This post is a few different ways i use the standard bench type drill press to help me out with some of the tedious hand tasks involved in leather work:

Safety first: Always remember to take care with any machine or equipment you may use! You need those fingers and hands to create with and i am guessing we have all had that injury along our journey that has been very restrictive, not to mention the pain.

 

TIP 1 – is to use the wooden burnishing tool and open up the chuck jaws fully and insert the burnisher into the chuck, don’t do the chuck up just yet, center the tool and the table and raise it up to meet the dome on the end of the burnisher. Tighten up your table and then by hand screw up the chuck to apply pressure to the wood, it will damage the end but will also groove it from the chuck jaws, but it will clamp it enough to rotate. Set a good speed, I use about 1000 rpm, start the machine and test, you may need to make a few adjustments and re-tighten the chuck a few times, i also put some bees wax on the dome end and the table hole to lubricate it as it spins. Then it’s just a matter of hand feeding your leather in the desired form, try a few test pieces until you get the hang of it.

TIP 2 – Instead of pounding away on hole punches i use the drill press once again and this time i mount the punch into the chuck and firmly tighten it down, i set some flat soft timber at the correct height and then i use the drill press handle to virtually drill the punch through the leather, i use the same speed 1000 rpm as i use to edge burnish and you’ll find this not only creates a beautifully formed hole but it also burnishes it as it does the cut out. (Remember to clean out the punch every 6 – 8 holes as there is no where for the cut out wads to go if your punch is a solid one without the scallop out the side to allow the offcuts to escape.

TIP 3 – Lacing!!! it can be a pounding mission to get a long length of lacing slots punched on a bag or a belt etc, I ensure i have put a reasonable groove where my lace will run and then I disconnect the drill press from the power!!!!  You don’t want this tool to accidentally start spinning at 1000 rpm with your fingers in the strike zone!!  Next you must ensure you have a very very sharp lacing chisel, i sharpen and strop my prior to each use. Mount it hard up in the chuck and then use a timber block with a rubber surface adhered to it as the backing to punch through on.

You can see the handy timber block i am using here in the last 4 images. I also use bees wax on the chisel tips to help it glide through the leather, the piece in this tip is around 8 oz. Next line up the chisel with your groove and pull down on the drill press handle to punch the holes, move a long realigning the chisel to the groove and the last 1 or 2 holes and continue the punching, you’ll be surprised at how quick you can achieve a long run! Also you’ll notice the cheap lacing chisel i am using here has been broken from being pounded (only after about 4 belts) and i have done a repair on it and have, since using the drill press in this way done 20o times the amount of work without any damage to it.

Hope this helps and remember this is not what your drill press is made to do, excess force can break things!