Easily Adjustable Drill Press Stop?

[Andrew More]

I've got an old craftman drill press from the 70s. Works very well, but the depth stop is annoying, since it needs to be screwed up and down. I seem to remember a button press variant for this that effectively moved up and down much easier.

Pic of the type of drill press I'm talking about. In the second pic you can see the "Feed Stop Nut", this is what I want to replace. In the third you can see a version of this on the Delta drill press. I'm hoping there's some sort of aftermarket version I can use with the Craftsman.

Any suggestions?


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[Brian Tymchak]

I've got an old craftman drill press from the 70s. Works very well, but the depth stop is annoying, since it needs to be screwed up and down. I seem to remember a button press variant for this that effectively moved up and down much easier.


I don't have an aftermarket source for you, but I have a word of caution.

I have the Nova Voyager that has that sliding depth stop. Easy to adjust,,,, but,,, I found the stop to be unreliable. There is a spring inside that compresses when you push the button and decompresses when you let off the button, engaging the stop by "locking" in to the notched rod. The problem is that that spring can compress a bit from down pressure by the head stock on the stop causing the stop to slip out the notches in the rod. I have to be very careful when approaching the stop so as to not over pressure that spring. I think a stronger spring might help but haven't tried to fix it.

[Paul F Franklin]

If you search McMaster.com for push-button nut you may find one that will work, depending on the thread size needed.

Per Brian's comment, I have the Nova Voyager also and haven't seen the issue Brian has. So maybe it is just a bad spring on his.

[mike stenson]

I've had that system on my drill press for decades now, it is an older delta. They're depth suggesters, not stops. They work great, when you keep that in mind, because yea.. If you push, they'll slip.

[Bradley Gray]

I just have the threaded type. If I need a sure stop, I tape the 2 jam nuts to the stem.

[Derek Cohen]

Brian, I also have the Nova Voyager and, as per Paul, there has never been an issue with the depth stop.

EDIT TO ADD: The manual stop has worked perfectly in all the time I have had the Voyager (about 4 -5 years). What am I doing right?! :) The digital stop is dead accurate (+/- no more than 0.1mm).

Andrew, I think I know what you are looking for, but I do not know where to access this … unless DeWalt can offer spares. The nut I am thinking of is on my Elu router (same as DeWalt DW625). Perhaps they are called speed nuts or split nuts? One depressed the side, which releases the nut, freeing it to move up-or-down by hand.

https://i.postimg.cc/PtHrfWPM/FA759640-5-C39-4-B26-ACD0-136-CD7-E22-E41.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John Ziebron]

I don't mean to get off the OP's subject but like Brian I also had issues with the mechanical stop on my Voyager. Maybe we're too heavy handed.:p I have long since taken mine off and just use the digital depth readout since it's easy to zero out. Haven't had a ruined work piece since.

[Jerry Bruette]

Here ya go https://www.mcmaster.com/quick-release-nuts/

[John Kananis]

If you think the voyager's depth stop is bad, you haven't tried the viking... horrendous. I miss the push-button threaded stop on my old 16.5" delta. It was always rock solid.

[Randy Heinemann]

I don't have an aftermarket source for you, but I have a word of caution.

I have the Nova Voyager that has that sliding depth stop. Easy to adjust,,,, but,,, I found the stop to be unreliable. There is a spring inside that compresses when you push the button and decompresses when you let off the button, engaging the stop by "locking" in to the notched rod. The problem is that that spring can compress a bit from down pressure by the head stock on the stop causing the stop to slip out the notches in the rod. I have to be very careful when approaching the stop so as to not over pressure that spring. I think a stronger spring might help but haven't tried to fix it.

I thought the Nova Voyager could be zeroed out on the top of the piece and programmed to stop at the correct depth? If that isn't the case, I can't see much of an advantage to the drill press.

As for the depth stop, Wixey has a drill press depth stop that I believe can be installed on any drill press (although you would need to verify for your older model). It works by zeroing it out to the surface of the wood, then drilling to the depth required which is displayed as a negative number. It's not foolproof and you have to be careful that you watch the readout. I doubt it's exact but it does work and the result has always been functional within the context of the work being done. If you need an exact, precise depth, it won't work. Also, I would say that all depth stops are dependent on how carefully you zero out the bit on the surface of the wood. If you push too hard while zeroing, the hole will likely be deeper than required. The zeroing must be done while only just touching the surface. Here's the link:

http://www.wixey.com/drill-press-depth-gauge/index.html

[Edward Weber]

In the old days, a clothes pin was a quick and easy way to adjust where the quill stopped, instead of spinning the jam nuts up and down. Running a properly sized tap through the jaws made kept it from slipping.
I have 3 drill presses with jam nuts, they don't bother me, if they did, I would buy a quill stop.

[Robert Hayward]

I just did a search using "drill press push button stop nut" and came up with a bunch of hits.

