Drill press table posts?

[Wade Lippman]

I just bought a new drill press (actually I got a barely used 15" PC for 30% of retail!) and I want to make a table for it. I don't want something that attaches to the cast iron table; I want to replace the CI table with one that is WW friendly.

On my old DP, which I sold when I moved, I turned a post for the table out of some glued up goncalo alves. It was a lot of work and I didn't get a pefect cylinder. (ever try for a perfect cylinder?) It worked, but wasn't as good as I wanted. After I made it I found that you can buy the posts made out of metal for a reasonable price. Now that I need one, I can't find it.
Any suggestions.

[Phil Thien]

I went with one of these:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Vise-Adapter-for-G1199-G1200-G4008-G4009/G1162

Based on advice from this thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?187972-Please-measure-your-DP-table-stem

And it has worked-out quite well. I use 3/4" BB plywood for the table, I did add some cleats to the bottom to stiffen it and keep it flat.

[Bill Huber]

I guess I don't understand why not attach it to the CI table. I have mine set up to just slides on and if I want to do some metal work with cutting oil I just have to star knobs that I loosen and pull it right off.

[Kevin Rossi]

I made mine out of a old kitchen counter top. Added three t tracks in it and a removable center drilling plate. Also made the fence from a ripped part of the same counter top

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I guess I don't understand why not attach it to the CI table. I have mine set up to just slides on and if I want to do some metal work with cutting oil I just have to star knobs that I loosen and pull it right off.

+1, why not?

[Ole Anderson]

+1, why not?

+2, that is typically how it is done. Rock solid. After all most good WW machinery has a CI table, so you would just be leaving the CI table under the add-on work table.

[Wade Lippman]

I went with one of these:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Vise-Adapter-for-G1199-G1200-G4008-G4009/G1162



That's it! Thanks.
I used 3/4" corian for my first one. I routed the Tslots right into the corian. This time I will use corian, but will use aluminum Tslots. Not as pretty, but I won't have to worry about ripping the tops out of the slots.

As for why I want to do this...
The CI table is completely worthless for woodworking. Since I will never use it, I can lighten the table up by getting rid of it. Maybe it is more work and expense, but it seems worth it.

[mark kosse]

As for why I want to do this...
The CI table is completely worthless for woodworking. Since I will never use it, I can lighten the table up by getting rid of it. Maybe it is more work and expense, but it seems worth it.

Umm, Huh??

I don't understand. How is it worthless for woodworking?

[glenn bradley]

Umm, Huh??

I don't understand. How is it worthless for woodworking?

If it is a round metalworking table like many DP's come with, its pretty worthless for woodworking. the table cranks up and down so I too would attach the WWing table to the existing for a greater support area. The Grizzly item shown would work but, you need to make your table capable of taking the pressure without flexing. Go with what you feel is best but, by the time I reinforced a wooden table to take the work, I do not think it would deliver enough return for my time and trouble YMMV.

[Phil Thien]

Umm, Huh??

I don't understand. How is it worthless for woodworking?

Some of the tables out there don't really have any decent way to clamp a woodworking table to them. You could drill holes, etc., but sometimes spending a few dollars for something with an easy hole pattern makes more sense.

[Bill Huber]

I think that you can put a table on just about any drill press out there, my table just has two star knobs that hold it on and I don't think that there is a CI table out there that you could not do the same with.

The thing is you have a very strong table that is stable and works with the drill press.

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[Myk Rian]

I was under the impression the 15" PCs had a nice sized, square table.
I suppose engineering how to mount a new table would be the tough part. Does the column clamp have an angle index?

[Ray Newman]

Bill H: that is a very good idea on how to secure a wood/aftermarket table to the OEM cast iron table!

[Wade Lippman]

I was under the impression the 15" PCs had a nice sized, square table.
I suppose engineering how to mount a new table would be the tough part. Does the column clamp have an angle index?

Nope, small round one.
If the column clamp holds the table to the column, and angle index lets you change the angle, then yes.

[Rich Riddle]

Bill,

A picture is worth a thousand words; yours are worth more. Thanks for the photographs to help us.

[Jim Tobias]

+1 more on Bill's idea. I just recently bought a benchtop drill press for my sis who does some craftwork or a variety of sorts. After getting it , I decided that I should make her a table to go on it so it will be more useful. Just finished this today. Mostly from pieces and parts that I already had other than the piece of laminate counter top I bought at a close out at HD for $20. I have enough left over for several other small jigs/tables of sorts.
I built it on the same idea as my own Woodpecker drill press table. Most of the pictures are self explanatory. I added a layer of BB ply on bottom for added thickness and stability. I bought 2 small pieces of sheet metal and bent/drilled it to form pieces to attach fence to table. Last picture shows bottom side that can be attached as Bill suggested by
tightening star knobs.

Jim

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[Alan Schwabacher]

Cast iron is pretty easy to drill and tap. Why not just put machine screws down through the added table into the cast iron?

To me lightening the table doesn't matter much because of the mechanical advantage of the crank, but making the table of consistent thickness could facilitate clamping.

If you really need the cast iron table to be smaller and never plan to use the original, you could trim it with a Sawzall. If messed up, it could then be replaced with the thing from Grizzly.

[Wade Lippman]

Cast iron is pretty easy to drill and tap. Why not just put machine screws down through the added table into the cast iron?

To me lightening the table doesn't matter much because of the mechanical advantage of the crank, but making the table of consistent thickness could facilitate clamping.

If you really need the cast iron table to be smaller and never plan to use the original, you could trim it with a Sawzall. If messed up, it could then be replaced with the thing from Grizzly.

Yes, compared with spending $35 for the new thing, those are reasonable suggestions.
I know it drills easily, but cutting it with sawsall? That looks tougher.

[Rich Riddle]

Yes, compared with spending $35 for the new thing, those are reasonable suggestions.
I know it drills easily, but cutting it with sawsall? That looks tougher.I am about as accurate with a sawsall as I am with an axe. I have never tried cutting cast. Good luck if you go that route.