OPERATOR'S MANUAL 15 in. DRILL PRESS DP15501 ® ® Your new drill press has been engineered and manufactured to our high standards for dependability, ease of operation, and operator safety. When properly cared for, it will give you years of rugged, trouble-free performance. WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, the user must read and understand the operator’s manual before using this product. Thank you for buying a RIDGID product.
TABLE OF CONTENTS n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2 General Safety Rules ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Specific Safety Rules..............................................................................
GENERAL SAFETY RULES n ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WITH SIDE SHIELDS. Everyday eyeglasses have only impact resistant lenses; they are not safety glasses. n PROTECT YOUR LUNGS. Wear a face or dust mask if the operation is dusty. n PROTECT YOUR HEARING. Wear hearing protection during extended periods of operation. n SECURE WORK. Use clamps or a vise to hold the work when practical. It’s safer than using your hand and frees both hands to operate the tool. n DO NOT OVERREACH.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES n KEEP BITS CLEAN AND SHARP. Sharp bits minimize stalling. Dirty and dull bits may cause misalignment of the material and possible operator injury. n NEVER PLACE YOUR FINGERS IN A POSITION WHERE THEY COULD CONTACT THE DRILL or other cutting tool if the workpiece should unexpectedly shift. n KEEP HANDS AWAY FROM WORK AREA. Keep hands away from the bit. Restrain any loose clothing, jewelry, long hair, etc. that may become entangled in the bit.
SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this tool. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer. SYMBOL NAME DESIGNATION/EXPLANATION V Volts Voltage A Amperes Current Hz W min no ...
SYMBOLS The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. SYMBOL SIGNAL MEANING DANGER: Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. WARNING: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. CAUTION: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
ELECTRICAL EXTENSION CORDS GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS Use only 3-wire extension cords that have 3-prong grounding plugs and 3-pole receptacles that accept the tool's plug. When using a power tool at a considerable distance from the power source, use an extension cord heavy enough to carry the current that the tool will draw. An undersized extension cord will cause a drop in line voltage, resulting in a loss of power and causing the motor to overheat.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Base Large rectangular plate that secures the drill press to a benchtop or other sturdy, level surface. Chip The material extracted from the hole in a drilling operation. Chuck The clamping device at the end of the spindle that secures the drill bit. Chuck Key A fitted key used to tighten and loosen the chuck. Column Large perpendicular rod that supports the work table and drill press head assembly.
FEATURES PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS n n n n Input.......................... 120V, 60 Hz, AC Only, 8 Amperes Motor ...................................................1/2 HP Induction No Load Speed....................................... 300-3100/min. Net Weight .......................................... 158.4 lbs. (72 kg) n n n n BELT TENSION LOCK HANDLE BELT GUARD LIGHT ON-OFF SWITCH ® DRILL ON-OFF SWITCH STORAGE TRAY Number of Speeds .....................................................12 Chuck Size....
FEATURES KNOW YOUR DRILL PRESS BASE See Figure 2. Before attempting to use your drill press, familiarize yourself with all operating features and safety requirements. Supports drill press. For additional stability, holes are provided in base to bolt drill press to floor. COLUMN SUPPORT Supports column, guides rack, and provides mounting holes for column to base. WARNING: Do not allow familiarity with your machine to make you careless.
UNPACKING The Drill Press is shipped complete in one box. n Apply a coat of paste wax to the table and column to prevent rust. Wipe all parts thoroughly with a clean dry cloth. n Examine all parts to make sure no breakage or damage has occurred during shipping. n Remove the packing materials from around your drill press. n Separate all loose parts from packing materials and check each item with illustration and “List of Loose Parts.” n Carefully lift the parts out of carton. This is a heavy drill press.
LOOSE PARTS 1 8 ® 15 5 2 10 12 16 11 3 6 9 17 13 4 14 4 7 ® Fig. 3 Key No. �1 � 2 3� � 4 � 5 � 6 � 7 � 8 � 9 Description Key No. Qty. �10 �11 �12 �13 �14 �15 �16 �17 �18 Head Assembly..................................................... 1 Column Assembly................................................. 1 Table...................................................................... 1 Belts...................................................................... 2 Switch Key ........................
