Clever ideas for aligning a drill press table

[John Coloccia]

So ideally, my drill press would be designed with an angled groove milled straight down the back of the column, and the table mounting collar would have a conical tipped screw that would index in the groove. Then I could align a fence or other fiducials once, and should I ever move the table (which I do all the time, by the way), I could easily get right back to being aligned just by indexing the screw into the groove.

I don't have an ideal drill press, I'm afraid. Does anyone have any ideas how to realign the table once it's been move/raised/lowered?

[glenn bradley]

That's really about the only thing I use the laser attachment for. I am not often concerned about it but, if I have a need to get the table back where I started from, I use the laser to target the last hole in the replaceable insert.

A method I used on my non-lasered DP was to measure from one side of the table at a given spot I had marked to the 1/4 bit I used as a standard. If the distance from the side of the table at that mark to the side of the bit was 12-3/8", I was home.

[Jim Dailey]

John,

You might want to take a look at this...

http://www.lasercenteredgefinder.com/main.html

This is a tool our Sawmill Creek moderator Keith Outten suggested for
new CNC operators.

Yes I know you are talking about aliening a drill press, but this laser will certainly take the guess work out of where the bulls eye is for the drill press or where the edge of a piece or a fence is located. I used the laser chucked up in my Shopbot for the 1st this evening and I was delighted with the tool.


jim

[John Coloccia]

OIC... So I could mark a fiducial on the table that represents "good alignment", and then just chuck this up and rotate the table until I'm there. Hmmmm. Only problem is that the mark will be destroyed the first time I drill through a piece of wood. Shoot. You had me all excited there for a minute!

I'm really surprised that I've never seen an alignment feature on a drill press. It seems like such an obvious and simple thing to implement, and something that nearly all of us would use all the time. Even for metal working, this would be extremely useful.

[Joe Scharle]

I use a bent coat hanger chucked up and rotated around until the table/head is square to each other on my radial. My Shopsmith uses an index pin.

[Joe Broadway]

Having just purchased a drill press I was at first concerned at how when I raised or lowered the table it would then become uncentered. One would think that a centering pin would be standard equipment. So far, I've just been really really careful when moving the table, making sure it's centered before drilling again. If there's a better way I'm definitely looking forward to it. That center laser posted above looks interesting, but at almost $100 I think it's too much for something that should be simple.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

John, how accurate are you looking for? I guess I've never been concerned about better than "close enough" to centered after I adjust the table, what am I missing?

[pat warner]

A .500 dowel pin and straight edge guide will do it.
At table height no.1 put the pin in the chuck, slide straight edge up to the pin and clamp down. If you need another fence you can index off the first. Appreciate the first fence is .250" away from the center of the chuck. If the work is to be 5" from the drill center, position it (the fence guide) 5.25" from the pin with a spacer.
Now do your drilling. Arrive at table ht. no. 2. Use the pin again and index the same fence(s) as before. If your pin, chuck, and straightedges are good and you have little run out in the press, the second set up will be within a few mils of the first.
*************************************
Mistake here: A fence 5" from the pin diameter has the work 5.250" from the drill center.

[Stephen Edwards]

John, how accurate are you looking for? I guess I've never been concerned about better than "close enough" to centered after I adjust the table, what am I missing?

That's kinda my approach, too. Actually, I eyeball the front edge of the table (shop built woodworking table) with the front edge of the base and I'm good to go.

Perhaps I just haven't encountered a project yet that would call for the table to be perfectly aligned when changing the height of the table on the column.

[harry strasil]

If you really need to be that accurate in centering the table.

1. scribe a line on the round part that clamps the table to the column.

2. transfer the line to the column.

3. crank the table all the way down.

4. using a piece of aluminum angle from a hdw store, place the open V part on the column it will self center and line one edge up with the mark scribed column and clamping it to the column, scribe down the column.

NOTE: aluminum angle is extruded no rolled, so it the most accurate.

Now you have a reference line to go to. Its an old Pipe Welders trick as when working pipe you always work from the center line, it never changes. FWIW

[John Coloccia]

John, how accurate are you looking for? I guess I've never been concerned about better than "close enough" to centered after I adjust the table, what am I missing?

