If you just want a cheap one to buy, try this.

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/online-store/products/Rockwell-ShopSeries-Drill-Press-5-Speed-350-Watt.aspx?pid=287223#Recommendations

Obviously not hire, but depending on how often you need one...

Thanks. I've seen them at Bunnings for $99 but I don't think I'd get much use out of it other than a one-off. Then I have to store the thing somewhere.

No picture, but one of these?

https://www.hirepool.co.nz/equipment-hire/s1/1/S3/82/FetchGroup/322B

Could be wrong, but I think those are for attaching magnetically to serious bits of steel for accurate hole drilling. A bit of overkill for my needs :)

You could try these guys instead

http://mensshednorthshore.org.nz/

Out of interest, what is it you want to do? There might be a better solution than a drill press?

I intend to use a milling bit in a drill press to cut some groove in a block of perspex. So I guess there's milling machines and so forth, but the drill press seems like the simplest way of going about it.

One problem you may have is rigidity, with the really cheap drill presses when doing basic milling there tends to be to much flex. You may be OK with perspex though. 

Your going to have a real hard time with a drill press. You want a router or a dremel with a router bit.

Hirepool look like they rent out routers. https://www.hirepool.co.nz/equipment-hire/s1/1/s3/234/FetchGroup/671A

mrdrifter:

 

One problem you may have is rigidity, with the really cheap drill presses when doing basic milling there tends to be to much flex. You may be OK with perspex though. 

 

Yeah, that was my concern with the likes of the sub-$200 presses I've seen about. Which is why I'd prefer just to rent one for half a day so I can have a go and find out.

geocom:

 

Your going to have a real hard time with a drill press. You want a router or a dremel with a router bit.

 

Hirepool look like they rent out routers. https://www.hirepool.co.nz/equipment-hire/s1/1/s3/234/FetchGroup/671A

 

Do you mean a hard time finding one or just getting it to do what I want it to? My plan would be to use a clamp and do it like this picture:

The thing with a Dremel, is that mine came with a router attachment but it's really poorly made and doesn't allow the bit to sit 90 degrees to the material.

A router is definitely a possibility, but I would need to be able to set it up so that I have an accurate guide for straight lines, evenly spaced apart.

Getting it to do the job. The issue is that you will be putting the load onto the bearings a drill press is made for up and down motion not side to side. BTW I'm not saying you cannot just don't expect it to work well for to long.

There are other attachments for the dremel that should work better than the included one. http://www.dremel.co.nz/nz/en/attachments/attachments-to-rout/.

Most routers can have a strait line guide added to it. Even the $83 ozito one has one(at least according to the photos) http://www.bunnings.co.nz/ozito-router-850w_p00226237 

My dad makes guitars, he rigged up a router on some drawer slides to keep it at a fixed depth but allow movement in 2 dimensions to help with purfling.  

I imagine one could build something similar, but allow free movement in only 1 dimension.

I'm hoping since the drill would be used for a one-off of, like, 9 grooves, I probably wouldn't stuff the drill up too much :)

What with the quality of dremel attachments these days, I'm very skeptical about the quality of their other router attachments. I'd hate to buy one and find it's a bit crappy. However, the possibility of just hiring a proper router and using a straight line guide is looking like a better proposition.

Thanks

Any CNC router shops thereabouts that offer a self drive option? Wellington has MakerSpace but not sure of an equivalent up your way.

If it's a one-off job, instead of messing around hiring a machine, buying the bits, setting up the table/guides etc, I think I would just drop it into a machine shop. They can do it very fast on a milling machine and probably do a better job.