Earthquake Proofing Drill Press...

[Derek Arita]

I've got a Delta 17-925 variable speed drill press that I need to earthquake proof. It is very tall and very top heavy. I do need to be able to move it occasionally, so I can't just bolt it to the concrete slab. My only solution so far, is to somehow strap it to the studs. Any suggestions on how to do it or any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Also, I'm wondering if the head can be lowered on the shaft in order to make it a bit more stable?

[David Christopher]

Derek, you can put the DP on a mobile base. they are wider and that will make it more stable.... if the base tube will go through the top you can lower it if not you can remove the head and cut the tube and reinstall

[Bruce Page]

Derek, I have been through a couple of SoCal earthquakes. Short of bolting it down, or as you suggested, securely strapping it to something permanent, there’s not much you can do to keep it from toppling during a good shaker. Putting it on a mobile base wouldn’t do any good IMO.

[Frank Townend]

What about:



Running a couple of cleats up the wall, just outside of a 'shadow' that would be cast against the wall with a bright light facing the drill press.
Attach two or four 2"X4"s (one or two each side) perpendicular to the wall cleats extending to 'just' in front of the drill press. (One set right under the table, one near the base.)
Run a 2"X4" between each arm to effectively "box in" the drill press.

[Steve Jenkins]

You could always run an eyebolt into a ceiling joist and tie a short piece of rope through it and around the drill press column just below the head.

[glenn bradley]

Threaded sinkers are an option but here's (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=580856#poststop) what I did.

[Bill Keehn]

You could always run an eyebolt into a ceiling joist and tie a short piece of rope through it and around the drill press column just below the head.

Thats what I was thinking. Only I'd use carabiner rather than actually tying it to the column.

[Grant Vanbokklen]

Threaded sinkers are an option but here's (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=580856#poststop) what I did.


I did very similar to this but used roughly 100lbs of lead that I had.

If I could, and might in the future, I'd have a very heavy duty mobile base welded up. I use what Glenn uses here and I believe that it is the weak link in flexing at the base supports or frame. Any drill press on a flimsy mobile base will have the top not being as stable as it could be.

[Rick Potter]

Thanks for bringing this up, Derek. I have the same drill press, and never gave it a thought. I am gonna go with Steve on this one...eyebolt in the ceiling, a piece of chain to a bracket bolted to the top of the DP.

Yep, I'm gonna do it this week. I do have my shelf units bolted to the wall.

Rick Potter

[Steven DeMars]

You could always run an eyebolt into a ceiling joist and tie a short piece of rope through it and around the drill press column just below the head.


A taunt strap around it to an eye-bolt in a ceiling joist would be my choice. This would work and be less intrusive in your workspace . . .

Steve:)

[glenn bradley]

I did very similar to this but used roughly 100lbs of lead that I had.

If I could, and might in the future, I'd have a very heavy duty mobile base welded up. I use what Glenn uses here and I believe that it is the weak link in flexing at the base supports or frame. Any drill press on a flimsy mobile base will have the top not being as stable as it could be.

+1 on Grant's opinion of the HTC Universal Base . . . quite poor, don't bother with it. I used it on the DP as I hardly ever move it and the base wasn't good for anything else. ;-)

[Grant Vanbokklen]

+1 on Grant's opinion of the HTC Universal Base . . . quite poor, don't bother with it. I used it on the DP as I hardly ever move it and the base wasn't good for anything else. ;-)


I think that the two small fixed supports, on the end with the 360 rollers that raise and lower, are the weakest link that make the top of my drill press move way more than I'd like. They are like threaded 5/16, with a flimsy little pad at the end. But also so much more could be improved to make the ultimate mobile base for a drill press. And I'm not sure how much flex is coming from the 3/4 ply that I have mine mounted too also.

[mark page]

No help on the original topic, but do have a somewhat humorous sidenote. The merchandise pull-down team I've been working with at the day job are all from south Florida. They are not accustomed to working in our winter environment. One of the questions they asked was "You all actually pay to live here???" Now if I had to earthquake proof a drill press, I would probably be asking myself the same question:):):)
Now as an answer to the topic. I would probable tie strap the upright column to the wall using an eye bolt. Unstrap it when the press needs to be used or moved.

[Jules Dominguez]

Putting the restraint up as close to the head as possible would probably be the best engineering solution, provided the wall is strong enough and the restraint is properly designed. I doubt that the solution of attaching 2x4's perpendicular to the wall would resist much force, unless the direction of the force just happens to be parallel to the perpendicular arms. Bracing the perpendicular 2x4's with 2x4's angled back to the wall would greatly increase the strength of that method.

Anything you do at floor level to support the DP will have to withstand a lot of torque, and thus force, since the earthquake force is horizontal and the long post gives the weight of the head a big lever arm.

[Duncan Horner]

x2 Jules

Personally, I'd attach a cleat to the wall about the same length as the distance from the head of the saw to the wall, and angle two 2x4's or similar from the ends of that so they meet just behind the post of the press. Fasten those two joined ends to the post with a strap, and you have a nice sturdy triangle.

[Randal Stevenson]

Earthquake PROOF?

I think earthquake resistant, yes. But even if you weld a eye to the top of the press, place one in your rafters, and run a chain, if you get hit with a big enough earthquake, they may still go two separate directions.

I have a big steel round vacuum pump plate from a gas company LONG ago (mobile if I remember right). I once considered welding the presses base to it. It could still be rolled for movement, but would be MUCH less tipsy.

Build a wide box around your base, and put sandbags in it over the base. The bags could be lifted out and the empty base slide when movement is needed.

Just more idea's

[Derek Arita]

From an engineering standpoint, would "hanging" it from a joist be the best solution? In a good enough rocker, I could see that DP swinging all over the place.
I'm also considering building a frame structure with 2x4s and attaching it to wall studs next to the DP, then attaching the DP head to the structure, with straps. The structure would be about 2'x2'x2'. Which do you think would be the better way to go?

[Jules Dominguez]

I think a triangle structure located just under the head would be the best design concept and could be used without increasing the footprint of the DP, which is a plus, space in most shops being precious.
I live in Georgia and don't have any first-hand earthquake experience, but my understanding is that an earthquake is a sudden, violent movement of a large segment of real estate in a horizontal direction. I don't know whether the direction of movement is consistent for a given location, depending on it's orientation to given fault lines, or whether it can be random. If random, you need to design your structure for force potentially coming from any direction. (All this is probably obvious to you guys who live in an active earthquake zone.) But in any event, there's a practical limit to how strong an earthquake you can design for with 2x4's tied back to an existing structure, and in a really big one, your drill press will probably be the least of your worries. Unless you hire an experienced structural engineer, you'll have to make a "seat of the pants' judgement and go with it. Just remember that the weakest element of the restraint will fail first and then the rest won't matter. In considering a weighted base, keep in mind the strength of the attachment of the DP column to the DP base and of the DP base to the weighted container.

[Chris Padilla]

If you have a strong enough earthquake to topple a drill press, you have other bigger things to worry about....

[Derek Arita]

This particular DP is so very top heavy that even a relatively small quake could bring it down. You are right in that at a certain point, my problems would be bigger than a DP on my car.

[Chris Padilla]

Most DP are extremely top heavy. I have a large plywood mobile base on mine and so far so good. We do get a few EQs here in the San Francisco Bay Area...just a few.... :D