For building the 80 lower, you need to drill out the excess stuff from the receiver blank. And for doing that safely and efficiently, you have to get a good and right size drill press. But what size drill press is needed for 80 lower?
Well, before heading to the size, you first have to choose between the two types of drill press that are ideal for 80 lower.
And in this article, we have discussed the type and size that is perfect for 80 lower and also some safety rules that you need to maintain while machining it.
Quick Overview
What Is An 80% Lower or 80% Lower Receiver?
The first question that arises in mind is, “what does an 80% lower mean?”
Well, the 80% lower receiver is an unofficial term used to address an incomplete object which is used to make firearms by drilling out the excess parts of it.
To be clearer, you cannot make a firearm or any gun with the 80% lower as it is incomplete. So, you have to drill out the excess parts from the receiver blank with the help of a drill press or any tool and turn it into a functional stripped receiver or frame.
Is It Legal to Keep An 80% Lower?
In some places of America, it is legal to keep and build a firearm with an 80% lower for personal use.
But it is also banned in some states as followed:
- Washington State
- Washington D.C
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
Moreover, in California, before fabrication, you have to serialize the 80% lower and also need to submit to a background before building it completely.
What Is a Drill Press? Which Type of Drill Press You Need for 80 Lower?
A drill press is a power tool used for drilling different types of holes in metal, wood, plastics, and more. The drill press is mainly of two types: 1. Bench top drill press 2. Floor standing or stationary model drill press
Some key info about both types of the drill press:
1. Bench Top Drill Press
You can already know by its name that this type of drill press is meant to be kept over a table or bench or something like that.
That means they are small and quite easily portable.
Moreover, the bench top drill press cannot work with more than 4 inches depth objects and they deliver up to a maximum of five or six speeds. And they are great for drilling smooth and accurate holes in wood and metal.
2. Floor standing drill press
This drill press stands on the floor, right?
Haha! Obviously, it is named after its structural feature.
Okay, so the floor standing drill press stands on the floor on its own and is quite big compared to the bench top drill press.
And the floor standing drill press delivers speed up to as many as 16. That means this type of drill press delivers a lot of power and is suitable for heavy duty operations.
So, these were the two types of drill press. And for building 80 lower, you can get any of this drill press according to your comfort.
But according to the experts, benchtop drill press is perfect for drilling same sized holes, meaning it is better for 80 lower.
Okay, as now as we are done with choosing the type of the drill press, now it’s time for choosing the size of the drill press.
What Size Drill Press Is Needed for 80 Lower?
Well, machining an 80% lower or 80 lower is not a big deal. With the right machine, you can easily drill out the excess stuff from the receiver blank of the 80 lower.
And happily, you already got to know that the benchtop drill press is the best option for building an 80 lower, but what about the size? Which size benchtop drill press should you get?
Well, nowadays, finding the perfect quality and size drill press for 80 lower has become quite hard. This is because in the market, there are some over hyped products which are not worth buying with 200 or 300 dollars or more for the 80 lower.
And coming to the size of a drill press that you need for 80 lower, you got to choose between the 5 inch, 8 inch or even 12 inch.
Though you won’t obviously use a whole drill press only for 80 lower, so going for the 12-inch drill press with a variable speed feature will be a wise decision. With a 12 inch drill press, you can conveniently build your 80 lower and the variable speed will help you adjust the speed of your drill press according to the need.
So, I hope now you can choose a right drill press for your 80 lower? No? Are you still confused about which drill press will be the ideal one?
Well, you can check out the WEN 4214 12-Inch Variable Speed Drill Press which is budget friendly, got variable speed, makes low sound and works amazing as a milling machine for the 80 lower.
Safety Measures Maintain While Building 80 Lower
- Wear goggles and ear protection for keeping your eyes and ear protected
- Don’t wear any jewelry or hand gloves
- Maintain a distance of 3-4” between your fingers and the drill bit
- Tighten the drill press chuck properly after inserting the drill bit
- Clamp the 80 lower securely with the drill press table so that it doesn’t move while getting drilled
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which type of drill press chuck is better?
Between both types of chucks, the Keyless chuck is convenient than the keyed chuck and it is okay for drilling small to medium-sized holes. But the keyless chuck is not appropriate for boring large holes.
On the other hand, keyed chuck is perfect for boring large holes and you can also securely tighten the chuck for avoiding any sort of accident.
In my personal opinion, a keyed chuck is more likely to increase the possibility of drilling accurate holes.
2. Which drill press is more lightweight?
The bench top drill press is more lightweight and easy portable because it is small and fits almost everywhere.
3. Which drill press is more powerful?
Among both bench top and floor standing drill press, the floor standing drill press is more powerful. Because it is bigger and delivers more speed and power.
In fact, the largest floor model for home workshops delivers about 1,000 watts of power.
Wrapping Up
I hope now you know what size drill press is needed for 80 lower and what type of drill press you want to go with. Well, you can either go for an 8 inch drill press or a 12 inch drill press. But besides the size what you need to look for, is the quality of the drill press. Thanks for staying with me the whole time and let me know which drill press you got.
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