Drill Press Table Construction Issue

[Bill Miltner]

I am building a new drill press table. Two pieces of BB plywood with laminate on both sides. Glued everything up and all is fine EXCEPT I forgot to cut out the "insert" area from one of the pieces of BB before I glued everything up.

Now I am not certain what is the best way to excavate that area. I planned in it being circular but now ??? What do you think is best, route it out somehow?

[Don Dorn]

There is always a way, but I'd make it a square. Not only can you cut it perfectly with a single hole in the middle to start, it's easy to replace when it wears out.

I was too lazy and bought the HF drill press table. So far (two years), it works great, but how can they dork that up?

[Van Huskey]

If you want it round do you have a big enough forstner bit?

Short of that I would rough it out with the jig saw then use a pattern router bit, you already have a built in pattern if I understand correctly.

[glenn bradley]

Cut a hole in a piece of hardboard with a circle cutter. Double-stick tape it to the table and use a template guide or dado cleanout bit on your router. On the other hand, square replacement inserts are a lot easier to make.

[Doug Shepard]

There is always a way, but I'd make it a square. Not only can you cut it perfectly with a single hole in the middle to start, it's easy to replace when it wears out.
...


That's the way I did mine. Making replacements is a cinch. I cut mine after the laminate was on using a router and edge guide then squared up the corners with a handsaw and sharp chisels. If your table tilts (like mine) dont forget to allow for the insert still falling under the bit at the max tilt angle.

[Bill Huber]

I am with the round insert, you can just turn them a little and have a new surface to drill on.

Don't feel like you are the Lone Ranger on this one, I did the same thing. I use a fly cutter to cut some hardboard to just over the size I wanted. I then installed a bushing on the router and set the depth to just take off a little less then one layer of board. Then I lowered it that little bit more to clean up what was left but not take off any of the second board.

I used a fly cutter to cut my inserts so they would just fit. I did drill a hole though the bottom of the table so I could push the insert up and out to turn it.

Remember there are to ways to use a fly cutter.

165613

[Bill Miltner]

Thanks for the ideas. I am sticking to the round inserts though. I find them highly preferred. Set it up with the bit offcenter and you can go just rotate it for a clean backup surface whenever you want.

Lasts much longer than the rectangular ones. They are actually quite easy to make with a circle cutting jig on my bandsaw.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Thanks for the ideas. I am sticking to the round inserts though. I find them highly preferred. Set it up with the bit offcenter and you can go just rotate it for a clean backup surface whenever you want.

Lasts much longer than the rectangular ones. They are actually quite easy to make with a circle cutting jig on my bandsaw.


I like the round also - for the same reason.

I cut my hole with a 4" Starrett hole saw I already had on-hand. Then, took the cutout, used it to draw circles on pieces of ply, rough cut on BS [don't have a circle jig] then double-face-taped the nole saw cutout to the rough cut pieces and used router + templet guide to finish. Made 6 or 7 all at once.

Dunno that this style hole saw would make it through 2 layers, though. Seems like getting that hole in place will be the biggest challenge.

[Dell Littlefield]

I replaced the base plate on my trim router with a piece of plexiglass. Drilled a hole for the correct radius and using a straight 1/4" bit, put a nail in the center and cut off the head then routed out the circle. I have used this technique many times on odd size circles. My trim router does not plunge cut but by routing in small increments, I have had no problem.

[Prashun Patel]

I'm making my drill press table right now too, and am at your same point.

I'm thinking about just using a 2" hole saw to cut the hole AND the plugs. The plugs will not fit snug, but I like this because it'll make it easier to remove without having to drill a relief hole. And making new ones is easy.

[Paul Murphy]

Consider making a router compass. Use carpet tape to stick it down, and cut your circle. Adjust the radius of cut for whatever bit daimeter you are using, and rout a bunch of inserts. A little planning ahead for keeping the whole thing centered on the final turn at full depth will help...ie carpet tape the insert and donar board to a common expendable backer.

Who would have thought carpet tape would become such an essential woodworking tool :eek:.

[Dino Drosas]

Just replaced my drill press with a mill/drill and made a wooden table with adjustable fence, stop and square center insert. It mounts by 4 runners on the bottom side that fit tightly into the milling table slots or it can also be mounted onto the vise so that it does not have to be removed and re-indexed. With the milling table, the center location can be put anywhere and then be turned over and used again. I also put a hole under the insert for ease of removal. The mill/drill is not near the same quality as the drill press I had but it does serve as a very accurate drill and gives the opportunity do do some occasional milling.

[Bill Huber]

I'm making my drill press table right now too, and am at your same point.

I'm thinking about just using a 2" hole saw to cut the hole AND the plugs. The plugs will not fit snug, but I like this because it'll make it easier to remove without having to drill a relief hole. And making new ones is easy.

I make mine 4", that gives you a lot of room to move the table back and forth and have a lot of space to have a clean surface. I have one in now that has been there for over a year, it has been flipped over once and it is just about to the point I need to replace it.

I like using the fly cutter, it is a little slower but you can adjust it until the cookie fits just right in the hole. Once I get the size just right I cut a bunch of them. I have six in the drawer and at the rate I use them that will last me for 6 years.

I have a hole in the middle of my drill press cast iron table and I drilled a hole in the bottom of the add on table, just push though the hole and the cookie will pop right out but it is tight enough that it won't turn.

[David Hostetler]

There is always a way, but I'd make it a square. Not only can you cut it perfectly with a single hole in the middle to start, it's easy to replace when it wears out.

I was too lazy and bought the HF drill press table. So far (two years), it works great, but how can they dork that up?

Not sure. Grizzly did... I replaced my Grizzly that was made of very moisture loving MDF that had swollen up like a politicians head with a shop built version. I used the Grizz table as a template for my new one. Couldn't be happier unless it looked nicer...

FWIW, Mine is 2 layers 3/4" BB ply, with 3/16 tempered hardboard laminated to the top, and the pocket for the removable insert routed in, and a rabbet to accept a 1/4" plywood insert cut in. The corners were relieved with a 1" forstner bit. I used a cutoff of the same lamination for the fence. Not a good choice. The fence is WAY too thick...

[Terry Beadle]

If you have a wood lathe, you can turn a cylinder the diameter of the insert hole. Then use the bandsaw or hand saw ( etc ) to slice off what you need to replace.

Just an idea.

[Prashun Patel]

If you have a wood lathe...
Just an idea.

And the perfect one for me. This is how I'll do it.

[Steven J Corpstein]

I have a 2" diameter hole in my table, this allowed me to just buy a 2" diameter wooden dowel and slice off a new insert when I needed. I offset it just a bit so I could just rotate the insert to get a new surface like the OP mentioned he wanted to do.

You could use a forstner bit to bore a nice clean 2" hole. Here's some pictures.

http://www.datasystemsltd.com/drillpress