Drill presses have
chucks like other drills, and are not suitable for milling. The
spindle is not designed for lateral forces, and milling operations can therefore cause the chuck to loosen and pose a danger to the user or cause premature and unnatural wear on the
bearings. Still, it is not uncommon for hobbyists to convert drill presses into makeshift milling machines for hobby use. This requires extensive modifications and gives a mediocre milling machine that may be suitable for hobby projects in soft materials such as
aluminium,
brass and
wood, but will generally be ill-suited for work in
steel. For milling it is therefore preferable to use a suitable milling cutter, for example a
router for woodworking or
milling machine for metal. A milling machine, on the other hand, can be used for both drilling and milling, but is a much more expensive tool. == See also ==