Magnetic Drill + Drill Press
I finished the mag drill stand for my Vevor Mag Drill (Part 1). My magnetic drill press can now function as a traditional drill press for drilling small parts. I now have a true magnetic drill and functional drill press!
Transcript:
Mag Drill Stand
This is part two of my Vevor Mag Drill, or Vevor Magnetic Drill Press, Mag Drill Stand sorry, I-I wanted to say that for the transcription, my Vevor Mag Drill Stand. I got a really good response to my last video, and it definitely motivated me to get this one finished! Thanks for all the likes and new subscriptions, it’s truly appreciated! Now let’s get back to it
I like to use my combination square when I’m marking the center of things. I set the ruler to half the width and marked it from both sides. This is a good fail safe in case something isn’t square.
The pink sharpie is a better visual indicator for when I use my visual inspection face. I also marked the center of the front and the back of the magnet. This way I can center it on the shelf.
Drill Press Vise Selection
I decided to go with the 3″ vise, and I played around finding the ideal stud location. I definitely had to chase out my centerpunches, because they were both a bit off. I’m going to use some 3/8ths bolts to hold down the vise.
I started drilling my holes with a small bit to increase my chances of getting them centered in the right location.
I would’ve liked to use a lot less cutting fluid, but these bottles really truly suck lol. Let me know of a good container, so I can just stop using these.
I drilled these holes at 5/16 for a 3/8-16 tap, I used my cordless vacuum to clean up the chips because it’s a lot nicer than just tracking them all over the floor.
Drill Bit Recommendations
Right now, I’m using Bosch M42 Cobalt bits (21 Piece – 14 Piece), and they’re definitely the best ones I’ve used so far. They definitely hold an edge longer than my High Speed Steel set.
There’s just something magical about a nice sharp drill bit. And speaking of drill bit sharpening, My Drill Doctor has essentially retired at this point, and I’ve got to go back to my Primary Care Doctor for another referral and-yeah that was a shitty healthcare joke. Anyways, I deburred my holes with a countersink.
Manual Hole Tapping
I ran a little experiment when tapping these holes. I used to always use my little tap guide I made, but I wanted to compare it with hand tapping technique.
I got out my longest 3/8 bolts, so I could see how straight I cut the threads. It makes absolutely no difference in this application, but I wanted to see if I got any better at hand tapping.
And they both look really good… until you step to the side… and yeah, my y-axis could use a little work. I held the camera better the second time, so you can see my tap guide one is actually straight.
Let’s bolt down this sumbitch and get on the maiden voyage!
Drilling Issues
Annnnnd here’s where we start to have problems, but it’s not what you think… the problem was that this drill bit was dull, and in addition to that, it was fully magnetized. Let’s see if we can fix it because this is just disheartening… I spent all this time recording and planning for this to happen? For a drill bit to heat up?
I located my M42 cobalt bit, chuck’d it up, gave it a drink, and it restored my faith in humanity who is writing this shit guys? Come on, damn that a nice chip though!
Ok, enough with the slow-motion and jokes, lets get back to real-time video. This is a 3/8th hole in quarter inch mild steel. This is the largest size I would use a twist drill bit for, anything larger is better off with an annular cutter.
I always like to use the old “touch test” to see if my bit is getting hot. I wouldn’t recommend trying this one at home without gloves though.
Magnetic Drill Press Safety
Now, lets talk about safety for a second. Aside from the usual dangers of a drill press, there are a couple additional dangers with a mag drill. The magnet can fail due to a number of variables. If the material is too thin, if you’re applying too much pressure, if someone trips over your extension cord, if your power goes out, etc etc. This is ESPECIALLY dangerous if you’re drilling in the horizontal or vertical positions.
Vevor included a lashing strap, but it’s not entirely practical for this stand I’m making. Allow me to demonstrate… Yeah, that sucks, BUT, it gave me an idea! What if I use this slot, replace the strap with flat bar, and connect it to the shelf? Bonus points, I could also carry it, together, as one unit.
