To work more comfortably, quickly and efficiently, you may need an ‘adjustable drill press table’. Now we are going to make a simple and practical drill press table for the column drill. In my case, it is a DIY column drill. A while ago I made a modification to gain height and thus be able to give it greater use.
The column drills, at least those of the DIY range, bring a small press table. Here you can place a bench screw to hold the pieces. This table is very small to perform certain work on it. Thus, a good option is to make one at home and thus be able to get better performance to the drill.
It is an adjustable drill press table in MDF, chipboard, plywood … to which I have added some rails where a guide walks that will help our work in the drill.
Materials
- MDF wood, chipboard, plywood …
- wood screws
- wood stuffing nuts
- metric screws
- flat head screws
- wing nuts
- curtain rail …
- 40 x 40 mm aluminum square
Tools
- cutting table, circular, jig …
- subway
- pencil
- squad
- countersink drill
- drill
- screwdriver
- screwdriver tips
- sergeants
- bowl bit
- column drill
- wood drill bits
- Allen key
- Caliper
- chisel
- hammer
- metal drill bits
Features of Press Table
Fence: A semicircular clearance hole for the bark allows drilling that hole around the fence.
Edging: A hardwood edge-banding protects the rather dim core from being dented – plus, it’s cool.
Throat plate: An inset takes off the 1/2-inch replaceable neck plate objectionably so the top is not needed.
T-Tracks: T-Tracks are very useful gizmos. It allows you to fit jigs, fences, and hold-downs. In this table, they are used for a sliding fence and hold-downs.
Laminate: A plastic laminated layer on both the top and bottom will protect the top from wrapping with moisture changes.
How to make an adjustable drill press table for a column drill.
Important note: we must use all the necessary protective measures to perform the drill press table for the column drill, such as gloves, ear protectors, glasses…
1. We start from a column drill. In my case, it is a DIY drill, which to make it easier for us to work with him more comfortably, I am going to make him a table.
2. We cut a piece of wood in MDF, chipboard, plywood … with the measures we want to give the table according to our needs, tastes … In my case, I have given dimensions of 50 cm long by 25 cm wide at a wooden scrap in MDF that I had at home.
3. Next, we present the woodcut in the previous step on the small table of the drill and place it square. Then, we screw two wooden slats on its back to prevent it from moving.
4. Mark, with a pencil or marker, the shape of the drill table at the bottom of the wood.
5. Using a 25 mm diameter bowl bit, we drill the central hole that we marked in the previous step. For the same, will come the bits that we place in the drill to perform our work.
6. On the other elongated marks of the drill table, we drill to place a stuffing nut. In this way and by screws, we will fasten the wooden table to the drill table.
7. Cut two pieces of a profile that has a rail, in my case I used a curtain rail. I have given a length of 15 cms. Next, we mark 5 cms from each song and present it to mark it.
8. We measure the thickness of the rail, using a gauge to adjust the depth of the grooving of the wood. To groove the wood we will use a router or router. To know more about how to use a caliper, you can take a look here.
9. To finish adjusting the gap to the rail, we will use a form on and a hammer.
10. Next, we screw the rail into the hole using flat head screws. The idea is that a screw and a metric wing nut 8 can be moved along said rail.
11. We cut a 40 x 40 aluminum square, although we can also use a wooden strip, the length of the table. In my case, it is 50 cm long.
We mark in the square, the place where it coincides with the rails, to make a hole in the center of it. To make the hole we will use the column drill and an 8.5 mm diameter iron drill.
12. Place the screws and wing nuts in the square, then place it in the guides.
13. We only have to carry out a test to verify that everything works correctly. By having a table for the drill, we will work more comfortably, conveniently and quickly.
14. In this way, we will have finished our simple but practical drill press table for our column drill.
Tips for maintaining an Adjustable drill press table
Like any machine tool, from the cheapest to the most sophisticated model, a column drill requires maintenance. That is the case of bench drills is simple, but not expendable. Let’s see what we should take into account mainly to ensure a long service life of our tool.
Special care
The operation of a column drill in adverse conditions requires special attention. For example, the machine is used in a carpentry shop. Which implies extremely dusty conditions. We must use it at the lowest speeds to avoid rapid abrasive wear on moving parts. And lubricate the machine more frequently.
In conditions of extreme cold, it is advisable to turn on the machine at low speed. And allow the parts and lubricants to heat up before increasing speeds. The metal becomes very brittle in the face of extreme cold, so we must not hit the machine with hand tools.
For its part, extreme heat can cause motor overheating. So it is preferable to use the tool in intermittent on/off cycles. Because of maintaining a low engine temperature at all times.
Of course, we must add to these measures. Those related to safety and personal protection in the use of electric machines.
Benefits of the drill press table
Drill press table is a common use of drilling with metal but not wood. Thus if you want to work with it and want to drill a wood you can’t help it out with it. You need a custom press table that can help you drilling wood board. If you build an adjustable drill press table you can make your drilling object more perfect. A wide adjustable drill press table can allow you shaped your design cart. You can make your table with clamp and clipping with glue. And adjust the table with proper modification. This temporary adjustment can make your work more easy and comfortable.
Adjustable drill press table Construction Guidelines
You can see the full construction process for this homemade drill press table. Here is the overview. Cut the large particleboard panels together, then cut them into table-sized pieces. Edge-band both sides of the table, then top the belt-sand so that the hardwoods are flush with the surface. Cut the laminate squares to 1 oversize and apply contact cement to them. Then flush the laminate squares with a flush-trim bit and chamber them with a 45 degree bit. Take out the 1/2-in.-deep lever for the neck plate
3/4-in.-Cut the wide dado on the table. Cut the concession hole to the fence with 2-1 / 2-in. saw holes in the drill press. Before applying the laminate Screw the fence together. Then route what you did to the tabletop.
Lag screws (1-1 / 2 x 5/16 in) and washers work great for securing your new top to an existing drill press table. The instructions, including the T-track, will tell you the rest.
Required Tools for Construct drill press table Project
Before you start the construction process you should have some necessary tools. With this tool, you’ll save your time and frustration making an adjustable drill press table.
- Belt sander
- Clamps
- Drill bit set
- Drill/driver – cordless
- Hole saw kit
- Miter saw
- Router
- Table saw
- Three router bits: a straight cut bit, a flush-trim bit, and a 45-degree bevel bit.
Required Materials for this DIY drill press table Project
Here is the list of your materials that you should buy before starting your work:
- Contact cement
- Wood glue
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