Thanks Steve. I feel better already. Mine is out for delivery so I should have it soon. Did you have to replace the belt yet? I wonder if I should order a spare or two for future reference. I have some carbide drill bits (too small) here but more on the way. What size bits do you use the most of? Or better yet what size bits are most commonly used for thru hole pcb's? I think an aquarium pump may work but I know what you mean on the air blower. We have sewing machine oil. Once I evaluate the spindle heat I may have to mod it with a heat sink and a pc fan. But I think it will be ok as my boards will be small and not by the hundreds.? :) And I just ordered some Jumbo LED's so I can fashion something like this:
Planning to have some fun!
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On 3/4/2019 12:13 PM, Steven B wrote:
I have a Proxxon TBM115? and it has served me well on drilling hundreds of PC boards at my fabrication shop.
There are definitely better drill press setups available. But prices do get high.
I would recommend buying the drill bits for PCB drilling. These are the ones with the colored collars on them that you see on ebay and amazon and so on...
Check the belt tension also, and monitor how hot the spindle area gets, the belt does not have to be super tight, my spindle gets pretty warm after a 20 or so boards of continuous drilling.
Some light synthetic oil or sewing machine oil keeps everything lubed up in the spindle area. A good light shining on the board helps a lot !!
Also, at the junk store I found a respirator pump (?) it's like a little air pump in a plastic case, blows a constant stream of air onto my drilling area to keep the area clear of dust.
The big thing is not to let the board jiggle or rise up as the bit makes contact with the board, that generally breaks the bit (in my case) as it puts a bunch of force against the side of the bit.
Have Fun !
-Steve
