Do you use a drill press table?

[Craig Day]

I stumbled upon Matthias Wandel's video, and then webpage, where he outlines why he doesn't use a drill press table (he means a custom table added to the press, not the stock table). This got me wondering if any woodworkers prefer NOT using a custom drill press table, and if so, why? I cannot imagine going without a drill press table. I upgraded my drill press recently and I'm itching to build a new table... for me it's much slower, less accurate, and more dangerous to NOT have a table with a fence + stop and T tracks to secure the work.

Here's the link for anyone interested: http://woodgears.ca/drillpress/table.html

[Bryan Lisowski]

I dont use when drilling pen blanks due to size of pen drilling vise, but for other stuff I do.

[Rege Sullivan]

When I made mine I painstakingly designed it to be readily removable. And... haven't removed it in 6 years.

[glenn bradley]

Matthias is an interesting and innovative guy but, I don't agree with everything he's ever said (I also don't hold tings I am drilling with my bare hands, we have clamps you know). I would be loath to give up my table; three different fences and a wide assortment of jigs. Maybe he's never used one that easily tilts left, right and forward ;-)

[Jim Allen]

I stumbled upon Matthias Wandel's video, and then webpage, where he outlines why he doesn't use a drill press table (he means a custom table added to the press, not the stock table). This got me wondering if any woodworkers prefer NOT using a custom drill press table, and if so, why? I cannot imagine going without a drill press table. I upgraded my drill press recently and I'm itching to build a new table... for me it's much slower, less accurate, and more dangerous to NOT have a table with a fence + stop and T tracks to secure the work.


I agree, I have a table with a fence mounted to a x-y vice that's mounted to the drill press table.

[Nick Decker]

I recently upgraded my drill press, too, but haven't settled on what to do about a table. At this point, I've just rigged a fence made of misc. parts.

Glenn, do you happen to have pictures of yours?

[Ben Rivel]

Yea that guy does a lot of weird things, most of which I think are silly. Personally I think a drill press table can greatly enhance the functionality of a drill press if its a good design and of good quality. And especially if it adds dust collection!

[Rod Sheridan]

Matthias is an interesting and innovative guy but, I don't agree with everything he's ever said (I also don't hold tings I am drilling with my bare hands, we have clamps you know). I would be loath to give up my table; three different fences and a wide assortment of jigs. Maybe he's never used one that easily tilts left, right and forward ;-)

Yup +1.

I have a drill press table with a removable Kreg extrusion about 4 feet long with 2 flip stops.

When I'm making doors I can set the stops, drill the 35mm hinge holes without measuring or marking and everything is perfect.

Drill presses are meant for metal working and have small tables for use with a drill press vice or clamps, not exactly optimum for wood working.

A well thought out table with a good fence and stops is really handy, and improves your safety by supporting larger work pieces. Mine has to be easily removed, as my small shop doesn't have room for it unless I'm using it..........Regards, Rod.

[Frank Pratt]

I wouldn't consider going back to having no table. I got one from Lee Valley that didn't cost much more than what it would have cost me for all the track, hardware etc.

[andy bessette]

Decades of using a drill press have not shown me the need for an auxiliary table. However my drill press tables often are used with a slab of MDF or a DP vise.

[Nick Decker]

I wouldn't consider going back to having no table. I got one from Lee Valley that didn't cost much more than what it would have cost me for all the track, hardware etc.

I was looking at that one, Frank. How much hassle is it to put on/take off?

[Ron Citerone]

I think they make a lot of operations simpler, and good to have. For a new shop there are many things I would get first.

[Derek Cohen]

Well isn't that interesting - Matthias has copied me :)

His comments in the video (about needing to use the full table) are exactly my experience. And so my drill press has a loose board that is replaced when the holes become invasive.

