My drill press table and thinking about version 2...

[Von]

First, as a newbie, let me say there is a lot of great content in this forum. Thanks to everyone who has shared. I've gotten a lot of great ideas skimming through it.

I plan to share some of my jigs from over the years and what I liked about them and what I wished now I had done differently (and what I may do for version 2 now that I'm getting back into woodworking). I welcome any additional thoughts.

I'll start with my drill press table. It's about 15 years old, a 2x3/4" MDF carcass with cherry edging, commercial t-track and a cheap commercial aluminum and MDF fence which rides in the outer t-tracks. The carcass is double thick except right over the original drill press table, where it is only a single layer, which gives it a snug fit.

What I like...

• T-track and hold-downs are a big plus. They make quick work of doing a lot of drilling tasks safely (btw, I've learned t-tracks in MDF are not strong enough for drilling serious metal, I take the table off for that).
• The fence, particularly with a stop, is very useful for repeated holes. The front of the fence splitting is useful from time-to-time to make room for the chuck for holes close to the fence.
• The table is secured with bolts and wing nuts through original table which allows for quick removal and replacement. Combined with the single layer of MDF creating a recess, I've never had an issue with the table not being secure.

What I would change...

• I centered my sacrificial block under my chuck. Doh, just doh. Offsetting the block back an inch or so would allow me to rotate it and get four times the usage out of each block.
• I have the common problem of table getting in the way of height adjustment. I created a handle extender out of black pipe which works OK. I would try a set of 90-degree gears and front-mounted adjustment.
• With the fence in place, I lose a fair amount of space between the bit and the post, such that for holes far from a workpiece's edge, I need to remove the fence, which comes up fairly commonly. Maybe try a fully split fence that can go to either side of the post? This would make dealing with the height adjustment a priority.
• My t-tracks are too far apart for smaller pieces. I added the one in the center to help with this. I'd nudge them in an inch or two - I think such the hold downs just overlap with the chuck. 
• Make the table a little smaller? I cannot recall it ever being too small and it takes up a fair amount of room.
• Put finish on it. I don't tend to finish my shop jigs and furniture and while I haven't paid functionally with this table, it shows oils stains from the times I've drilled aluminum (and attempted to drill other metal).
• Add a couple small drawers under the wings for common bits, tools, etc? I tend to collect a lot of unorganized stuff around the drill press and any storage would be useful.
• Get some tall handles for the fence t-track bolts to make adjusting it easier.

[Coop]

I have one similar except mine does not extend past the front of the post, allowing me access to the height adjustment. But it looks like you have that covered well. 

[GlennL]

NICE MODS! I need to look into extending the handle to raise and lower the table!

I went YEARS without a drill  press table. Primarily had an X-Y vise mounted. Recently made one large enough to handle drilling cabinet door hinge pockets. It has come in handy so many times...it makes the press much more useful especially, when drilling holes in large items. I setup the fence so I can use my Woodpecker's Micro-Adjust. It's the best when fine adjustments are needed. I had to offset the fence track so the Micro-Adjust would reside on one side of the support column. Using the 80/20 aluminum makes swapping it really quick.

The Micro-Adjust mainly stays on the router table fence. I use a long T-Square to make adjustments on the drill table. I have a removable inset with my center line etched in. I added a piece of t-track on the side of the table to support the square. The dust collection picks up like 95% of wood or metal. Works pretty good.

[Chestnut]

I see a lot about drill press tables with a lot of tricked out drill presses. It makes me feel like I'm missing something. I never use my drill press, when i need to use it a tore of scrap of plywood is used as a backer board. I've never felt the need for a fence or stops or hold downs.

Care to enlighten as to the tasks you use your drill press for and how the table and fence makes life easy?

[JohnG]

I’ve set up a temporary fence when I’ve needed an accurate row of holes on something, or stop blocks when I am batching something out. But I’s always just been clamped down to the stock DP table. I put down a backer of some sort if I need a clean through-hole. 

I’ve looked at DP tables from time to time, but I haven’t convinced myself it’ll be worth the cost or time to make one.

[Von]

On 3/20/2023 at 1:35 PM, Chestnut said:

I see a lot about drill press tables with a lot of tricked out drill presses. It makes me feel like I'm missing something. I never use my drill press, when i need to use it a tore of scrap of plywood is used as a backer board. I've never felt the need for a fence or stops or hold downs.

Care to enlighten as to the tasks you use your drill press for and how the table and fence makes life easy?

I think it's entirely a matter of preference. I feel the table gives me the ability to separate steps and have more control.

