Micro Drill Press

I shop in thrift stores a lot to find materials for my projects.
On my project list was a drill press to finish home made PCB's.
I found a vintage hobby microscope that is perfect for the job.

Then I bought a rotary tool at Harbor Freight for 7 dollars.
The tool fits very snugly inside a short piece of 1 1/4 PVC sch40 that is modified to replace the original eyepiece.

The base is 4in square. The throat depth is almost 3 inches.
There is no return spring, but the rack and pinion gives plenty of control for drilling.

No mods to the tool are necessary.
But...I couldn't help myself.

The wallwart supplied has a 12v output with barely enough current to turn the motor.
I Googled the motor Part# and found it rated for 24v.
I now run it from an 18v 5A power supply and the performance is more than adequate for the job.
I also added a PWM motor speed controller (that little circuit board on the table).

Works great.

You might get really lucky and find an old microscope at Goodwill, but first I would raid my kid's toy box.
Raid your neighbor's toy box, too.

Comments

[wittmason]

Does the mini drill press have any side to side "play". I have a dremel drill press currently that likes to wander across the piece I'm drilling - I need to replace it and was considering this route.

[psychlones]

Just to be sure I've read it correctly - you indicated that you run it from an 18v 5A power supply - is that 5 amps or 0.5 amps (500mA)? Thanks for sharing a great idea :-)

[wotboa]

Hiya psychlones
These little DC motors use a LOT of current. At no-load the tool uses way less than an amp, but under load the current goes up fast. Three amps should be more than the motor's stall current (my guesstimate). Five amps will give the power supply a little cushion.

[wotboa]

P.S. My suggestion? Build a variable linear PS/ 3-30vdc/ 10+ amps. Use a lot of heat sink. It will be your new 'Bench Power Supply'.
Or...buy a switcher on EBay. They got a lot to choose from for under $20.
Add this LM324 PWM speed controller to feed the motor.
http://www.pcsilencioso.com/cpemma/pwm.html

[psychlones]

Your suggestions are much appreciated and detailed enough to get me headed in the right direction. Thanks very much for taking the time to answer my query. Have a happy!

[jessyratfink]

That is genius!

[wotboa]

Hi jessyratfink
thanks but its not quite genius.
engineers call it elegant simplicity.

later
wotboa

[plbwhr]

You took the words right out of my mouth: elangant and simple.

[TheTinGal]

I am in love with this. Thank you for sharing!

[wotboa]

I'm picking your screen name apart.
Could it be 'The Tingle"?

[TheTinGal]

No sir, I apprentice with a tinsmith and have taken it upon myself to come up with a name to associate with the tin things I make and sell. I am 'the tin gal'.

[wotboa]

Sir? Sir???? This nay be Olde England m'lady. I don't see no sirs in this here room.
Be proud of your craft. The students coming out of college (with degrees) can barely tie their own shoelaces.
take care

[wotboa]

Thanks TheTinGal, my pleasure
Since I'm just the curious kinda guy, I scanned your profile. Join date is TODAY!
I'm your first hit. What an honor.
Welcome aboard. This is a fun website, many things to learn.
Create some 'thing', post it, & have a blast.
seeya
wotboa

PS This is the first instructable I published

[Ihackedyouraccount]

Wow very good. Never would have thought of the whole microscope thing. Nice job man!

[jack002]

I saw this pic of your drill in the "there_fixed_it" website. They must have thought your drill was funny looking. I think its great! I love it. Good thinking.

[wotboa]

That was me. I posted it there as a kludge.
It looked so good that I published on instructables the next day.
Thanks

[bobby sissom]

I love it, my only modification would be over sized spinner handle, so i could pretend it was really hard to work, you get top marks from me

[wotboa]

The only way to make this little beauty hard to work would be to cut off your thumbs.
Thanks

[GpaSteve]

Very cool, going to have to try this

[themostwonderfulplaceonearth]

This is great, I must build one!

[wotboa]

Nyuk nyuk nyuk!!!!
I just got my own joke!
I named this thing a 'micro' drill press cuz it's smaller than a 'mini' drill press.
Now the full name should be 'Microscope Drill Press'.
Huh? Huh?

Never mind
wotboa

[justbennett]

This seems like a great way to torture amoebas and paramecium.

[ideeman1994]

Thanks for the tip, it's a very clever hack :)


BTW, you're on Hack a Day ;)
http://hackaday.com/2012/06/22/hackaday-links-june-22-2012/

[wotboa]

Hi ideeman
On hackaday, too?
Wow, I feel like such a celebrity after just one day. Thank you very much.

I built this thing over a year ago. I use it a lot and have never been disappointed.
At the time I was looking to make a PCB drill press, the only solutions I liked (posted online) involved hinges, springs, expensive components, or some other Rube Goldberg technology.
I will say this (pardon me for not being humble). This is the best DIY PCB drill press I have ever seen.

seeya
wotboa

[cj8675]

i got a mini drill press for 5 dollars at a flea market

[l8nite]

that's a COOL tool ! thank you for sharing the idea .

[pfred2]

Nice one. A long time ago I tried to drill PCBs I'd made with a Dremel held in my hand. Didn't work for me! Now I have a miniature drill press and it is dead simple. I'm sure your microscope modification helps a lot!

[nattyclem]

I was just wontering about something else to use a microscope for and then I saw this. It is so simple, yet ridicously awesome. I love it.
Just an idea, but if you find the PVC to loos, you could use circlips to hold the drill on.

Nathy.

[stone3408]

That is great! I though that this was going to be one of those "look what I did with the special piece that only I have" but the microscope base is widely available. Very cool. Now I have to do this.

[wotboa]

Hi stone3408
It seemed like a fluke when i found that microscope just when i needed a precision drill press.
This thing works so great you would not believe.
So when you find a cache of a million surplus microscopes for sale you'll let me know, right?
seeya later, partner