What Can I Do With a Drill Press Besides Drilling

Most people think of a drill press as a tool designed for one purpose—drilling perfect holes. But that’s only part of its potential.

With the right attachments and a bit of creativity, this precision machine can perform dozens of workshop tasks that save time, increase accuracy, and deliver professional-quality results.

A drill press combines power, control, and alignment like few other tools. Its vertical spindle and adjustable table create a stable environment for multiple applications, making it a versatile centerpiece of any serious workspace.

Whether shaping wood, polishing metal, or sanding curves, the drill press becomes a multitool capable of transforming how you work.

According to Popular Woodworking, more than 60% of woodworkers now use drill presses for at least one secondary task beyond drilling, such as sanding or mortising (source).

The Woodworkers Guild of America also highlights that drill presses can reduce setup time for finishing work by nearly 40%, especially when using sanding drums or polishing mops (source).

Sanding and Surface Finishing

One of the most popular uses of a drill press besides drilling is sanding. By attaching a sanding drum or flap wheel to the chuck, you can transform your drill press into a precise spindle sander.

The vertical motion and adjustable table allow controlled pressure, making it easy to smooth inside curves, bevel edges, or finish end grain without gouging.

The drill press’s stability eliminates uneven results common with handheld sanders. It’s especially effective for fine woodworking, furniture parts, or model components where precision matters.

You can also use sanding mops to blend contours or polish intricate shapes. The steady rotation speed and height adjustment help produce consistent finishes. Always set a lower RPM when sanding wood to prevent burning or overheating the surface.

For best results, use dust extraction or a shop vacuum near the table, as sanding generates fine particles. With this setup, your drill press performs just like a professional oscillating spindle sander—at a fraction of the cost.

Polishing and Buffing Metals

A drill press can double as an excellent polishing or buffing station. By attaching cloth buffing wheels, felt pads, or flap mops, you can polish metal, plastic, or even resin with consistent control.

Unlike handheld polishers, a drill press maintains perfect alignment, reducing the risk of over-polishing or uneven shine. Using compounds such as rouge or tripoli, you can bring dull metal back to a mirror finish. Jewelers, machinists, and knife makers often rely on this technique for precision polishing.

The adjustable table lets you support larger pieces safely while maintaining smooth, even contact with the buffing surface. The machine’s variable speeds are also a major advantage—lower settings for delicate metals, higher ones for robust materials.

With minimal investment in accessories, your drill press becomes a stationary buffing system capable of delivering professional-grade results for restoring tools, finishing hardware, or creating decorative metalwork.

Mortising and Square Hole Cutting

With the right attachment, a drill press can cut clean, square mortises—an essential joinery feature in fine woodworking. Using a mortising attachment that combines a drill bit and chisel sleeve, the press removes wood waste while simultaneously cutting sharp edges.

This method ensures uniform mortises that align perfectly with tenons. The rigid setup of a drill press provides far greater control than handheld tools. It also speeds up repetitive cuts, making it ideal for chair legs, table frames, and cabinetry projects.

Mortising attachments are easy to install and available for most mid-size benchtop and floor drill presses. Simply adjust the depth stop to control the mortise depth and maintain consistent results across multiple pieces.

By converting your drill press into a precision mortising station, you eliminate the need for separate machines while achieving crisp, professional joinery.

Grinding and Sharpening Tools

Attaching a grinding wheel, abrasive disc, or sharpening drum allows the drill press to handle light grinding and tool sharpening tasks. This setup is especially useful for maintaining chisels, punches, and drill bits.

A steady spindle ensures consistent contact between the tool edge and the abrasive surface. Set the table angle as needed for specific bevels, and work slowly to avoid overheating the metal.

Some woodworkers use fine-grit discs for shaping turning tools or cleaning rust from hardware. The drill press’s adjustable height and speed settings give excellent control over material removal.

While it’s not a replacement for a full bench grinder, this method provides a safer and more precise alternative for delicate sharpening or shaping jobs. Always use proper guards and eye protection when working with abrasive wheels.

Using the Drill Press for Metalwork and Reaming

Beyond drilling holes, a drill press can perform reaming, tapping, and deburring operations for metal fabrication. Reaming smooths and enlarges pre-drilled holes to precise diameters, ensuring perfect fit for bolts, pins, or bushings.