I hear yah. Right now, I'm just eyeballing it. I can get it as accurate as I'd like...it just takes time. I don't mind taking time out to align things, but this seems just seems like a waste of time. It would be like having to set 90 degrees on the table saw everytime you make a bevel cut. It's not that I can't set 90 degree with a square, but the stop is way more convenient and repeatable. Same with the drill press table.

[John Coloccia]

If you really need to be that accurate in centering the table.

1. scribe a line on the round part that clamps the table to the column.

2. transfer the line to the column.

3. crank the table all the way down.

4. using a piece of aluminum angle from a hdw store, place the open V part on the column it will self center and line one edge up with the mark scribed column and clamping it to the column, scribe down the column.

NOTE: aluminum angle is extruded no rolled, so it the most accurate.

Now you have a reference line to go to. Its an old Pipe Welders trick as when working pipe you always work from the center line, it never changes. FWIW

This is truly excellent, Harry. I through of scribing a line but I couldn't figure out a reliable way to get the line plum. Great idea. THANKS!

[Tom Veatch]

It seems the topic is the lateral, side to side alignment of the table, not the "make the table perpendicular to the drill bit" type of alignment. If that's the case, I don't see how it makes a lot of difference unless you're drilling through holes.

If you are drilling through holes, the drill bit will reach the table when the quill is lowered. Lower the quill and make sure the bit clears the center hole. It it interferes, bump the table one way or the other until it clears and tighten the clamp. Doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Unless I'm really missing the point.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

How about chucking up one of those laser pointers?

[John Coloccia]

It seems the topic is the lateral, side to side alignment of the table, not the "make the table perpendicular to the drill bit" type of alignment. If that's the case, I don't see how it makes a lot of difference unless you're drilling through holes.

If you are drilling through holes, the drill bit will reach the table when the quill is lowered. Lower the quill and make sure the bit clears the center hole. It it interferes, bump the table one way or the other until it clears and tighten the clamp. Doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Unless I'm really missing the point.

You're right. It normally doesn't matter unless you're trying to setup fences and jigs to get repeatability. It's not even that important to make the table "straight" because the first time you setup a fence or jig you'll align everything the way you like it. The only important part, for what I'm doing anyway, is that the table position is repeatable. Crooked's OK as long as you can reliably repeat it.

So as a toy example, let's say I want to drill two holes, two different sizes, on two different pieces of wood, and I want the centers located in the same place. So I want a 3/4" hole co-located with a 1/8" hole. Someone's going to say, "Well, why would you ever want to do that?". Well maybe I want to stick a 3/4" bearing in one piece, and stick a shaft through it that goes into a 1/8" hole somewhere else.

Anyhow, you can measure it all out and line the drill press up by eye (with lasers, or whatever), or you can drill a 1/8" pilot in both pieces (using a stop to locate the two holes in the same place), and then try to enlarge it with a larger bit (again, lining it up by eye). ...Or you can setup a stop, drill the 1/8" hole, lower the table (because my 3/4" bits are WAY longer than my 1/8" bits), lock it in the calibrated position and go ahead and drill the 3/4" hole.

That's just one example. Another is that I want to have a fence with calibrated markings so that I can easily drill a hole exactly 1/2" from the edge. I know I can make a mark, line it up by eye, and drill all of my holes. When I go back a week later, because I forgot to drill one of my pieces, and try to duplicate that measurement I'm going to have trouble. It'll be close, and if I'm really careful it'll be exact. I'd much rather just set my fence for 1/2" and know I'm going to be exactly where every other 1/2"-away-from-the-edge hole is.

I hope that makes sense. I know not everyone wants or needs that kind of precision

[Greg Sznajdruk]

It seems the topic is the lateral, side to side alignment of the table, not the "make the table perpendicular to the drill bit" type of alignment. If that's the case, I don't see how it makes a lot of difference unless you're drilling through holes.

If you are drilling through holes, the drill bit will reach the table when the quill is lowered. Lower the quill and make sure the bit clears the center hole. It it interferes, bump the table one way or the other until it clears and tighten the clamp. Doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Unless I'm really missing the point.


Me too. A drill bit is round so what does it matter? The only concern I have is that the drill bit point is centered over the mark on the wood to be drilled. I have a fence on my drill table usually I just adjust just one side.
Or this whole topic may be over my head.

