Powermatic Drill Press Table.

[John M. Cioffi]

I bought a Powermatic drill press a few months ago and have been encountering a few "projects" to get it set up. 1) the dust port - needed to research and modify an adaptor for the dust port to hook up to my 2 1/2" vacuum.
2) the table is nicer, wider and the adjustable pull-out wings are grand; but there are no provisions for setting up the large vise grip hold -down used on the slotted tabletops. They don't have slots in this tabletop.
For those of you who have one: how did you resolve these issues?
Thanks for your replies.
John

[Kent A Bathurst]

Which model DP?

[pat warner]

I use my own fixturing (http://patwarner.com/images/holding_jig.jpg).
Drill vises have their place but for ordinary & precise drilling on center: Forget it!

[Van Huskey]

Based on the comments it must be a PM2800

[John M. Cioffi]

OK, so I guess that no one knows how to answer my questions.
It's wonderful to use your own fixtures, but how does that help someone else, if you hold back from giving what is needed?
I thought this forum was for that purpose! Am I wrong?

[glenn bradley]

OK, so I guess that no one knows how to answer my questions. It's wonderful to use your own fixtures, but how does that help someone else, if you hold back from giving what is needed?I thought this forum was for that purpose! Am I wrong?No, but you may be a bit impatient ;-) I do not see the vise-grip style hold down used much on the forums and this probably contributes to your lack of responses. When holding wood material down, the crushing grip of fixtures more at home in a metal shop are not required. From the pics it looks as though the PM2800 has t-slots on the table(?). If your holddown is the type with a pre-formed tongue 216392and it does not fit I assume the easiest solution is to modify or replace the holddown. If it is the type that normally uses a through-stud 216393you could cut the stud off to length and add a nut or tapped piece of steel that would fit the slot.I like many others added an additional top with all the t-slots and other doo-dads we woodworkers tend to require.216396

[Kent A Bathurst]

Well, now, John............... First of all:

216394
:D :D :D

Second.....I attempted twice over the weekend to post a reply. Your problem is with Comcast, not me. I can assure you they are very well aware of your frustrations, and I will pass your comments along to them - probably any minute now, knowing how things are going for them in this neighborhood............

Third: You want to connect Item A - the vise-grip style clamp [with which I am unfamiliar, but I can take a good enough guess] to Item B - the tee-style miter slots in your DP table. So, make an adapter, whyncha? You know - a thing that let you connect two dissimilar items together.

My '85 PM1150A-VS has a production table - a big honking rectangle of steel. No holes, no slots, no nothing, except a coolant gutter around the outside. I made a table to mount on it, with tee-track in that table. The style of clamps I use are destaco, which mount to surfaces via bolts through holes in the clamp's baseplate.

My adapters are blocks of wood. The Destaco clamps are mounted to them - hex bolts through the block into tee-nuts in the bottom of the block. Then, I have 5/16" flange bolts from the table's tee-slot up through the adapter block, and a star-knob on top to tighten it.

No, no - don't thank me. Definitely don't tell me any more about your clamps, because I simply do not care. I am assuming you can take the adapter concept and sort through any issues to arrive at a solution that works for your specific situation. If this idea is no good, then - please - also do not tell me about that. I tried my very best, and I can sleep soundly tonight.

You know, I am positive that the large majority of us here pride ourselves on being helpful, if and when we have an answer, and doing it in a friendly, conversational tone. There are occasionally questions or problems that get no reply, or get replies that are not workable - and I have racked up my share of those on both sides - my advice helped not, and advice received to my inquiries has helped not. But we try. \


Best wishes for a happy holidays..........at least, happier than the lead-in weeks have been for you.

Kindest Regards, Kent

[Dan Schocke]

John,

Perhaps you didn't notice that Pat's reply included a link to his website that shows a picture of his fixtures.... I won't speak for him, but I assume he was trying to give you some ideas of what i spossible without overwhelming with details that you might not need. If you see something in the picture that appears useful, I'm sure Pat would provide more info if requested.

--Dan

[Dan Schocke]

John,

Perhaps you didn't notice that Pat's reply included a link to his website that shows a picture of his fixtures.... I won't speak for him, but I assume he was trying to give you some ideas of what i spossible without overwhelming with details that you might not need. If you see something in the picture that appears useful, I'm sure Pat would provide more info if requested.

--Dan

[Kevin Nathanson]

I use this on my PM2800:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Cross-Sliding-Vise/G1064

I disassembled the hold downs from the fence and used them to attach the base of the vise to the table.

The vice is not the most precise piece you'll ever see—you won't mistake it for a mill table—but the price is right, and it is nice to be able to adjust whatever I am drilling along both the X and Y axis to get an accurate hole. I also got a set of accessory jaws for it so that I could clamp round objects down.

[John M. Cioffi]

OK. It's true that text alone cannot contain true sincerity. I guess though, I leaked alittle. My Appologies. I did ask those ?'s very sincerely. I've been on this forum since way back at it's inception (before Sawmill Creek) and have witnessed the helpfullness. Kent had it right, that sometimes it doesn't work that way.
My only real point is looking at a simple fix for using my hold-down clamp like I used to on my old Delta drill press. It had slots. This PM2800 does not, so I had in mind to maybe drill holes in the miter grooves to attach it, or something similar to that; and wanted some advise before I did that.
Glen has the correct pic (2nd one) of what it looks like; the bottom screws on from beneath. All the replies are wonderful, but I just want a simple way of using what I already have. So, if there are any thoughts along that line, from anyone - it is truely appreciated as stated in all my posts.
Thanks to all for your help and concerns.

[Paul McGaha]

John,

I bought a drill press table from Rockler that serves my needs on my Delta Drill Press. Woodpecker also has a nice one.

Please notice the fixturing Pat Warner did in post #3. Very nicely done Pat.

PHM