drill press table slots

[David Milstone]

How important are slots (analogous to "miter gauge slots") in the table of a floor standing drill press? Can most jigs and add on tables be fit without slots? I am looking at a very nice used drill press with a completely flat table and want to be sure this don't limit future uses as my skills (hopefully) advance. The round base does have two slots.

Thanks.

Dave

[Dick Bringhurst]

I use the fence mounted in the slots quite a bit. If I didn't have them I'd have to make a top with them. Dick B.

[Bill Huber]

You DON'T need them at all.

You can make a table that will fit on really easy.

There are a lot of threads on drill press tables on the Creek, just do a search and you can find a bunch.

[Denny Rice]

ShopNotes had a really cool drill press top in an issue about 6 months ago. I am going to build it for my top soon.

[David Milstone]

Right - thanks. I previously bookmarked Steven Edwards' thread as a possible dp table to build.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=119860

But I am wondering if lack of slots will compromise other add ons. Sounds like the answer is nothing that can't be compensated for.

I guess one concern is securely anchoring a shop built table to a "stock" dp table without slots. Maybe there are ways to provide stability that vary with each particular slotless stock table. Or maybe a well-implemented clamp is all that is needed.

Dave

[Bill Huber]

Right - thanks. I previously bookmarked Steven Edwards' thread as a possible dp table to build.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=119860

But I am wondering if lack of slots will compromise other add ons. Sounds like the answer is nothing that can't be compensated for.

I guess one concern is securely anchoring a shop built table to a "stock" dp table without slots. Maybe there are ways to provide stability that vary with each particular slotless stock table. Or maybe a well-implemented clamp is all that is needed.

Dave

There are as many ways to put the table on as there are tables I think but they are all easy and can be done.

My table is about as simple as you can get.
Look at this, it shows the under side of it, it slides on and with two knobs it tightens to the cast iron table and it stays put.

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/image/110693444

[Dick Bringhurst]

Bill's table is very good. Unfortunately my DP had a round table with slots in it in the form of an "X" and no flange around the edge. I ended up using T bolts with the thin nuts to hold the add on table. The thin nuts allowed me to get them below the table surface and not get in the way of what ever I put on it. Dick B.

[Stephen Edwards]

As Bill says, I wouldn't be in the least bit concerned about no slots in the CI table of said DP, especially since it'll be a woodworker's DP. I think that the slots are more useful for metal working to hold add on vices, etc. Bill's method or my adaptation of his method are both rock solid. There's absolutely no play or slop between the CI table and the shop built woodworking table. None.

Though I personally have no experience with the clamps used to hold the woodworkers table to the CI table that come with a lot of aftermarket tables, I've read several people complain that they aren't satisfied with that clamping system. I'm talking about the clamps that look sort of like hold down clamps but are on the bottoms of the table.

[Stephen Edwards]

Bill's table is very good. Unfortunately my DP had a round table with slots in it in the form of an "X" and no flange around the edge. I ended up using T bolts with the thin nuts to hold the add on table. The thin nuts allowed me to get them below the table surface and not get in the way of what ever I put on it. Dick B.


I used bolts through the CI table, also. Even though my DP does have the flange, the bottom of the flange isn't cast as uniformly as the one on Bill's table. So, I went with the bolts through the bottom of the drawer box for that reason.

[glenn bradley]

Even the really well thought out table on my woodworking oriented Delta was improved with the addition of an additional table and fence with slots. I guess my point is that the lack of slots is probably a non issue as you will probably add a table anyway.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=64635&d=1179190986

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=64636&d=1179190997
(http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=64636&thumb=1&d=1179190997)