Printable View
Hello,
This is a follow-up to my other thread about buying or building a drill press table. After I buy or build one, what is the usual way to mount it to the metal table of the drill press? I assume that you aren’t expected to drill holes into it, since I’ve never seen a picture of one with holes in the top, so what's the best way to mount it?
Thanks,
Louis
I just used a plywood rectangle through bolted from the top of the table and through the plywood rectangle. Drill the holes just outside the metal table dimensions. when you tighten up on the plywood rectangles, they will clamp down onto the table. You obviously want to sink your bolt heads. I attempted a word attachment...
I used fender washers and sheetmetal screws with the screws at the outer limits of the slots in the metal table. 4 #12 screws in predrilled holes have a lot of holding power and have worked well for me. Of course you need to check and adjust length or add additional washers to keep screw within the table thickness. That has worked on both plywood and MDF tables
I put 3/8" theaded inserts into the bottom of the commercial table I bought. I then threaded bolts with fender and lock washers into these from below. I mounted it diagonally off center to the point where I get 4 uses out of each face of my square inserts.
If I had made it myself I would have used a round insert diagonally off center and gotten even more use out of each. Luckily the inserts are an easy dimension so I made several years supply in one run out of scrap.
Here's a thread on a holddown idea that I stole from someone that really comes in handy for small parts: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=139332
I made my table out of 2 pieces of 3/4 in plywood laminated together. One piece wasn't quite strong enough after I cut the front to back grooves for the T-Track.
I drilled through the table from the top and recessed the carriage bolt heads. The bolts go through the slots in the metal drill press table and are secured with washers, lock washers, and wing nuts on the underneath. The bolts are positioned them toward the back of the table. For the most part they are covered by the fence.
I still use my drill press for metal and don't want to get cutting oil on the surface to I made my table so it come off very easy.
I just used a wood nut, T nut or what ever you call those nuts that have spikes on them and 2 knobs.
Attachment 153198
Recessed bolts through the wooden table and the holes in the metal table.
The recesses do not get in the way of the table operation at all.
I used threaded brass inserts - which can't be seen in this picture - then used some washers and bolts that fit in the heads of some knobs I got from Woodcraft to secure it.
Once the center gets too messed up, I'll use a hole saw to punch out an offest hole for an insert.
It's hard to see the way the wings are made to fold down so I can "flip" the DP to use the planer - I can thank my Festool TS55EQ for that! Cutting Melamine w/the TS55 results in no chipping or tear out. The wings are attached with piano hinges & all the T-track is simply screwed in place.
The material I used came from some scrap Melamine shelving I had laying around. I liked the way the table turned out so much, I'm planning on using it again when this one wears out.
Lowes sells 10' pieces of the shelving, 11.5" wide for about $11.00.
I really like Bill's way of attaching the table, so next time around I'll do that instead of the inserts.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...1&d=1227803377
It is common to mount the drill press table to a box to prevent the table from interfering with the crank levers. The box is then easily mounted to the drill press.
My table: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=117960
I just knocked up a quick table yesterday. It wasn't until I laid the table on the DP that I ran into the crank issue, so I just quickly made a riser out of a couple of pieces of MDF to clear the crank, I wish I'd thought to make a little drawer. I still need to make the fence but I'm getting a router table online in a couple of weeks and figured that putting the t-track in the fence will be easier then. I originally planned on having it square cornered and putting oak on the edges but that's the path my kids take to/from the passenger side of my wife's car so I decided to round the corner off to protect their heads (and my crotch).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...PressTable.jpg
On mounting: The MDF riser has threaded inserts in it and is bolted from underneath through the slots in the original table.