Drill press problems

[Woodfly]

Hello fellow pipemakers.

I'm a novice pipemaker, currently working on my twelfth pipe. Three of them I have drilled myself, but not without problems.
I have a very small drill press and I find that I'm having to move my stummel around all the time in order to change drill bits.
My drill press can only drill 2 inches (50 mm).
If I mount my vise on the movable platform, I don't have enough room to change drills without having to move the platform and stummel out of the way, making me lose my alignment.
If I mount the vise on the drill press platform, my drill can't reach the stummel.

I have been using alternative methods (see picture) but I find that this is too unstable.
Acquiring a metal lathe is not an option right now.
Would you recommend I find a new and bigger drill press, or do you have any other tips on how to modify my current one?

Thank you all for this great forum.

[DocAitch]

I have a Harbor Freight 13” bench top drill press which gives enough quill travel for most tasks. I think -when the 13” model is fixed to the bench, it is rigid enough for pipe making.
You will still have to move the stummel or table to switch between tasks.
I do not use a conventional vise, but have devised my own clamp and method.
Below is an old thread. I have changed my procedure and now drill chambers. I also don’t use the. thermo malleable plastic pillows
I tried using a smaller drill press such as you have but it did not have sufficient quill movement range.

https://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/v ... hp?t=11115
I cannot drill the draft (which I do last-sort of) totally on this device. I drill a pilot with a short jobber bit, then finish the draft with a hand held longer bit in a hand drill.

DocAitch

[Woodfly]

Very nice setup you've got going.
I've considered many different solutions to my problem, but I always circle back to the issue of the quill's range of movement, as you also mentioned.

I saw a floor mounted drill press on facebook marketplace with a crank to raise and lower the table, which might actually be the best (only?) solution.
Phew, pibemaking is hard work!

[DocAitch]

Unfortunately, raising and lowering the table changes the alignment. You will have to re align the table every time you change the height. It will work, but it will be cumbersome.
DocAitch