought a clamping kit: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Clamping-Kit-for-5-8-T-slots-58-pc-/G1076 I recommend getting 2 of these.

So how does this all work together?  Here's the thing you'll notice.  The 3 screws which locks up the Y axis gets in the way of your clamping screws.  You can remove some of the screws, but at least one must be hand tight or else the compound table will wobble.  I actually found less wobble and vibrations when I raised the compound table up with step block nuts shown here: https://www.google.com/search?q=step+block+pairs&biw=1670&bih=812&tbm=isch&imgil=O-RU50vZl1KyiM%253A%253BEfg0RAJLd_hRDM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.carrlane.com%25252Fcatalog%25252Findex.cfm%25252F2982F1D0F0F0F17511D0A542A1B10172D0D171B03005E221E0107070F1A2717180F0A1E4A3E111D081B00063327274F5F5757&source=iu&pf=m&fir=O-RU50vZl1KyiM%253A%252CEfg0RAJLd_hRDM%252C_&usg=__piJkfAUj6_l-Ebfec2oaIeccMzM%3D&ved=0CE4Qyjc&ei=uzVoVJSyFZGqyASw5YKwBA#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=O-RU50vZl1KyiM%253A%3BEfg0RAJLd_hRDM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.carrlane.com%252FSiteData%252FFeatureImages%252F137stcc_a.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.carrlane.com%252Fcatalog%252Findex.cfm%252F2982F1D0F0F0F17511D0A542A1B10172D0D171B03005E221E0107070F1A2717180F0A1E4A3E111D081B00063327274F5F5757%3B154%3B154 there is actually less wobble.  However, when I added this alone with the thinner shorter ones so I could get the table over the top of the clamping screws, it shook too much.  The best method was to remove the screws on the right side of the table that when tightened with an allan wrench will stop the y axis from moving.  Leave the middle screw in hand tighten and maybe even tighten it completely to get the least wobbling once you get it set.

The default speed with the Porter drill press won't work for the bigger size drill press.  You'll need to go to at least the 3rd slowest speed.  I found that to be a good balance between less shaking and one that can also get you deep enough to drill a 1-1/4" hole.  If you are patient enough, you may even want to start at slow speed, turn the drill press off, and then change the gear in the top where the belt is.  Changing the gear using the belt is simple.  The center pulley has a plastic piece right next to it that will pull one side tighter and one side looser which makes changing gears a snap.  The inside cover of the top will tell you how fast each gear will go.  Again, this is not ideal for a pro shop, but if you're doing this at home you might have the time.

Overall, I think it's best to have some kind of drill press with a compound mill table just for plug cutting.  I would have gone with 2 KMT jigs.  One I would buy the jig made for drilling with a corded drill and a pitch plate.  The other I would go with a stand alone KMT do do scale which you will use to lock the ball in the jig on the press with a plug cutter at 0,0.  Even though you go 0,0 you will still need a mill table.  I've tried knocking the jig over every direction and could never get it exactly.  The compound mill table will get you precisely on 0,0 which you will never do by sliding the jig around.

Also, if you hold the handle down on all 3 cranks wheels, you can turn the dial that reads out numbers so that you can set your true 0,0.  The plug cutter will tell you when you reach 0,0, and you will see a small circle about 1/8" diameter when the plug cutter comes down on the ball.  Then you know you're at 0,0.  If you take a gouge out of the ball, you're not at 0,0.  This is what I mean it might be best if you use a slug or have to trim to just get what I got for that and leave it locked there and just use the handheld drill using Steve Zoeller's  way of drilling.

I also purchased Innovative's 17 bit drill set plug an additional 1-1/4" drill bit.  I could have gotten away with just the 17 bit set if I would have bought 1-1/8" slugs instead of 1-1/4".

If you decide to use the KMT and drill holes on the press, make sure you turn each axis at least 5-6 times and make a chart of each readout.  If you then have to go some where in-between on your actual pitches, a good educated guess will probably be accurate.  The other thing you can do is drill 5-6 holes going over 1 revolution each both for the x and y.  Then right below each of those holes or just across, you can do 1.5 revolutions and 2.5 revolutions, etc.  This will give you a really good idea of how much you crank the table does to the pitches.

To make sure the mill compound table is square, I would turn the laser light on and crank in left and right.  Watch the laser light right on the edge of the track and make sure it stays there for a few inches.

I do like the porter drill press, but I like one where instead of putting a 5/8" track to mount it that you put something that can go through the table on the drill press and tighten up with a nut underneath the drill press table so that when you crank the table it will go over the holes.

Of you agree or disagree with me, comment below as you see fit.

 

itsallaboutme

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Re: Porter drill press, grizzly, and KMT ball jig review
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2014, 05:36:19 AM »
There is no need for a fancy set up to cut plug and slugs.  A router will do everything you need to do.

Strapper_Squared

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Re: Porter drill press, grizzly, and KMT ball jig review
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2014, 09:23:31 AM »
I put my plug cutter into the press, then lower it to the surface of the ball.  I tweak the x - y pitches until the cutter is flush with the surface.  Then I rotate the ball to where the plug is located and cut away.  This accounts for slight differences in ball surface shapes as well...

Scott
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