Gloat:G7947 12 Speed 17" Floor Drill Press

[Stephen Edwards]

Below are photos of my "new" drill press that I found on CL. I had posted a few questions about this DP a week or so ago here on the Creek. I went to Oak Ridge on Saturday and picked it up.

This drill press was purchased new last year by the former owner's wife. If I were to buy it from Grizzly today it would cost $619.00 delivered. I bought it for $250.00:D


The guy had assembled it and covered it with blankets. As advertised on CL, it had never had a bit in it.


115046

115047

115048


Honestly, it was more drill press than I wanted or needed but at that price for what is for all practical purposes a brand new DP, what the heck?! I'll learn to live with it.


One of my next projects, as soon as I finish some of the other projects I'm working on, is to build a table for it. Bill Huber has kindly given me some good pointers for that table. (Bill, by the way, has some GREAT galleries on his website. He's a nice guy and a man of many talents. He's an excellent photographer as well as a fine woodworker. I highly recommend checking out his site if you haven't done so.)


I'm also interested in seeing other peoples shop built drill press tables if anyone cares to post photos. Any tips, pointers, pros, cons, etc. would be greatly appreciated.


Kind Regards,

[Chris Tsutsui]

I didn't make my drill press table, but I have the Rockler drill press table.

It has a removable 1/2" MDF plate that goes beneath the drill bit, that's easy to replace if I purposely drill all the way through it with a big bit.

Here are the features I like the most to give you an idea of what you should use to build yours:

Stop blocks on the fence are a time saver.

Make sure the fence is not too tall because you need clearance for the 3 drill press arms to rotate. (Adjusting the height all the time of the table isn't that fun because you also have adjust the bit plunge depth too)

I bolted the table top to the drill press iron top. I used 4 threaded lag screws, along with fender washer, lock washer, and nut. This made the table top more secure rather than using clamps.

I use hold-down clamps that slide on a T-track for holding down work on the table top.

A DP dust collector port is also very handy. When using a forstner bit making repeated holes for cabinet doors it clears all of the chips and dust from the work.

Also consider the wasted space beneath the DP top, and make a rolling cabinet or in my case, I use it to store spools of wire.

[Ken Deckelman]

Glad you got it home safely Stephan...

[keith ouellette]

Nice press. I didn't make the drill press table I have but bought a cheap one from grizzly. At thirty dollars I couldn't have made one much better. If I could have made it better at all. I have used it more for metal work that wood work but its all drilling holes and it works very well. Here is a link to the one I have. Its a good $32 upgrade.
http://grizzly.amazonwebstore.com/Grizzly-H7827-Drill-Press-Table/M/B000E35ZW6.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

[John Schreiber]

Congratulations. Every once in a while there is a real bargain out there.

[Stephen Edwards]

I considered buying a table for this DP but I really want to build one. I want it to be larger than the one from Grizzly, though that one appears to be a good value for the money.

Ken, maybe you can offer some insight into this "problem" that I'm not yet sure how to deal with:

When I get the table built and installed on the cast iron table and have the rear of the table against or near the column, the arc of the handle that raises and lowers the table will hit the table that I'll build.

Is there a simple solution for this problem that I'm missing? Do I have to loosen and move my shop built table forward, away from the column, each time I need to raise or lower the table?

I suppose I could modify the handle. On the Grizzly website the photos of the G7948 DP shows that the handle is different than the one for the G7947. I reckon I could call Grizzly and ask if that handle would fit my DP. The owners manual for the one I have also is the manual for the G7948. Part numbers are the same and drawings are the same. But, again, the photos show a different handle. I suppose I could call Griz Tech Support to ask if the handles are indeed different yet interchangeable between the two machines. I'm not even sure that the other handle would solve the problem.

Any ideas or suggestions? Am I gonna be stuck with having to remove my shop built table each time I need to raise or lower it? Honestly, I need to just spend some time "pondering" on this one, unless someone has already invented this wheel!

[Ken Deckelman]

Stephan,
I put my table up on risers so the crank would clear the table-3" or 3 1/2" or so I think, not the most elegant solution but it was quick and easy at the time. I may tackle the project of extending the crank later but the risers are workable. I can measure and take pictures later this week for you. Mine is a generic table I bought at one of the woodworkers shows, and I added a fence from Woodpeckers that was on clearance years ago.

Still thinking of putting that beast on wheels?

[Stephen Edwards]

Stephan,
I put my table up on risers so the crank would clear the table-3" or 3 1/2" or so I think, not the most elegant solution but it was quick and easy at the time. I may tackle the project of extending the crank later but the risers are workable. I can measure and take pictures later this week for you. Mine is a generic table I bought at one of the woodworkers shows, and I added a fence from Woodpeckers that was on clearance years ago.

Still thinking of putting that beast on wheels?

Hey Ken,

Pics of your table on risers would be very helpful. Thanks for the offer.

As a matter of fact, putting this beast on wheels is very low on the priority list now! I'm not going to bolt it down just yet until I decide where its "home" will be in the shop. You were correct. I don't think I want it on wheels. NOW I understand!

[Ken Deckelman]

Evening Stephan,

Here are the pictures as promised, sorry for the delay.

[Stephen Edwards]

Thank you, Ken. That looks like a perfectly fine solution!

How did you attach the risers to the cast iron DP table, please? Did you drill holes through the cast iron table and then use knobs? I think I see knob handles in one of the pics. Thanks again for being so helpful.

[Ken Deckelman]

Yes, I drilled the table. If you look under it, you will see a X pattern in the casting, that is where the 4 holes are drilled.

[Greg Crawford]

Stephen,

I kind of copied the Woodpeckers table. I guess it's OK, since I used their t-tracks.

I used 2 layers of 1/2" MDF. The Incra t-tracks are sized to nest in between 2 pieces of 1/2" thick material, so I didn't even have to route out the dados. The t-track plus, with the scale, doesn't do a whole lot, but it's nicer to have when needed than to be without. I did have to use laminate in the cut-out for the replaceable inserts to get them level with the table. It was that or laminate all my material for future inserts. The U shape provides good clearance for the crank, and gives space for the t-track to go behind the column to clamp the fence. I edge banded the MDF with maple and then stuck the laminate on. I hadn't done that before, and wanted to practice.

I made my fence out of 1/2" MDF (hmm, a pattern there?) with a maple face. I routed the t-slots into the maple for stops (I also made those myself). Every now and then the stops or even the fence itself will get in the way of the handles, but it's worked out well. I've also made some toggle clamp fixtures that work in the inner t-tracks.

Good gloat, by the way.

Greg

[Bill Huber]

Great looking press, I really like my floor model and it doesn't take up any bench space.

Could you post some shots of the table with the handle problem?

[Stephen Edwards]

Thanks for all the input guys. I really appreciate it. I'll probably end up "borrowing" ideas from the different tables that I've seen posted here and elsewhere and incorporate those features into the one that I build.

Bill, I'll get some pics of the handle so that you can understand what Ken and I are dealing with on this particular DP. The handle is way big, extra long and has a high arc when turning it. I like Ken's solution for that problem. I'm considering incorporating a drawer into the "riser" as shown in the photos of his DP.

Thanks again.