My strap piece of flat bar measured .109 thick which seemed rather odd. I cut my pieces of 1 1/4 square tube and decided to clean them up. It’s no fun cutting yourself on sharp corners. I also filed down the sharp edge on the inner lip. I decided to use bolts and tap threads in the square tube. I still had a little gap to shim, and I think I used 1/8″ flat bar to fill it up.
Attaching the Strap to the Mag Drill
I tacked my square tube and made sure the magnet was snug, but I could still remove it and slide it back and forth. Everything came out good, so I started working on my flat bar strap. I’m going to use 1/4″ bolts to connect the flat bar. And if you’ve made it this far into the video, please consider liking and subscribing. Now that I’ve test-fit the drill, I’m going to weld out my pieces of square tube and the shims.
Side note time, I plan on getting a better lens for the arc shots, I know the green really sucks, but your boy is on a budget!
These welds ran really nice… until the unthinkable happened… I blew through the 16 gauge square tube. I swallowed my pride, let it cool for a second, and slowly filled it back in. One day I’ll learn how to weld… one day…
I cut the 1/4-20 threads for my strap bolts, cleaned up my strap, put it all back together, and tested out my strength.
Making Studs from Bolts
Now it’s time to address my studs, which are currently bolts. I’d like to be able to set the entire stand on the table, so it was time to remove the heads. I jammed two nuts together on each bolt. This makes it easy to clamp in the vice for a good, old fashioned beheading. Damn this treasonous bastard!
I turned the now headless bolt sideways, and quickly rounded the the edges. I planned on cutting it in half, but I didn’t want to mess up my vise, so I decided to only partially cut it in half. Sorry guys, just trying to spice it up a bit.
Removing Zinc Plating
This next method may be a little controversial, but I prefer to burn zinc plating off, in a controlled manner, rather than when I’m welding. I know, I know, you can use vinegar or muriatic acid, but I currently have wedding decorations blocking access to my vinegar tank, and I’m not a fan of muriatic acid.
I’m just gonna light up the propane torch and SHUT IT OFF. There’s no way I’m doing this inside, even with a respirator on.
I decided to do this on the lid of my water meter, but I’m sure any outdoor surface would work. Side note, luckily, none of my neighbors saw me and thought I was tweaking out. Then again, I could just tell them it was for YouTube, and they’d totally understand.
Here’s my set of bolts and burnt nuts. Let’s let them cool for a bit.
Now that they’re cooled off, I decided to give them a scrub, followed by a spit bath, and a rub. And just look at that nice raw steel.
(Just look at it, Just look at it)
I just realized, I never showed the wing nuts earlier in the video, but I promise they have a purpose.
I screwed my beheaded bolts in, ran nuts down on them, and hopefully this is where it all starts to make sense.
The slot lets me hold onto the stud while I tighten down the nut. I can also adjust how far they are recessed from the bottom of the baseplate. This is important so that I have a little bit of space for my weld, and I can fill it up flush with the bottom.
Now I’m grinding the welds flat and then using a stripping disc to smooth it out. I welded the wing nuts on top of the strap bolts and then rounded the corners on the base plate.
Testing the Vevor Mag Drill Stand
Now we’re testing out a 5/8 annular cutter on the Vevor Mag Drill. I should also point out that my welding table is on a mobile base. That’s why you can see a little bit of shaking in this clip. This cut is in real-time minus me reaching for the cutting fluid.
After shooting this video, I’ve installed the coolant tank, and it’s much nicer to use. I’m in the process of adding a lip around the base and then a drain.
Well guys, this video was more editing than I ever wished to do, but hopefully it gave you some ideas. I’ll be doing more videos on the Vevor Mag Drill soon.
I’m going to do a full review once I’ve put this thing through 216 or more 16mm holes in 5/16ths mild steel. Yep, there’s a video I’ve got planned…
Thanks for watching, make sure to drop me a like, and I’ll get to work on the next one!