One example from today, I made a stop block for a miter gauge. I wanted the hole a precise distance from the edge, to match the height of the track in the gauge, so I used the fence to set that distance and then I could forget about that measurement. Then I clamped the wood/stop, drilled a countersink with a forstner bit (using the depth stop on the drill press) then switched bits without unclamping the wood and drilled the through hole. Yes, I could easily have done this with hand drill or a clamp on the original table, but I like how the fence and clamps make the steps more separated and idiot proof.

Another example from today in the photo below, which I admit is unusual, hence the photo. I'm using the table to drill a mortise. I normally do mortises with my router, as I did with the existing mortise to the right, but as you can see, that wouldn't work where I'm about to drill because of the weird leg geometry, so this was a nice option to have.

[Von]

On 3/20/2023 at 9:20 AM, GlennL said:

 

 

Nice looking table! How do you like your dust collection?

[gee-dub]

First off, congrats on an already good looking table.  Secondly, congrats on forging ahead to a version 2.  My version 2's factor in all the things I wish my version 1 would have had and leaves behind all those features that I just never really used.

So many good ideas here I am just going to show my favorite features even though they may be duplicates.  Note: these pics are from a few DP's but the same basic table.

Round inserts - two thumbs up.

Table and fence track extend past the mast - two thumbs up.  Cut out for handle = bonus.

This extension also allows for a DC mount.

Low profile DC at the fence - two thumbs up.

Stay Put hose - two thumbs up.

The type of fence and hold downs that work best for you will vary with how you use your DP.  My table tilts left, right, forward, and back so I have a selection of fences, stops, and hold downs.

These things just tend to grow on you as you go.

 

 

 

[Coop]

Glenn, the round inserts don’t tend to spin when larger bits come in contact with them. I see in your last pic with the Fortsner bit that the insert is square. Just wondering? 

[gee-dub]

On 3/20/2023 at 6:46 PM, Coop said:

Glenn, the round inserts don’t tend to spin when larger bits come in contact with them. I see in your last pic with the Fortsner bit that the insert is square. Just wondering? 

My round insert is a hack where I inserted a round insert into a 4" square factory insert recess.  It is off center so there is no spinning issue (P.s. always place your round inserts off center).  A round insert does you no good if it is not off center since you would only get the "bulls eye" just like with any other insert, eh?  A square insert off center gives you four spoil areas where a round one can give you many more depending on what you are drilling and with what size of drill . . . I hope I am making sense .

If I was making a new table I would make a round insert about 5" in diameter and set it fairly off center to make this benefit even better.  Remember that the table position radially around the mast may be offset a degree or so to expose still more unused insert surface .  In my case the phenolic coating on the commercial table means that I had to cut into that or use a smaller round insert placed in the already provided square recess; which is what I did.  I keep mentally threatening to enlarge the square recess into a larger round recess but so far have not "hit the wall" .

The pic with the square insert is from before I made the round insert hack.

[GlennL]

On 3/20/2023 at 7:03 PM, Von said:

Nice looking table! How do you like your dust collection?

It does a great job! The flexible arm allows you to focus the nozzle right at the bit. I needed a couple knobs with a 5/16" bolt for my pocket hole machine. I only had 1/4" ones, so I decided to throw a couple together. Had to drill five 1" inch holes with a forstner bit...everything was sucked up!!!

[GlennL]

On 3/20/2023 at 9:46 PM, Coop said:

Glenn, the round inserts don’t tend to spin when larger bits come in contact with them. I see in your last pic with the Fortsner bit that the insert is square. Just wondering? 

I always use a piece of scrap under what I'm cutting, so with all the drilling I've done since I built it, I haven't drilled into the insert. I cut a bunch of inserts when I made the original, and have a "master template", so I'm really not worried about it.

You can see in the picture below the piece I'm drilling is elevated off the table.

[Von]

On 3/20/2023 at 11:00 PM, gee-dub said:

My round insert is a hack where I inserted a round insert into a 4" square factory insert recess.  It is off center so there is no spinning issue (P.s. always place your round inserts off center).  A round insert does you no good if it is not off center since you would only get the "bulls eye" just like with any other insert, eh?  A square insert off center gives you four spoil areas where a round one can give you many more depending on what you are drilling and with what size of drill . . . I hope I am making sense .

+1. The insert being off-center dawned on me a little too late.

[Von]

On 3/21/2023 at 7:09 AM, GlennL said:

I always use a piece of scrap under what I'm cutting, so with all the drilling I've done since I built it, I haven't drilled into the insert. I cut a bunch of inserts when I made the original, and have a "master template", so I'm really not worried about it.

