Table Top for Nova Voyager DP

[Kent A Bathurst]

Some years ago, I got the Voyager. Stuck a LLambrich keyless chuck on it. Definitely cool.
I felt this gear deserved a good table. Better than my first [newbie, lame] effort on the Delta. Better than my second effort on the PM1150A-VS. And so -

Voyager table is about 16" square. The "new" one [3 years old now] is 36" wide x 24" deep, double 3/4" BB ply glued and screwed. It surroounds the column, extending 2+" past the column. Lotta room - 6" x 36" - to set stuff where it cannot interfere with DP operations - important feature for me. It sits on the OEM table, held in place with wooden versions of t-track hold-down clamps [the ubiquitous blue Rockler gizmos].

Table Top 1.jpg Table Top 2.jpg

Gooseneck lamp built from components. HM fence. The fence locking bolts are in the back because I wanted the top of the fence clear - more on that in a moment. In the right photo you can see the table surrounding the post. The 80/20 extrusion in the back is there to accept gizmos - mounted on the other face - to position stock for end drilling. Shown holding gooseneck with shop vac bracket - rotates, bends, etc to position the pickup. remote fob is shop vac on/off - green tape increased my success in hitting the ON button.

Brush is a brush. 1/4" drive x 1/2" socket is a backup for the shop-made 1/2' socket crank handle - more on that later.

End Stop 1.jpg End Stop 2.jpg

The brackets and knobs on the top ends of the fence are there to accept end stops made with more 80/20 stuff. The stop on hte far right can slide down and lock, of course. Same set-up on both ends. That's why the lock knobs are behind the fence, not on top - needed the top clear for these stop assemblies.

Break time - Part 2 coming

[Tom M King]

I don't believe I've seen a nicer one, and that's one of the few times I've ever seen a chip brush used for its intended purpose.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Need bits and misc stuff to run this critter. And so.........

Under the left side ["left" is critical design element - more on this later] Is random pieces of "laying arount the shop" plywood cobbled together in an organized form. There is a top to that box, rigidly attached to the rest of the box, and screwed into the underside of the table. It has three trays that slide out:
Tool Trays 1.jpg

Top level is most-commonly-used stuff: brad point and forstner
Tool Trays 2.jpg


Middle level is twist drills. Tore the leafs out of a drill index box and mounted them here, so they rotate and "stand up". Took out the bit too small for the chuck.
Tool Trays 3.jpg


Bottom level is DP-specific stuff. 80/20 end stop assembly; holddowns; Llambrich wrench; etc.
Tool Trays 4.jpg

Supper bell - back tomorrow to finish the story

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Looks great and well thought out tome Kent! Nicely done, Sir!

[Kent A Bathurst]

Tom - thanks for the kind words. I honestly never knew there was a legit use for chip brushes


Ken - stay tuned. You’re gonna love the punchline

[Kent A Bathurst]

Consider the dimensions of the table - 36w x 24d, extending 2" past the post. To the left of the post is the table collar locking bolt, and to the right is the height adjustment crank. They are about 18" from the front and 18" in from either side. The table is directly overhead, so there is a "knuckle-busting" issue in operations, if you can even reach them.

My point: The locking bolt and the height crank are in the wrong places. Gotta move them. To the right side of the table. Recall the tool box/tray are on the left.

Photos from the rear of the table/DP. The OEM lock bolt extended to the right, passed through he right-hand smooth bore, and engaged with the left-hand threaded bore. Turn it, PUSHING the smooth bore to clamp against the threaded side.

Here are a pair of jam nuts and brass washer on threaded rod. The rod was threaded left-to-right through the threaded bore, passing through the smooth bore. Brass washer and two jam nuts. From the left, turn the rod and you PULL the smooth bore to clamp into into the threaded bore. But now the action is "left-tighty righty-loosey"
Linkage 1.jpg


That threaded rod was 12mm IIRC. Here is a threaded adapter sleeve going to 1/2" threaded rod and cotter pins. Behind and just below that rod is the mounting casting for the height crank. There is a black smooth-bore adapter sleeve going from ?i forget?mm to 1/2" smooth aluminum rod.
Linkage 2.jpg


Both contraptions seen here - the locking threaded rod passes through bronze bushings in the support brackets. The smooth height adjust rod passes through the support brackets, but is held in place with bushings/set screws.
Linkage 3.jpg


Closeup of the support structure. Threaded rod with nuts/washers inside and outside, to maintain spacing of bracket sides, which are attached to 80/20 channel.

