While you present a good argument for not using a drill press as a router, the main issue is really safety. Throwing a workpiece across the room is insignificant when you take a chunk out of your finger.

Harvey Tool

However, in my industrial shop, we successfully used a Delta 15″ drill press at factory speeds, and a 20″ Clausing with a large table, modified to run at 12,000 rpm for over 20 years without mishaps to people or fingers. We ran router bits, 4 flute end mills, and various flycutters and rotary safety planers on a daily basis without damage to the bearings. It works, but you have to be careful. Would I do it at home? With confidence. Would I recommend it for a casual, once a year basement “wannabe craftsman”? Only the safety planers offer sufficient protection for the amateur.

I guess, in an emergency, you could use a drill press to do a little routing job (small bit, light passes, soft wood), but I wouldn’t make a habit of it for those reasons. The reason the wheel cutting bit works well on a drill press, is it is designed to plunge into the workpiece, not run along an edge, so really it is just a glorified drill bit. It is also designed to work at the slow speeds of the drill press – you’d kill yourself trying to use it in a router!

I have a Parken heavy duty variable speed drill press. It has 0-10,000rpm speed range. It has a guaranteed accuracy of 4 microns of run out at the shaft. These machines are hand made in Melbourne & are to die for. In addition to my keyless16mm Albrecht chuck, I can swap out for an er32 collet system that is held in place by both no 3 morse taper in conjunction with an integral screw in feature. my collet range is 1 – 20mm. The parken can be run forwards & backwards. It also uses bearings that will take side thrust. This machine drills,routes,trepans,machines & runs sanding drums.

HelicalSolutions

3. The bearings on a drill press are designed to be thrust-loaded – ie you drive a drill bit down into the workpiece. A router bearing is designed for axial (horizontal) loading. If a drill press is used as a router too much, the bearings will wear out a lot faster than desired.

1. The chuck doesn’t hold the bit anywhere near as tightly as a router bit collet, so they are a lot more prone to slippage (and if a router bit slips, it is likely to change height, and therefore change the profile that’s being cut (at best….a kickback or a grab of the workpiece is not desirable!), if a drill bit grabs the work, hopefully it does slip!) The slippage will also scar the shaft of the router bit badly, making unusable in a router later – either simply because it won’t fit, or because those scratches make the bit more prone to breakage. My wheel cutter bit (which is designed only for use in the drill press) has a badly scarred shaft – doesn’t matter for that bit as it will only ever be used on the drill press, but I’d hate some of my other router bits getting damaged like that.

4. The chuck of a drill press is typically on a morse taper. Axially loading up the chuck often will loosen it to the point that it suddenly falls off!

Micro CutTools

5. Finally, although it seems expensive, even a $320 router (such as the 2400W Triton) isn’t actually that expensive compared to the router bits. Each of my bits range in price from 10% the cost of the router up to 50%. Add it altogether, and the router itself is only a small portion of the total cost (spread over time) of the ‘tool’. My collection of router bits is worth something like 5 times the value of the router itself.

The Insert identifier app helps you find the Sandvik Coromant equivalent to the insert you currently use. Simply input your grade or geometry to receive ...

Since then I have formulated the following justifications why I feel that the two tools should not be used to perform the role of the other. (In particular, I am looking at it as to why the drill press shouldn’t be used as a router).

GARR TOOL

Enhance your CNC machining with Taegutec's 10PCS RPMT1204 M C TT9080 Carbide Inserts. Made from tough Tungsten Carbide with a durable CVD coating, ...

distributors of quality & performance carbide inserts, toolholders, boring bars, drills, milling cutters, taps, reamers and other engineering consumables.

IMCOtools

01:00 – Grinding Helical End Mills 28:30 – Inspection Department 32:40 – Setting Up Grinding Wheels 35:00 – Coating Department 42:00 – Laser Marking 43:18 – Test Cuts 50:00 – Order Fulfillment

It is interesting to me, because back when I was contemplating (and then purchasing) a drill press, the same thought crossed my mind. After all, both machines grip a cutter in some form of chuck, and spin it. So what is stopping one doing the role of the other?

Helical34257

I’ve done some light routing for some softwood drawer bottoms with my drill press, it works but is not ideal. I’ve got a router plane since then so if I ever do more then I’ll likely use that instead.

Thanks! Glad I read this before attempting the “project.” I guess I’ll have to find a way to fix my schedule to work with the Adult Ed. Woodworking.

Sep 10, 2019 — It's unknown when exactly nails were invented. With that said, archeologists have found nails in Egypt dating back to around 3,400 B.C. Made of ...

Helicalcompany

Dec 8, 2020 — At Peerless Precision, we're able to achieve tolerances ranging from .0001-000005, which industries like aerospace, aeronautics & medicine ...

Our turning inserts and other turning tools improve output, enhance component quality, and reduce errors, while our expertise helps you fine-tune your processes ...

2. The average router bit speed is 8000 RPM to 20000 RPM. The average drill press is 200 RPM to 3000 RPM. A drill press simple can’t drive a router bit at the speeds required to obtain a reasonable finish, and without horrendous tearout that can occur when running a router bit way too slow.

Helical Solutions manufactures some of the best carbide end mills in the business. Join along as we tour their Maine Factory where they grind, inspect, and apply end mill coatings!

Miniature electronic side cutters cutting length 10 mm ... 8350-9 / Code no. 1829033.

202472 — The Dovetail is a metaphor coming from woodwork, where it is a technique to create a strong mechanical bond between two separate pieces of wood.

Whether you require custom automation, equipment rebuilds, fabrication, tool and die work or machining services, we can be your one source solution.

Common sense rules with this one, but having said that, I have used a bull-nose router bit in the drill press to produce some round bottom holes for a number of tic tac toe games. It was much quicker and more accurate than using a router.

Helicaltool Catalog

But that is as far as I would go and would not try to attempt more detailed work on my drill press, after all, it is only a home workshop drill press and not a more expensive and robust drill press used by most businesses.

Oct 25, 2017 — I have been using HSS and brazed carbide tooling. I can't honestly say I know all my geometries, speeds, hp formulas and so on.