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| I have some work to do drilling small precision holes and was looking at the Proxxon machine. I don’t need a large drill press. It is supposed to be quiet and pretty accurate. Well, accurate enough for me and this work. Anyone have experience with these? Also, one of the things I am doing is putting a 10 degree tapper on an existing 1/4″ hole. The hole is a 1/4″ dia x 5/16″ deep. I open up the top to 5/16″ to create a taper of 10 degrees. Right now I have a 5/16″ drill bit that I re-ground with the taper. But I would like something nicer. The drill bit tends to grab or self-feed. With this drill press i could use something like a router bit or a ream. Any ideas where to find one? I will check at MSC THANKS!
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Replies
I own an earlier version of the Proxxon, bought it around 10 years ago, and it is a good machine. The newer model is probably a slightly better machine, with a different belt drive and a better depth stop.
Don't expect the Proxxon to drive a reamer. Reaming is typically a low speed and high torque operation and, for just a few pieces, is often best done by hand, like tapping threads.
MSC or a gunsmiths catalog will have plenty of reamers but they aren't designated by their taper in degrees but rather by their application, such as Morse or B&S, or by their taper in inches per foot, such as the common 1/4" taper over 12".
If you absolutely need an exact 10 degree taper you may need to have it made by a machine shop which would probably be pricey.
Your tapered drill bit doesn't work well because the reground sides of the flutes aren't shaped for cutting. One quick thing to try is a serviceman's reamer which is often sold in hardware stores, plumbing, or auto supply stores. I just checked the ones I own and they have a 6 to 7 degree taper.
Hope this helps,
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
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