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YOU CAN 3D PRINT A PRECISION DRILL PRESS

A 3D-printed drill press filled with concrete for weight and damping, built for micro drill bits down to fractions of a millimetre.

by Chris Borge

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Workshop

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
license not specified
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a sensitive drill press — the kind where you feel the bit through the feed lever — built around 3D-printed shells filled with concrete for mass, strength and vibration damping. Chris Borge designed it after watchmakers' machine tools and tested it with micro drill bits: 1 mm and 0.5 mm went through, and a 0.3 mm bit made it through but broke. The concrete pour is the build's defining step and needs vibrating to fill the form. The parts list in the Printables description is thorough on sizes but has no supplier links, and there is no separate manual: the creator says his video covers about 95 percent of the build. If you already own a bench drill press, this will not replace it for speed or capacity, but for tiny holes and fine feel it is a genuine tool.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —STL files and an exploded STEP model are on Printables; the description has the full parts list, and the creator's video covers most of the assembly.
  • —Licence is CC BY, so commercial use is permitted with attribution.
  • —The bill of materials is detailed but does not link to specific products — you source the motor, bearings, linear rods and hardware yourself.
  • —No firmware; the spindle is belt-driven by a DC motor (the creator used a 24 V 755 motor) and you feed the bit by hand.
  • —The creator's YouTube video covers most of the build, including the concrete pour and drilling tests.
  • —Some hardware (M4 heat-set inserts, LM8UU linear bushings, M8 bushings, coupling nuts) may need a second order if you do not already stock it.

Parts to buy

12 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • DC motor with a speed controllerFind
  • Belt and pulleysFind
  • 8 mm rod and M8 threaded rodFind
  • LM8UU linear bushingsFind
  • 608 bearingsFind
  • M8 bushingsFind
  • M4 heat-set insertsFind
  • M4/M5/M8 boltsFind
  • Nuts and coupling nutsFind
  • Short 2020 extrusionFind
  • About 10 kg of concreteFind
  • Chuck (he uses an ER11 collet chuck)Find

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Can I build this?

PrintBase, column, headstock, arm and table parts — about 30 STL files on Printables, with an optional split base for smaller printers
BuyDC motor (the creator tested a 24 V 755) with a speed controller, belt and pulleys, 8 mm rod and M8 threaded rod, LM8UU linear bushings, 608 bearings, M8 bushings, M4 heat-set inserts, M4/M5/M8 bolts, nuts and coupling nuts, a short 2020 extrusion, about 10 kg of concrete, and a chuck (he uses an ER11 collet chuck)
Tools3D printer (the base can be printed split for smaller beds), hacksaw, basic assembly tools, a soldering iron or insert tool for heat-set inserts, a bucket for the concrete and something to vibrate the form (the creator used a palm sander)
SkillsIntermediate — you must align bearings, pour concrete without voids, and set mechanical tolerances; prior experience with linear motion hardware helps
TimeA weekend or more: printing the parts, a concrete pour that needs about a day to set, then assembly and alignment.
Cost$$ — the creator shows a rough cost breakdown in the video and says it came to about half of what his small commercial drill press cost; bearings, rods, motor and the chuck dominate, concrete and filament are minor.
SafetyWear eye protection when drilling. Wet concrete is caustic, so wear gloves when mixing and pouring. The spindle runs at high speed (the creator tested around 24,000 RPM), so keep hair and loose sleeves away; no mains voltage if you use a DC motor and supply.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

I Printed A Sensitive Drill Press

The creator's YouTube video, embedded on the Printables page, covers most of the build including the concrete pour and drilling tests.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the Printables description (model 911254) and check the full parts list against what you already own (The BOM does not link to parts, so you will be cross-referencing bearing sizes and rod diameters yourself)
  2. 2.Print the base and column parts first and check every form for gaps before you mix concrete.(Once you pour concrete, mistakes are permanent, so check the forms and the bearing alignment rod before mixing.)
  3. 3.Source the linear rods and bearings before you finish printing — lead times can stretch a weekend build into two

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The parts list gives dimensions but not supplier part numbers, so expect an afternoon of measuring and cross-referencing on bearing and rod suppliers.
  • The concrete has to fill a complex form without voids: the creator says vibrating it is essential (he used a palm sander) and that concrete can escape through extra holes in the form.
  • Heat-set inserts must go in straight; if one goes crooked in the base shell before the concrete pour, you cannot re-drill it later without compromising the structure.
  • The headstock bearings must share one axis or the bit will wobble: the creator's tip is to put a length of M8 rod through the bearings while you pour the concrete.
  • If you have never used a sensitive drill press, the feel takes practice; the creator broke a 0.3 mm bit on his first test, partly because his spindle ran slower than he wanted.
  • The concrete pour adds about 10 kg to the base, so plan where you will store and use this — it is not a tool you move between benches casually.

Can I use this to drill steel?

The video tests micro bits rather than steel. Steel is harder and needs sharp bits, cutting fluid and a slow feed; the creator tested at about 24,000 RPM for small bits and planned a slower, larger motor, so pick motor speed to suit the material.

What size drill bits can it take?

It depends on the chuck you fit on the 8 mm spindle — the creator uses an ER11 collet chuck, and in the video he drills with 1 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm bits. Pick a chuck or collet set that covers the sizes you need.

Do I need a bench drill press if I build this?

No, but they serve different purposes. A bench press is faster for large holes and repetitive work. This is for precision and feel — jobs where you need to stop the instant the bit breaks through, or drill arrays of tiny holes without a jig.

Can I skip the concrete and just fill it with sand or lead shot?

Concrete bonds to the printed shell and adds structural rigidity, not just mass. Sand or shot will add weight but will not stop flex the same way. The creator's design assumes concrete.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The concrete is not just weight: the creator says it gives strength and vibration damping and is cheaper than printing with 10 percent infill. What would you use a small sensitive drill press like this for that a bench press cannot do?

CompareeTEAM6d agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the Printables listing has 31 STL files, a STEP file and the parts list in the model description; there is no separate manual PDF and no GitHub repository. Chris Borge says his video covers about 95 percent of the build, so it is your primary guide. The parts list is thorough on sizes (M8 rod, LM8UU bushings, 608 bearings, a short 2020 extrusion, about 10 kg of concrete) but gives no supplier links. The spindle is motor-driven: he tested a 24 V 755 motor at around 24,000 RPM with a belt drive and recommends a speed controller, while the feed is by hand. The design is licensed CC BY. The biggest decision is whether you are comfortable with a concrete pour and careful bearing alignment. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Chris Borge

Chris Borge is the maker behind the concrete-filled 3D printed lathe and now this drill press, both designs that use printed shells filled with concrete to achieve tool-grade rigidity at a fraction of commercial cost. His approach is to take traditional machining principles and adapt them to accessible materials.

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  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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