Can I use a benchtop drill press as a arbor press.

[koger]

I recently acquired a benchrest rifle that uses Wilson hand dies, couldnt I use a piece of brass or aluminum bar stock chucked up in the drill press to do the same thing.

[country gent]

I would make sure the stem on the bass or aluminum bottomed out in the chuck. Or replace the chuck with the pusher most of the bench tops are either 3/8 24 or 1/2 20 threads. It will be harder on the bearings in the spindle though. What would be ideal is a cup the dia of the spindle tightened to bear on the outer housing this way no force would be put on the bearings.
But I think it will do it

[Daver7]

I think most bench top drills are bushings.
I could be wrong but back when I was working for a living I was told they did and that’s why you shouldn’t mill on a drill. But it’s okay to drill on a mill.

Back to your original question. I’m not sure but it seems like it would be a better choice to buy a used press. And save the drill for drilling.

[Reg]

Better to get a dedicated press as it would be very hard on the rack and pinion. They were not designed for such usage.

[country gent]

I would be more concerned with the squareness of the table to the spindle. Sinclairs sell some pretty light presses for this

[Winger Ed.]

Better to get a dedicated press as it would be very hard on the rack and pinion. They were not designed for such usage.

^^^this^^^

Not using the right tool puts a weak link in the chain to do justice to the rifle.

[JSnover]

Better to get a dedicated press as it would be very hard on the rack and pinion. They were not designed for such usage.

That right there!
It might work. For a while. But most benchtop drill presses I've seen aren't sturdy enough for too much of that action. Even if nothing breaks the table will probably flex more than you want it to.

[15meter]

It would work for neck sizing, bullet seating duty. There's not a lot of force involved. I wouldn't try any case forming with a drill press. I've done it for light stuff in the past.

That said, have you checked harbor freight? If I remember correctly, they peddle a light arbor press that is probably closer to what you want.

Yeah, it's Chinese lower quality stuff, but it does work and the likelihood of finding a domestic press at a reasonable price is not good.

[DCB]

If You have a turret press like a Lyman T-mag. you could use that. Remove the detent ball and spring rotate the turret between stations tighten the nut and have at it.
It has worked for years for me makes great reloads. -0- run out

[1Hawkeye]

Sounds like a trip to harbor freight for a cheap arbor press.

[Green Frog]

This thread has covered pretty much of of my thoughts, but to summarize;
1) you could use a bench top drill press as an arbor press and it would probably work OK for a while, but…
2) depending on how you set it up, how well built the press is, and how much pressure your die will require to perform its duty, you will…
3) get less than optimal results and probably…
4) introduce unwanted wear to your drill press, especially the bearings that are designed for rotation rather than compression.

As 1Hawkeye said, a quick trip to Harbor Freight (or someplace similar) will net you a cheap, probably $25 or less, arbor press that is made to do the job. Their smallest press is rated at 1/4 ton, IIRC, and will be more than you need. A more elegant (but expensive) solution would be one of the little purpose built presses from Sinclair or Harrell. Even thee smallest of the ones from HF is overkill, but will certainly do the job perfectly and cheaply. Why try to use your drill press in a way it wasn’t intended?

Froggie

PS While taking a course in machine shop, I built my own arbor press, making everything but 4 little machine screws from raw stock. I’m the coolest kid on the block when I use that!

[ulav8r]

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-...ess-59766.html

The only one they still carry, used to have smaller ones.

[mdi]

I bought one of these and use it for "normal" shop uses and some reloading tasks. I have used it often with Lee Loaders... https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-...ess-59766.html

The accuracy of using a cheap arbor press is in the Wilson Tools more so than the press...

[405grain]

I was a machine shop superintendent for over 30 years. The worst damage I've ever seen on tools and equipment wasn't caused by people that didn't know what they were doing. It was caused by people that THOUGHT they knew what they were doing. I had to rebuild the quill on a Bridgeport mill because some dim bulb tried to use the milling machine as an arbor press. A Tree mill went to the scrap heap because of the same thing. The rack and pinion on a drill press is in no way strong enough for the machine to be used as an arbor press. If you choose to abuse a drill press in that manner, you can say "Hey look, it worked. I was able to press that pin, stud, bolt, whatever." Good job. But now try drilling a precision hole pattern with that drill press. You will have used up that tools ability to preform it's job just to produce one part. That drill press could have made many thousands of parts, but now it's junk. Get an arbor press or a hydraulic press. Even using a hammer and a punch would be better than abusing a tool using it for a task that it wasn't designed for.

Also, do not use a reloading press as an arbor press. You will damage the spring and groove that retains the shell holder. If you do this you will need to replace the ram.

[Green Frog]

Well, I guess this is what happens when you get a bunch of people together on a forum proclaiming it's about Hand Tools and start talking about presses. Mr 405 Grain, I defer to your far superior knowledge of machine tools and agree with you through your whole first paragraph. Amen and amen!

The second paragraph is where we come apart. What do you think a reloading press is but a highly adapted arbor press? Put the proper part in the shell holder to provide a base and you're good to go. Every time you do a heavy reforming or resizing of a case in your RCBS Rock Chucker or your CH H-type press, you are performing arbor press duties, just with specialized tooling.

Now, let's get this particular forum back to discussing "Casting and Reloading Hand Tools, The 310's and such of our hobby. Lee Loaders included" and leave discussion of presses and machinery where they belong... someplace else!

Rant over,
Green Frog

[uscra112]

Having worked for a baker's dozen years in machine tool rebuilding, I might point to one or two cases where spindle bearing races were "dimpled" due to using the machine as an arbor press. Out of the hundreds of machines that passed through our hands.

That said, i wouldn't be concerned about using a drill press to SEAT BULLETS. The force there is low. You can do it by hand for a lot of calibers. I used a hand seater that came with one of my Lovells for a long time.

Sizing brass is another matter.

[GregLaROCHE]

Go for an import arbor press or start looking for a used reloading press. Consider posting here in the WTB section and see what kind of response you get.

[Larry Gibson]

I've been using an old Sears Craftsman drill press that was meant to have a 1/2" hand drill in it for use. The drill has long ago quit working but I still use the stand for NSing 223 cases and seating the bullets with a Lee Target Loader. I use it when seating bullets using Lee loader of various other cartridges. Also I use it when swaging and HP 22 LR cartridges with a Paco Kelly tool. If I didn't have the Sears press I wouldn't hesitate to use my regular drill press for such as the pressure use to NS 223 cases and seat bullets is less than many drilling operations.

[country gent]

When I started loading it was with a lee loader in 222 rem it didnt take long of the tapping and dad brought me a bottle capper from me grandmas farm. it was very light the rack and upright were 1/4" by 1" with the rack cut into the back edge, I very much doubt any of it was hardened. I loaded 1000nds of 222 with this and little to no wear.

A cup made to screw on and bottom in the non turning spindle will not be pressing on the bearing but on the tube of the spindle or the small splined shaft the drill chuck screws on. This is basically the same rack and pinon as an arbor press only slightly finer 14 1/2* teeth, leaving the table as the week link. pull the table and use the flat base lowering the head on the column. then the squareness is the only issue

The plus is the spring loaded ram you dont have to raise the ram back up or hold it up

[garandsrus]

Corbin makes anvils to turn their press into an arbor press. I don’t see any problem using any press with an anvil and Wilson dies. I have a set that neck sizes and seats the bullets. They don’t require much pressure, considerably less than full length sizing a bottle neck case.

The only possible issue is the length of the Wilson dies. They might not fit under some reloading presses.

http://www.corbins.com/pr-csp1a.htm