 [Larger view] | Milescraft 1097 Rotary Tool Tool Stand
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| Great stand for your rotary tool, but it has its limits. | |
| The Milescraft Rotary Tool Stand is a useful accessory for your rotary tools. It can be used for such things as a drill press or to just hold your rotary tool allowing you to better hold the part you are working with (like having a third hand).
However, I need to point out that this stand is not designed to do precession work with your rotary tool. If you are looking for something small to do any drilling that requires a tight tolerance, you maybe better off looking at looking one of the many small table top drill presses available that don't cost too much more. Assembly and disassembly (for easy storage) is fast and easy. The instructions that come with it are easy to follow too. The base is die cast aluminum and lightweight measuring about 7" x 10" with a work area of 6" x 6". A heaver cast iron base would have been nice to make the unit more stable. However for small light work the stand is stable and it also comes with three #8 screws and rubber feet to allow you to screw the base to your work bench to improve stability. The vertical support column is a lightweight tube that presses into the base and is held secure with a single bolt at the back of the base. The over all height of the stand is about 15", including the base. The "tool holder bracket" can easily be adjusted anywhere up or down the vertical tube which gives you about 12" of adjustment vertically. A heaver threaded vertical support column would have been nice feature to help improve stability. But the press fit of the tube into the base are a nice tight fit. This stand is design to be used as a drill press when your rotary tool mounted in the vertical position, but as I pointed out earlier, it is not for precession drilling. The tool holder bracket is designed to allow approximately 2-1/2" of travel when used as a drill press. However the tool holder bracket can be adjusted anywhere along the vertical column for short or taller jobs. There is also an adjustable depth gage with a depth stop collar to control the depth of your drill which is nice if you need to repeat your drill depth. I did find a slight play in the "tool holder bracket" while using it as a drill press, but I was able to easily eliminate just about all of the extra play by placing a thin piece of plastic between the "depth shaft" and the lower guides. Pros: Lightweight Easy to assemble and disassemble for easy storage Holds rotary tool vertically or horizontally for ease of working Can be used as a mini drill press Can be easily fastened (screwed) to your work bench for added stability Cons: Lightweight base and vertical column makes the stand not stable as it could be if not fastened down. Loose fitting design when used as a drill press allowed extra play (not for precession work) |
