As of Version 1.17 the Drill Press is a decorative block only.
In versions prior to 1.17, the Drill Press is used to create pipes.
The Drill Press requires one to operate.
The Foundry is used to create basic metal castings.
The Foundry requires one to operate.
After creating a casting, feed the casting back into the Foundry to create the next shape.
The Lathe is used to create Pillars and Poles.
The Lathe requires one to operate.
The Potting Table is used to clone plants very quickly.
The Potting Table requires one and one to operate.
Each cloning operation will consume x1 dirt block and x1 bonemeal.
The Sanding Table changes rough objects into sanded objects.
The Sanding Table requires one (sandpaper) to operate.
The Table Saw cuts larger objects into smaller objects.
The Table Saw requires one to operate.
The Workbenches configuration screen allows you to change how the workbenches operate.
Shown in the screenshot as 'Holes Per Bit' for the Drill Press. This setting controls how many output blocks will be produced for each unit of fuel used. Increase this slider to improve the return on each fuel unit used.