To the possible chagrin of the anti-drill press table crowd, I admit I often still use a piece of scrap even with the table.

The reason is height adjustment. If I'm just drilling a quick hole and the table is set too low (e.g. I'm shifting from a long bit to a short one) it's easier to use a piece of scrap to raise the workpiece as opposed to unlocking the table, cranking the handle, locking the table, realizing I'm still 1/4" too low, etc...

If I were to dream, my version 2 table would include some sort of "quick release height adjustment." I haven't see anything like this and haven't come up with a good idea on how to do it (the closest I've seen is an automatic motorized table).

[GlennL]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:13 AM, Von said:

The reason is height adjustment. If I'm just drilling a quick hole and the table is set too low (e.g. I'm shifting from a long bit to a short one) it's easier to use a piece of scrap to raise the workpiece as opposed to unlocking the table, cranking the handle, locking the table, realizing I'm still 1/4" too low, etc...

Yea...There are times when you have to drill something "awkward" that requires the height table to me changed a lot more than normal.... 

A motorized table would be pretty sweet!!!

[gee-dub]

It is easy for a drill press thread to take a hard left turn.  I am not alone at being shocked when I read a post from someone who says that they have never had a drill press, or a router, or an edge sander, or whatever and don't see the need for one.  This just amplifies the difference between what we do and how we do it when at the core, it is all woodworking. 

My father used to have a bunch of various thickness scraps near the drill press to make quick adjustments in height.  His DP did not have a height adjustment mechanism.  If yours does and you are too lazy to loosen the table lock, crank the handle and re-tighten the table lock . . . I cannot help you.  I also have no time for folks who cannot change the speed on their DP, change the blade on their table or band saw, or change the speed on their router.

Do as you will.  No judgement here.  Just don't ask me to help you with edge profile burning on cherry if you are unwilling to change the bit or feed speed on your router .  This is all tongue in cheek and supposed to be humorous.  I hope it is coming off as such.

[Von]

"I don't think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention, in my opinion, arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness - to save oneself trouble."

- Agatha Christie

[Chestnut]

12 hours ago, gee-dub said:

I also have no time for folks who cannot change the speed on their DP

They have more than 1 speed?!? The horror?

I'm guilty of this one.... i can't help it that what ever speed my DP is set to just works the 1 - 2 times a year i use it to cut counter sink plugs. I think i just do a lot of drill press tasks with a hand drill.

[derekcohen]

I posted my drill press table a few years ago. This featured an offset round insert ...

The relevance of this is that it will enable an infinite number of turns, compared with an offset square insert, which allows for four. Centering the drill bit only allow for a single position.

The table is made of UHMW and reinforced by steel below for flatness.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[BonPacific]

On 3/22/2023 at 4:41 AM, Chestnut said:

They have more than 1 speed?!? The horror?

I'm guilty of this one.... i can't help it that what ever speed my DP is set to just works the 1 - 2 times a year i use it to cut counter sink plugs. I think i just do a lot of drill press tasks with a hand drill.

I just today changed the pulley setting on my DP for possibly the first time in the last 10 years. But a 3" Forstner bit was a little much for full speed :)

As for height adjustment. The old Delta just slides freely when unclamped, no crank to worry about, so I muscle it up and and down the column all the time.

[derekcohen]

A drill press has long been one of the most important machines in my workshop. It is versatile, and there are many times when the accuracy of its results are irreplaceable. I rank it up there with a tablesaw. 

The incorrect speed will not only affect performance (e.g. drilling too slow), but also the quality of the hole (e.g. burning wood if the speed is too high), as well as wearing out drill bits (e.g. too high speed will burn the metal as much as the wood). 

I must admit that I was an offender for decades, being too lazy to make adjustments. To adjust speeds, the drill press required moving belts, as we all experience. Three years ago I purchased the Nova Voyager, and all this changed. It is effortless to dial in the correct speed, or alter it if you wish with (literally) the flick of a button.. The machine asks what type of drill bit, what type of material, and then sets this for you. Bloody amazing.

The point of writing is is not to crow - it took 30 years to afford/justify the expense - but to emphasise the effect of speed setting. I experience this every time I use the Voyager. And the drill bit last so much longer. 

Not all can afford this bench drill, but there are other variable speed machines around, and it is possible to convert one with a VDF.  

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mark J]

I agree, the easy speed control and the built in bit speed menu on the Nova drills are really nice features to have.  

[JohnG]

I also never changed the speed on my drill press before I got the Voyager. It’s one of my favorite shop purchases and I’d buy it again in an instant.