Greg

[John Coloccia]

Just for the record, drilling into my drill press table by accident hasn't traditionally been a problem for me. I do have THAT one figured out, at least. It did get rather exciting with the fly cutter once, but that's a completely different story. LOL :D

[harry strasil]

short bit, long second bit is easy to work around, go get a 1/4 or 3/8 chuck that has a threaded mounting hole, get a bolt with the right threads, cut it off so it just fits in the main chuck up to the auxiliary chuck and use that for the short bit. I have procured the chuck from an old brace so I can use old style square tapered shanks in my drill press without cutting off the original shank.

[Chip Lindley]

I've suffered for years with an old DP with table that slides on the column but does not index. For woodworking purposes (or off-hand metalworking) the table center hole only needs to clear the bit! Forget centering it. Try this:

- Dimple the workpiece at exact location of hole to be drilled with a sharp scriber point. Center-punch metal.
- Chuck up a piece of accurately center-pointed drill rod and move the dimple to the point until accurate registration is achieved.
- Quill is lowered to hold workpiece in position against the table and workpiece is clamped down.
- Drillrod is replaced with appropriate drill bit and hole drilled.

This works extremely well (better than a FAT laser line!) unless very fine tolerances are required. In that case an X-Y indexing table is advised to position the workpiece within a thou of an inch!

[John Coloccia]

I've suffered for years with an old DP with table that slides on the column but does not index. For woodworking purposes (or off-hand metalworking) the table center hole only needs to clear the bit! Forget centering it. Try this:

- Dimple the workpiece at exact location of hole to be drilled with a sharp scriber point.
- Chuck up a piece of accurately center-pointed drill rod and move the dimple to the point until accurate registration is achieved.
- Quill is lowered to hold workpiece in position against the table and workpiece is clamped down.
- Drillrod is replaced with appropriate drill bit and hole drilled.

This works extremely well (better than a FAT laser line!) unless very fine tolerances are required. In that case an X-Y indexing table is advised to position the workpiece within a thou of an inch!

This is actually how I do it now. I use the pointer that came with my drill press as a dead center, and line up the dimple to that, just as if I were metal working. I agree 100% about the laser lines, by the way. Ironically, the pointer I'm using was designed to be used to line up the laser. I really liked Harry's idea of scribing a line, though. I'd really like to be able to do some of these operations without having to take the time to swap bits in and out, thereby screwing up my depth settings.

[harry strasil]

when the laser line on one side gets fat, the battery needs replaced, they don't last long if you leave them on all the time, I switch mine on and off as needed.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Another idea is to line up both parts and drill a 3/32 (or similar small hole) thorough both at once. Then this hole can be used to drill the larger holes.

[Tom Veatch]

You're right. It normally doesn't matter unless you're trying to setup fences and jigs to get repeatability.... hope that makes sense. I know not everyone wants or needs that kind of precision

Thanks for the explanation. It does make sense, and I was totally missing the point.

Now that you've reminded me, I recall running into the same situation a few weeks ago. Didn't have a good solution then, and don't have one now that's any better than those already on the table.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I just chuck up a router collar centering cone in the chuck and align it to the center hole in the table. If this isn't big enough for your press you could turn one on a lathe. A lathe faceplate chucked up makes a good flat reference plane for aligning the table in the horizontal if you have a tilt table.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you really need to be that accurate in centering the table.

1. scribe a line on the round part that clamps the table to the column.

2. transfer the line to the column.

3. crank the table all the way down.

4. using a piece of aluminum angle from a hdw store, place the open V part on the column it will self center and line one edge up with the mark scribed column and clamping it to the column, scribe down the column.

NOTE: aluminum angle is extruded no rolled, so it the most accurate.

Now you have a reference line to go to. Its an old Pipe Welders trick as when working pipe you always work from the center line, it never changes. FWIWHarry, you done it again. Your method is EXACTLY what I have done for years. Same thing for the second chuck with extended shaft also. You been peeking in my shop? Or is it a case of great minds thinking alike? Most likely the later. Bruce

[harry strasil]

Just a typical old blacksmith, we modify almost every tool we own, or we just build a tool to do what we need done.