TOOLS NEEDED The following tools (not included) are needed: PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER FLAT BLADE SCREWDRIVER ADJUSTABLE WRENCH COMBINATION SQUARE FRAMING SQUARE ASSEMBLY WARNING: HEX BOLT Do not connect to power supply until assembly is complete. Failure to comply could result in accidental starting and possible serious injury. COLUMN ASSEMBLY TO ATTACH THE COLUMN ASSEMBLY TO THE BASE See Figure 4. n Locate four hex head bolts. n Position base on flat surface. Remove protective covering and discard.
ASSEMBLY TO INSTALL THE TABLE See Figure 6. n Loosen table support lock and raise table support by turning table crank clockwise until support is at a working height level. Tighten table support lock. TABLE n Remove protective covering from table and discard. Loosen table lock, place table in table support and tighten table lock (located under table) by hand. TABLE SUPPORT NOTE: If table won’t fit into table support easily, pry open table support with a flat blade screwdriver.
ASSEMBLY BELT GUARD LATCH TO INSTALL THE IDLER PULLEY See Figure 8. n Locate the idler pulley and two belts. n Press the belt guard latch and lift belt guard. SPINDLE PULLEY n The top of the two pulleys should be aligned. n If pulleys are not aligned: • Loosen the motor mount nuts. • Move the motor until the pulleys are in line. • Retighten the motor mount nuts.
ASSEMBLY TO INSTALL THE STORAGE TRAY See Figure 10. ® n Locate the pre-assembled storage tray. n Completely remove the screw and hex nut from one side of the storage tray assembly. SCREW n Place the storage tray assembly around column and above collar. Securely tighten in place using screw and hex nut. Make sure the storage tray is located above the column collar. Be careful not to overtighten the hex nuts. TO INSTALL THE FEED HANDLES See Figure 11. n Locate three (3) feed handles.
ASSEMBLY TO INSTALL THE LIGHT BULB See Figure 13. WARNING: Failure to unplug drill press could result in accidental starting causing possible serious personal injury. LIGHT BULB n Remove the amber colored lens cover by removing the two Phillips screws. n Install a light bulb (not larger than 60 watt) into the socket inside the head. n Replace the lens cover. LENS SCREWS TO SQUARE THE TABLE TO HEAD Fig. 13 See Figure 14. n Insert precision round steel rod or straight drill bit approximately 3 in. (76.
OPERATION WARNING: WARNING: Do not allow familiarity with tools to make you careless. Remember that a careless fraction of a second is sufficient to inflict severe injury. Do not insert drill bit into chuck jaws and tighten as shown in figure 16. This could cause drill bit to be thrown from your drill resulting in possible serious personal injury or damage to your chuck. WARNING: n Tighten chuck jaws securely using the chuck key provided. DO NOT use a wrench to tighten or loosen the chuck jaws.
OPERATION TO POSITION TABLE AND WORKPIECE See Figures 17 and 18. n Lock the table to the column in a position so that the tip of the drill is just a little above the top of the workpiece. ® n Always place a piece of backup material (wood, plywood, etc.) on the table underneath the workpiece. This will prevent “splintering” or making a heavy burr on the underside on the workpiece as the drill breaks through.
OPERATION ® TO DRILL TO A SPECIFIC DEPTH See Figure 19. To drill a blind hole (not all the way through) to a given depth, proceed as follows. n Mark the depth of the hole on the workpiece. DEPTH SCALE LOCK n Loosen the depth scale lock. n With the switch OFF (O), bring the drill bit down until the tip of lip of the bit are even with the mark. DEPTH SCALE n Turn the depth scale counterclockwise until it stops moving. n Tighten the depth scale lock.
OPERATION TO TILT TABLE See Figure 21. To use the table in a bevel (tilted) position: 0 n Tilt table to desired angle by reading bevel scale. Retighten bevel lock and set screw. 0 10 20 30 40 403020 10 n Loosen the set screw under table bevel lock with hex key. Loosen bevel lock bolt with the hex box wrench (included).
