Drill Press
The following list of health and safety procedures and rules to ensure
safe operation is not exhaustive.
Health and safety
- Ear protection must be worn
- Eye protection must be worn
- Dust mask must be worn
- Hair must be tied, no loose items (lanyards/ ties/ necklaces/ loose clothing etc. ) should be worn during operation
- Never carry out maintenance on the machine
- Never place your fingers close to the drill bit or other cutting tool
- Never leave the machine unattended while running
- Keep the work area clean and free of debris - before and after using the machine!
- Always keep safety guard in place
- Secure workpiece against rotation! - always use fixtures/ clamps/ vice to hold the workpiece
- Know the location of the emergency off switch before operating the machine
Rules to ensure safe operation
- Check and adjust the table before operating drill press
- Ensure there is nothing obstructing the rotating handle
- Secure work above a sacrificial board
- Only use the twist drill bits pictured above - if you require different bits inform a technician first!
- Keep the drill bit positioned above the hole in the table
- Ensure drill bit and chuck are both secure before turning on the machine - ask a technician if you’re not sure
- Always remove any nails or foreign bodies from the workpiece
- Do not change the spindle speed - this requires a technician to adjust the machine, please speak to a HatchLabs technician.
- If drilling holes of 3mm or bigger, start with a pilot hole and then increment size of drill bit
- Never force the drill bit into your workpiece. Always use a light pulsing motion/ interrupted feed so you are removing chips from the hole instead of plunging
straight through the material
- Before turning the drill press on make sure your work/ any scrap material is not touching the drill bit
- When drilling metal, use 3 in 1 oil. This reduces heat build up and makes the bits last longer!
- Wait for the machine to come to a complete stop before making adjustments
- Leave the machine clean and tidy
Materials
- wood
- machinable metal (never cut magnesium!!)
- plastic