Note another adapter bushing for the threaded rod - I needed to step down from the 1/2" thread to a smaller diameter, to fit the 1/2" hex adapter at the far left. McMaster didn't have a single adapter to go from the 12mm down to this size, so I had to two-step it - up to 1/2" and then back down here.

Behind the threaded rod, you can make out a sprocket and chain mounted to the 1/2" height adjust shaft.
Linkage 4.jpg

[Kent A Bathurst]

OK - sorry for the confusion. I intended to have this all 1 thread, extended by using Reply. I fell short, due to running out of time. Part 1 post is really Part 1 - table and fence design, and Part 2 - storage.

I included Part 3 but hit an interruption before I could get to the punchline with Part 4. I think people will enjoy this bit, but if they've already read the first stuff, won't bother to reclick and will miss it. If I'm misreading the room - won't be the first time.

This subsection is about mechanical function design. If you've already seen Part 3 - apologies. Also - not fer nuttin', but there are a great many things that are a better use of you time than reading this.

And now........

Part 3 [redux]

Consider the dimensions of the table - 36w x 24d, extending 2" past the post. Looking from he front, to the left of the post is the table collar locking bolt, and to the right is the height adjustment crank. They are about 18" from the table front and 18" in from either table side. The table is directly overhead, so there is a "knuckle-busting" issue in operations, if you can even reach them.

My point: The locking bolt and the height crank are in the wrong places. Gotta move them. To the right side of the table. Recall the tool box/tray are on the left.

Photos from the rear of the table/DP. The OEM lock bolt extended to the right, passed through he right-hand smooth bore, and engaged with the left-hand threaded bore. Turn it, PUSHING the smooth bore to clamp against the threaded side.

Here are a pair of jam nuts and brass washer on threaded rod. The rod was threaded left-to-right through the threaded bore, passing through the smooth bore. Brass washer and two jam nuts. From the left, turn the rod and you PULL the smooth bore to clamp into into the threaded bore. But now the action is "left-tighty righty-loosey"



That threaded rod was 12mm IIRC. Here is a threaded adapter sleeve going to 1/2" threaded rod and cotter pins. Behind and just below that rod is the mounting casting for the height crank. There is a black smooth-bore adapter sleeve going from ?i forget?mm to 5/8" smooth aluminum rod.



Both contraptions seen here - the locking threaded rod passes through bronze bushings in the support brackets. The smooth height adjust rod passes through the support brackets, but is held in place with bushings/set screws.



Closeup of the support structure. Threaded rod with nuts/washers inside and outside, to maintain spacing of bracket sides, which are attached to 80/20 channel.

Note another adapter bushing for the threaded rod - I needed to step down from the 1/2" thread to a smaller diameter, to fit the 1/2" hex adapter at the far left. McMaster didn't have a single adapter to go from the 12mm down to this size, so I had to two-step it - up to 1/2" and then back down here.

Behind the threaded rod, you can make out a sprocket and chain mounted to the 1/2" height adjust shaft.



Part 4

At the left end above, there is a 1/2" hex "nut" that operates the table locking mechanism - but backwards.

We have a shaft with a sprocket connected to the table height adjustment mechanism. All that's left is.....


This is the front view of the structure in the photo immediatley above. In the background, note the threaded rods, with the 12mm-to-1/2" connector and its unsplayed - untrimmed [sheesh!] cotter pins. The 1/2" "hex nut" has a home-made crank handle attached. I started with a ratchet and socket, but that was boring, so I made this crank

In the foreground is the 5/8" aluminum rod, collar and setscrew, threaded rods [with nuts and washers to keep the brackets aligned around the sprocket and chain] - sprocket also locked with a setscrew. The thinking is to keep everything in line as the table gets rotated, the crank gets cranked, torque runs rampant, etc. I'm pretty sure all of this falls under "overkill". But you ain't seen anything yet...
Drive A3.jpg



Where, you might ask, does the chain go? It somes to the front of the table, where there is another sprocket, mounted to another shaft. Stop collars, setscrews, spacer rods with washers and nuts - all mod cons. PLUS - the end of the 5/8" diameter aluminum shaft has been sawn and filed to a 1/2" hex form. By hand. Never again. Never ever.