By controlling feed pressure and speed, you can achieve machine-shop precision without specialized equipment. The vertical alignment prevents side torque and extends tool life.

You can also attach tapping heads to cut threads inside holes accurately. This process is essential in metal shops where consistent threading and alignment are critical.

For finishing, deburring attachments remove sharp edges after cutting or drilling metal plates. These small tasks benefit greatly from the drill press’s steady power and slow RPM settings, making it an invaluable tool for precision metalwork.

Shaping and Carving Wood

A drill press equipped with rotary rasps, burrs, or carving drums becomes a controlled shaping tool. The vertical feed allows you to sculpt curves, smooth contours, or hollow out recesses safely and accurately.

This setup is excellent for shaping furniture components, handles, and decorative trim. Because the spindle remains perfectly perpendicular to the table, shaping results stay consistent across multiple pieces.

Rotary rasps come in various profiles—round, cone, and cylindrical—for different carving effects. Lower speeds prevent burning and give smoother finishes, while higher speeds can remove material quickly when roughing out shapes.

For woodworkers seeking to combine artistry with precision, this method provides a reliable way to perform shaping work usually reserved for rotary carvers or spindle sanders.

Sanding Cylindrical and Round Workpieces

The drill press excels at sanding dowels, spindles, or cylindrical objects. Mount a drum sander in the chuck and use a V-block or roller jig on the table to support round stock.

This approach allows you to sand perfectly smooth curves without the uneven pressure caused by handheld sanding. The steady rotation keeps the surface even and reduces the risk of flat spots.

This method works equally well for finishing table legs, tool handles, or turned pieces that need precise surface refinement. Adjusting the table height lets you target different sections of the cylinder without resetting the workpiece.

With a few inexpensive jigs, your drill press can produce professional-level results for any project that requires round or curved shaping.

Countersinking, Counterboring, and Spot Facing

Precision drilling often involves preparing holes for fasteners or recessed heads. A drill press handles countersinking, counterboring, and spot facing operations with ease.

Countersinking creates a conical opening for screw heads to sit flush with or below the surface. Counterboring forms flat-bottomed recesses for bolt heads or washers. Spot facing smooths an area around a hole to ensure proper seating for hardware.

Performing these tasks on a drill press ensures uniform depth and clean edges, essential for furniture assembly, joinery, and metal fabrication. The machine’s adjustable depth stop and stable spindle eliminate guesswork, producing repeatable results across multiple holes.

These finishing operations are subtle but critical for achieving clean, professional assembly in any material.

Mixing, Stirring, and Specialty Applications

A lesser-known but practical use for a drill press involves mixing liquids or compounds. By attaching a stirring paddle, you can mix paint, epoxy, resin, or even small batches of concrete precisely and safely.

The stationary setup prevents spills and maintains controlled speed, reducing bubbles in viscous materials. Unlike handheld drills, a press keeps the paddle centered in the container, ensuring uniform consistency.

Other creative uses include wire brushing to remove rust, burnishing metal for a satin finish, and drilling precise dowel holes for alignment jigs. In some workshops, drill presses are even used for light tapping, deburring, or hole cleaning operations when accuracy is critical.

These versatile functions make the drill press one of the most adaptable tools in any workspace—capable of far more than drilling holes.

Conclusion

Learning what can I do with a drill press besides drilling reveals just how versatile this machine really is.

From sanding and polishing to mortising and shaping, a single drill press can replace multiple standalone tools. Its combination of power, stability, and precision makes it indispensable for woodworkers, metalworkers, and DIY enthusiasts alike.

A heavier, well-built drill press adds even more versatility. With a few accessories—sanding drums, flap wheels, carving bits, or buffing mops—you can perform countless workshop tasks with accuracy that handheld tools simply cannot match.

Its consistent spindle speed, vertical motion, and adjustable table create a controlled environment for everything from fine finishing to rough shaping. The result is greater precision, smoother surfaces, and improved efficiency in any material.

A drill press is more than a drilling tool—it’s a complete workstation. By expanding its use beyond the obvious, you save space, increase productivity, and elevate the quality of every project you undertake.