Mine does go one step further, in that there is a sliding fence (which came from a tablesaw). This acts as a moving depth stop, which may be clamped at a preferred distance from the drill bit. Really handy - and I wonder if anyone else has done something like this?

https://i.postimg.cc/141zz2zR/DP1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/PfPSsx8r/DP2.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Y0W9MMMy/DP3.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ole Anderson]

Couldn't do without mine. Fairly easily removable when I do a lot of work with steel or aluminum. I have a couple of vices that I use including a fairly large cross vice. Although that hasn't gotten much use since I got a mini-mill.

[William Hodge]

I stumbled upon Matthias Wandel's video, and then webpage, where he outlines why he doesn't use a drill press table (he means a custom table added to the press, not the stock table). This got me wondering if any woodworkers prefer NOT using a custom drill press table, and if so, why? I cannot imagine going without a drill press table. I upgraded my drill press recently and I'm itching to build a new table... for me it's much slower, less accurate, and more dangerous to NOT have a table with a fence + stop and T tracks to secure the work.

Here's the link for anyone interested: http://woodgears.ca/drillpress/table.html

One reason I use a drill press table is that I try to make stuff that looks good. Another is that I don't want stock grabbing on a bit, and helocoptering me in the head, potentially knock some sense in on impact.

[glenn bradley]

I recently upgraded my drill press, too, but haven't settled on what to do about a table. At this point, I've just rigged a fence made of misc. parts.

Glenn, do you happen to have pictures of yours?

403430 . 403429

403431 . 403432 . 403433

Its the older style Woodpecker table of phenolic ply. I use their low profile fence and stops as well as a shop made and a Rockler. Having a split face for taller work is great. The low fence clears well but only offers a "stops" sort of holding capability. The shop made one is a solid face, one piece, smooth-both-sides fence that I use when I don't need clearance near the fence and need to clamp odd items.

A block like this adds a lot of function for little effort.

403435 . 403434

Having tracks for the fence and tracks closer to the chuck for work holding is a benefit. Backer is a 4" square that is replaceable as it gets chewed up. If I built my own I would make the insert and offset round disc to get more uses out of it; moving by degrees to a new area instead of by quadrants.

[Charles Taylor]

I had one on my old benchtop drill press, a simple piece of MDF that provided a larger working surface than the the cast iron table and that miraculously never sagged during its lifetime. When in need of a fence or something to hold work, I'd find a suitable piece of scrap and clamp it to the table. In the [mumble] years since I upgraded to a better press, I've meant to design and build a better table. I need to restock my round tuit bin.

[Jim Becker]

The drill press table I made many years ago has never left my drill press.

[Charlie Hinton]

My table is very simple and utilitarian being a rectangular piece of 3/4" plywood fastened to the round table. The plywood overhangs a few inches. A couple more pieces of plywood fastened together at 90 degrees serve as the fence and sacrificial drill board. I clamp that assembly to the plywood on the table. It really makes using the drill press easier and safer. I keep intending to make something "better" but this works well and doesn't interfere with the handles so replacing it is at the bottom of the list.

[Frank Pratt]

I was looking at that one, Frank. How much hassle is it to put on/take off?

Honestly, I can't tell you because I'v never taken it back off since I got it a few years ago. I think it's only a couple of bolts that hold it on.

One critique on it though. The replaceable insert sits just a little below the surface of the table. It seems like the recess was machined to the correct depth & then the melamine was applied after, making it too deep. Easily fixed with shims though.

[Nick Decker]

Glenn B., thanks for the photos and descriptions. As usual, I am in awe of your jigginess. :)

Frank, thanks for the info. I actually ordered that table from Lee Valley when I ordered my new drill press from them, then cancelled it because it was back ordered. May still buy it, but the insert thing gives me pause. If the insert isn't backed up against what you're drilling, seems like you'd get tearout, which is why you'd want the insert in the first place.

[Mike Cutler]

I have an Incra drill press table that's been on for over 20 years. Pretty much identical to the one in Glenn's photos. I use it quite frequently, for all manner of tasks, not just wood working.
It takes less than 5 minutes to remove it if I need to do the things that Matthias is doing in the link.
The crank handle extension is a 1/2" drive ratchet, extension, and socket, that cost less than a dollar at a flea market.
I am looking for new drill press, an the table will be installed on the new one. They're to convenient for most wood working tasks.