In the right-hand photo, you can see that the DIY crank handle has moved to this position.

Drive d.jpg Drive A2.jpg

I'll draw you attention to the photo on the left. Notice that there is a lot going on in the mounting brackets above the sprocket. The ply brackets are mounted - via alum angle - to a 1/4" alum plate overhead. This plate slides freely in the slots of two 80/20 extrusion channels, so the brackets, shaft, and sprocket all move with it. In the center of that plate is a screw & washer holding an eye bolt captive. The eye bolt threads pierce another extrusion, and is held in place by washers and a nut. Tighten that nut to take up slack in the chain.

I mean - for REAL? Some fool got carried away and designed in a take-up plate to accomodate any stretching over time in the roller chain, with 3/8" pitch and 560# load rating. Spanning 18". For a drill press table. Seriously?

However - drumroll - credit where it's due - the rear sprocket is 20 tooth, and the front is 10 tooth. When I installed that gearbox, I downshifted the sucker. That OEM table is heavy-heavy. I'd bet I nearly doubled that, but it transits like a dream.

And the height adjust crank is just behind the front edge of the table surface, and the locking arm is just down the side of the table.

It really works well. It's a grin just moving the table.

[Doug Walls]

I mean - for REAL? Some fool got carried away and designed in a take-up plate to accomodate any stretching over time in the roller chain, with 3/8" pitch and 560# load rating. Spanning 18". For a drill press table. Seriously?

Sounds like something I would do.

Tagging along here in case you add or make changes to your already great set-up!

I recently bought a Nova Viking floor model; I'm planning to make a new top for it & build a matching cabinet that fits over the base fairly soon.
IMG_0029.jpg
I have a couple of small gear motors on hand that may work for the table lift!
With a wider woodworking style table attached I was wondering how to unlock & lock the table. Looks like you answered that question for me.

Doug

[Patty Hann]

So the back crank is to release the "lock" on the column and the front crank is to raise and lower the table?

[Kent A Bathurst]

So the back crank is to release the "lock" on the column and the front crank is to raise and lower the table?

You're on it, Patty. That's the geometry of the DP - the locking function just off the back dead center of the post. The crank engages the pinion gearing at the rack which is centered on the side of the post. So there's maybe 2' - 2-1/2" [measuring front to back] between those points.

[Patty Hann]

You're on it, Patty. That's the geometry of the DP - the locking function just off the back dead center of the post. The crank engages the pinion gearing at the rack which is centered on the side of the post. So there's maybe 2' - 2-1/2" [measuring front to back] between those points.

Thanks.... I'm not too "mechanical" and without a lot of arrows and text plastered on a picture I sometimes can't see what's happening.
That's where youtube can be my BFF, actually watching something in action. (Not saying or suggesting you put this on you tube.)
But I do see it now.

btw,.. some of your other "functions'' on that table are worth incorporating on my own (yet to be built) table.
I like how you support the dust hose

[Kent A Bathurst]

I like how you support the dust hose

Grand Brass Lamp Parts is where I got those parts - and the parts for the lamp itself. Great place, great people - always very helpful.

[Earl McLain]

Very cool Kent--thanks for the view. I don't adjust my table height as often as i could (just clamp scraps of wood on the table to build to the height i need, highly inefficient but i couldn't think of a less effective way to do it)--your comment that "it's a grin to move the table" makes me realize that the real benefit for me to build remote table adjustment is that i'd probably start looking for reasons to change elevation--just to get to use it!!

[Ron Selzer]

I believe I finally found a drill press table worth copying.
thanks
Ron

[Kent A Bathurst]

I believe I finally found a drill press table worth copying.
thanks
Ron

Highest praise. Thanks Ron