ADJUSTMENTS WARNING: ® Before performing any adjustment, make sure the drill press is unplugged from the power supply and the switch is in the OFF position. Failure to heed this warning could result in serious personal injury. TO ADJUST TABLE HEIGHT See Figure 22. n Hold the table with one hand then loosen the table support lock handle. n To raise the table, turn the table adjustment handle clockwise. n To lower the table, turn the table adjustment handle counterclockwise.
ADJUSTMENTS TO CONVERT FROM RIGHT HAND OPERATION TO LEFT HAND OPERATION See Figures 23 - 27. The drill press is shipped from the factory with feed handles set-up for right hand operation. However, if desired, the drill press feed handles can be converted to left hand operation. CAP SCREW WASHER WARNING: For your own safety turn switch OFF and remove plug from power source outlet before making any adjustments.
ADJUSTMENTS n Remove the stop pin screw from the right side of the drill press and install in the left side of the drill press as shown. Tighten stop pin screw. See Figure 25. n Install the feed handle assembly and depth stop ring on the left side of the drill press. With the chuck at its highest possible position, turn the depth scale clockwise until it stops and tighten the depth scale lock. This will prevent the quill from dropping while installing the spring. See Figures 25 - 26.
ADJUSTMENTS n If there is not enough tension on spring, repeat steps WARNING: n moving only one notch each time and checking tension after each repetition. For your own safety turn switch OFF and remove plug from power source outlet before making any adjustments. To reduce the risk of injury from thrown parts due to spring release, follow instructions carefully and wear eye goggles. n After adjusting spring, replace outer nut and tighten to inner nut. But do not overtighten against inner nut.
ADJUSTMENTS BUTTON TO ADJUST THE BELT LATCH GUARD See Figure 29. The button latch is adjusted at the factory to be self latching when the pulley guard lid is closed. LATCH If adjustment is needed. SCREW n Loosen the two screws securing the latch to the lid and move latch back until the lid closes without depressing the button.
MAINTENANCE WARNING: When servicing use only identical RIDGID replacement parts. Use of any other parts may create a hazard or cause product damage. ® GENERAL MAINTENANCE After using your drill press, clean it completely and lubricate all sliding and moving parts. Apply a light coat of automotive type paste wax to the table and column to help keep the surfaces clean. MALLET CAUTION: Do not at any time let brake fluids, gasoline, petroleum-based products, penetrating oils, etc.
ACCESSORIES n Drum sanders must never be operated on this drill press at a speed greater than 1800/min.. Use Only Accessories Designed For This Drill Press To Reduce the Risk of Serious Injury From Thrown Broken Parts Or Work Pieces n Do not install or use any drill that exceeds 7 in. (178 mm) in length or extends 6 in. (152 mm) below the chuck jaws. They can suddenly bend outward or break. n When cutting large diameter holes: Clamp the workpiece firmly to the table.
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM Noisy Operation CAUSE SOLUTION 1. Incorrect belt tension. 1. Adjust tension. See “Assembly - To Install Idler Pulley” section. 2. Dry spindle. 2. Lubricate spindle. See “Maintenance” section. 3. Loose spindle pulley 3. Checking tightness of retaining nut on pulley, and tighten if necessary. 4. Loose motor pulley 4. Tighten set screws in pulleys. 1. Incorrect speed 1. Change speed. See “Adjustment” section. 2. Chips not coming out of hole 2.
NOTES 30
WARRANTY RIDGID® HAND HELD AND STATIONARY POWER TOOL LIMITED THREE YEAR WARRANTY AND 90-DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE POLICY WHAT IS NOT COVERED This product is manufactured by One World Technologies, Inc., under a trademark license from RIDGID, Inc. All warranty communications should be directed to One World Technologies, Inc., attn: RIDGID handheld and stationary power tool technical service at (toll free) 1-866-539-1710.
OPERATOR'S MANUAL 15 in. DRILL PRESS DP15501 CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMATION For parts or service, contact your nearest RIDGID authorized service center. Be sure to provide all relevant information when you call or visit. For the location of the authorized service center nearest you, please call 1-866-539-1710 or visit us online at www.ridgid.com. The model number of this tool is found on a plate attached to the motor housing. Please record the serial number in the space provided below.
