WeldfabNeil Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 For starters I wasn't sure what section to post this in so sorry if it's wrong please forgive me admin.So I have been saving up money for a while to buy a magnetic drill press or allinum wire feeder. I am not sure what one I should get first. I can finally get the mag drill but not sure. I would have to wait a little while longer to have enough money for the feeder an other needed components.For a mag drill I would most likely go with the millwakee 4206-1. The wire feeder ime looking at is a miller xr-d portable suitcase feeder. I know I could do a spool gun but ide rather get a feeder. Right now my work is mainly just random side jobs. Eventually would like to have a mobile welding bussnieess but that's down the road. Right now only do steel mig an flux core as well as stick. I have the stuff for dc tig but don't do much of it. Right now I don't have the stuff to do allinum mig but my welder is capable. For wholes bigger then with a hand drill I use my plasma cutter an a jig.So what's ur thoughts, what would you go with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth Denmark Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Take a look at this..http://www.dewalt.com/tools/drills-magnetic-drill-press-dwe1622k.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 WOW, thos mag drills are freaking expensive! I was wondering what their main purpose of application were for, but I guess they are mainly for welders who need to drill through 1" solid steel. I looked up one of these drills on youtube and saw a video of an expert using it for that very application and with a little cutting lube, it was drilling like a top through 1" steel.Most mag drills you don't want to go any thinner then 1/2" plate. Sometimes you can go thinner. It's got a few factors such as alloy, surface condition, an the base itself. If used properly magnetic drills are a lot safer then drilling by hand that's for sure. There also more precise an cleaner then a torch or plasma cutter. Sometimes you can also tap wholes with a mag drill. As far as price there not cheap. The cutters are expensive as well. Everything in metalworking seems to be more expensive then working with wood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Take a look at this..http://www.dewalt.com/tools/drills-magnetic-drill-press-dwe1622k.aspxThanks for the link, will look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poisonfangs85 Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 WOW, thos mag drills are freaking expensive! I was wondering what their main purpose of application were for, but I guess they are mainly for welders who need to drill through 1" solid steel. I looked up one of these drills on youtube and saw a video of an expert using it for that very application and with a little cutting lube, it was drilling like a top through 1" steel.Just did a job for an oil/gas trucking terminal. Our iron workers could not weld anywhere on the site as we were working on top of a vapor tank...I think anyone could do that math haha. They used a mag drill overhead to drill through 1"" steel beams in order to bolt columns in place. It was fast and awesome at the same time. But when drilling overhead I recommend a safety cable or chain to avoid any mishaps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Just did a job for an oil/gas trucking terminal. Our iron workers could not weld anywhere on the site as we were working on top of a vapor tank...I think anyone could do that math haha. They used a mag drill overhead to drill through 1"" steel beams in order to bolt columns in place. It was fast and awesome at the same time. But when drilling overhead I recommend a safety cable or chain to avoid any mishaps.not to long ago I was drilling wholes in the edge of a wheel loader bucket for bolt on teeth. the guy with me unplugged the wrong extension cord an bam.....That was at work, not my own drill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thanks for the information guys, I am really not that knowledgable in the metal wielding business. And that guy who messed up your tool unplugging the extension cord, I'd fire him, then make him pay for a new drill, or have fun with me in court. lolThe tool was the least of my worries, lol. mag drills need power for the magnetic base to work. When he unplugged the extension cord from the welder/generator the tool lost power. So the motor still had a second of momentum with a spinning cutter. It caught an spun the whole thing around. at the time I was kneeling next to the drill an had my hand on the lever for downward feed. I pretty much automatically pulled back my hand an sorta looked away. Somehow it bent my finger back an it was soar for a few minutes but that was it. Thankfully I wasn't hurt bad in that split second moment. I don't know the exact weight but of the ones I've used some weigh 60 pounds. Just think of a 60 pound tool unexpectedly spinning around. They very easily can mess you up, but that goes with any power tool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regopit Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Check out ChuckE2000 https://www.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009/featured He did a good review on the Milwaukee Mag drill and I think he did a few on allinum wire feeder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Yes, this is my experience with angle grinders. When I first got my Milwaukee angle grinder, I wasn't used to that much power, 13-amps is a lot more power then 5-amps. I was using a 5" wire brush wheel on it, and I caught on an edge of a piece of metal, it bounced back into my chest, sliced abbrasions into my chest and tore up my shirt. The shirt was the leased of my worries, the loss of blood I had was my utmost concerne lol. I was worried I had to get stiches, but I just did basic home first aid kit. Cleaned the wound, applied neosporin, placed large bandages, and wrapped up in gause. Took a few days before I could remove the bandages perminantly, then it took a couple weeks of healing before all was good again. If it had been a cutting or grinding disk on the grinder when that happened, I'd be in the ER for sure. Glad your ok an you were deffinitly lucky. I've heard some pretty bad stories of angle grinders. I myself have never been hurt with one that bad. A few close calls but nothing serious. Worst welding related injury ive had is burns. Only one did I go to the hospital for. For the most part it's just small ones i just deal with when the job is over. The one bad burn was mainly a second degree burn an some area was a third degree burn. I had to bend a piece of plate. I put in in my vise an heated it red hot an started pounding away. Then the neighbor kid came over an yelled my name. so I looked over an missed my strike an somewhat stumbled forward. My shoulder an arm landed on the piece an just burnt like crazy. My first thought was just get some jel stuff for burns out of my truck. Two steps away I realized it was way to bad, an had to go to hospital. Tried driving myself but it was clear that wasn't gonna work. Had a friend close by come over an drive me to hospital. Hospital was no fun with all the stuff they had to do. Fast forward about a year till today an all you can see is a good portion of scared tissue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Check out ChuckE2000 https://www.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009/featured He did a good review on the Milwaukee Mag drill and I think he did a few on allinum wire feederHe's got some good videos, I watch him occasionally. I will check to see what he's got on suitcase wire feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 we have some milwaukee mag drills at the shop,we use them to plunge big ole holes in steel framing and weldment systems in structural steel tubing and plate etc.. Ive never had an issue with any mag drills ive ever used but these things are beasty. It should have plenty of power. One thing of note,if you are using S&D style drills with the 1/2 inch shank be careful to make sure the shank isnt fubared by someone,ive seen them snap before. Drill bits with flats ground on them for the chuck while a little more money is worth the savings in headaches and you can plunge the hell out of stuff with out the bit spinning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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