[Frank Pratt]

Frank, thanks for the info. I actually ordered that table from Lee Valley when I ordered my new drill press from them, then cancelled it because it was back ordered. May still buy it, but the insert thing gives me pause. If the insert isn't backed up against what you're drilling, seems like you'd get tearout, which is why you'd want the insert in the first place.

That's exactly right. Some thin cardboard shims glued in the recess will take care of that. By now though, they may have corrected the issue.

[Gordon Stump]

You can't beat a table for indexing. Mine is not fancy but it is motorized!403449

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_TMHfmX-i8

[Craig Day]

You can't beat a table for indexing. Mine is not fancy but it is motorized!

Very cool Gordon. I considered doing this, but then I came across an improved manual version that moves the crank to the front of the table: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/373553

I've already ordered the parts to do this for my new table. I'm thinking about doing a second crank on the left for tightening and loosening the table.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I agree with Gordon and BTW you have a very cool DP table.

403464

[Gordon Stump]

Thanks Surplus Stair Tread motors are everywhere...even in the garbage. I use mine for a coat rack.

[Nick Decker]

That's exactly right. Some thin cardboard shims glued in the recess will take care of that. By now though, they may have corrected the issue.

Frank, do you find that the dust collection on your table is worthwhile at all?

[Frank Pratt]

Frank, do you find that the dust collection on your table is worthwhile at all?

As it is, it isn't that great. It works better to just clamp a DC hose in the appropriate spot to suck up the stuff.

[Nick Decker]

OK, thanks.

[Rod Sheridan]

OK, thanks.


I made a left and right hand hood for drilling 35mm hinge holes.

403490

[tom lucas]

I have 2 DPs. One has a homemade table and fence. It's been on it for 30 years or so now. Good for wood projects. Not so good for metal.

Second DP (JET 17) uses the OEM table but I added a biesmeyer fence. It's not so much the table that is essential, but an adjustable fence with movable stops is a must for me. If the OEM table on the JET didn't already have t-slots, I would probably build a table for it. The table is the main reason I got the JET 17. Though it could be larger sometimes.

[Andrew Seemann]

Decades of using a drill press have not shown me the need for an auxiliary table. However my drill press tables often are used with a slab of MDF or a DP vise.

So are Andy and I the only ones here that don't use an auxiliary table on a drill press?

I don't have one either and never have had one as a matter of fact. My 1948 Delta drill press is a bench model of the large drill press and has a big cast iron table on it with T slots, so that is kind of like a table I suppose. My other one is a standard Delta floor model from about 20 years ago with a regular table.

I do use home made jigs occasionally, and I usually have a scrap piece of 1/2 baltic birch to drill into (that is important for the bench drill press as it has no hole in the center). I also clamp things to the table or in a vise. I guess I just haven't found it necessary to have a large semi-permanent auxiliary table.

[andy bessette]

So are Andy and I the only ones here that don't use an auxiliary table on a drill press?...

The only ones willing to admit we're not table fan-boys? :)

Probably has a lot to do with the type of work we do. For example I never do any kind of production runs. It's all one-off custom work.

Edit: take that back--did a (lathe) run of custom zinc anodes for Larry Elison's yacht "Asahi".

https://i.postimg.cc/kMLD47tm/IMG-5738.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4nbX2k5L)

[Craig Day]

I also do one-off custom work. The very last thing I did the other day was drill 16 holes in mounting plates for casters... With a drill press table I can set the fence and stop in 15 seconds. Without a table I have to grab a backer board, grab a fence board, grab a stop block, then clamp everything together. Instead of 15 seconds it’s a couple of minutes. Not huge but I prefer to move from tool to tool in my shop and just get work done... not fiddle with my tools.

[andy bessette]

...Without a table I have to grab a backer board, grab a fence board, grab a stop block, then clamp everything together...

Sounds almost impossible. :)

[Craig Day]

Nothing impossible about it. Just takes more time. I prefer to spend that time building things instead of fiddling with tools :-)