This (https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnpla/01603059?cid=ppc-google-Smart+Shopping+-MAC+Fasteners+NCA&mkwid=%7cdc&pcrid=592472047590&rd=k&product_id=01603059&gclid=CjwKCAiA_vKeBhAdEiwAFb_nrUM4-HCwBamY1ue25oqUjQs3m0KoKqiyJ9wucJ2QtiE8qpNmbn7_QRo C6UwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) one looked very promising. Offering numerous threads and pitches.

[Jim Becker]

My Jet 17" DP from the early 2000s also has the threaded/screw adjustment stops. They are cumbersome for sure, but they are very reliable when the jam nut is pressed into the stop nut. I would share the concern that Brian mentioned about reliability of some kind of sliding stop, at least if it didn't have some form of reliable indexing that locked it positively in place. The downside to that is that the "resolution" would be defined by the positive locking setup. With the nuts, they have "infinite resolution" up and down, although it's certainly limited to human factors. :)

[Larry Frank]

I also had problems with the depth stop on my Nova Voyager. I bought two flanged nuts and put them on with a flat washer between. It works very well.

[Lee Schierer]

I've got an old craftman drill press from the 70s. Works very well, but the depth stop is annoying, since it needs to be screwed up and down. I seem to remember a button press variant for this that effectively moved up and down much easier.

Here's once source: https://www.amazon.com/QAN-4-Push-Button-Quick-Adjusting-Button/dp/B002IGOIC0

[glenn bradley]

Made my own with push button threaded barrels.

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Available ay McMaster-Carr among others. My current DP came with them stock.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Another train of thought. Find a nut that matches the thread on your DP. Weld it into the jaws of the smallest pair of vise grips you can find, then split it in half, using hacksaw or cut off wheel. Get drill to correct height, and clamp it on. Just a thought

[Robert Hayward]

The downside to that is that the "resolution" would be defined by the positive locking setup. With the nuts, they have "infinite resolution" up and down, although it's certainly limited to human factors. :)
The push button stop nut on my Voyager is threaded. Push the button to get close then turn the nut to get the fine resolution, if needed. Mine has never slipped or failed to hold position. My Voyager is one of the first ones though and maybe they are made different today.

[Cary Falk]

Here is another option. If the thread is not right buy a smaller one and drill and tap it correctly.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=quick+quill+stop&crid=256KXHIGAU50N&sprefix=quill+quick+stop%2Caps%2C170&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_16

[John Ziebron]

I thought the Nova Voyager could be zeroed out on the top of the piece and programmed to stop at the correct depth? If that isn't the case, I can't see much of an advantage to the drill press.

As for the depth stop, Wixey has a drill press depth stop that I believe can be installed on any drill press (although you would need to verify for your older model). It works by zeroing it out to the surface of the wood, then drilling to the depth required which is displayed as a negative number. It's not foolproof and you have to be careful that you watch the readout. I doubt it's exact but it does work and the result has always been functional within the context of the work being done. If you need an exact, precise depth, it won't work. Also, I would say that all depth stops are dependent on how carefully you zero out the bit on the surface of the wood. If you push too hard while zeroing, the hole will likely be deeper than required. The zeroing must be done while only just touching the surface. Here's the link:

http://www.wixey.com/drill-press-depth-gauge/index.html

You can program the Nova to stop at preset depth but I don't bother going through the extra steps to do that. It is much easier and faster to just hit one button to zero out the depth reading on the display. You can either bring your drill bit down til the flutes touch and zero out, then just drill down watching the display to your desired depth. Or you can move the drill bit down say to a depth off the top of the table and zero out. In this case you drill down til the display reads zero. I've used both ways.

[Tom Trees]

I made a lateral stop for mine, it works great.
It's for when one wants to be bang on centre after the pilot.
It's more than bang yer head off the wall silly that they haven't done this yet, and the principal would be so compact, that it would be basically un-noticable.
One could call this an indexable feature, which could be rigged up by many ways, i.e a hefty brace which is parallel with the column, or even the wall.

If I were a machinist I'd make a new column for the job, and possibly adapt or make a new knee with a sprung pin.

All the best
Tom

[Robert Hayward]

I made a lateral stop for mine, it works great.
Tom
Any chance you could post a picture of your stop?

[Ronald Blue]

These could be an option as well. Quick adjust and lock in place.

https://www.mcmaster.com/split-nuts/

[Tom Trees]

No bothers Robert, it's all a bit Heath Robinson, but I needed to accurately rebore some printer roller stock for bearing spacers,
so used what I had. (I spent a lot of time/wasted much material having less than steller results before this)

It could obviously be done on the fly as mentioned, but I like tools, and have used it since once or twice, and foresee that it will get lots more use.
As I suggested, it should really be the norm, using a sprung pin to engage into a slot on the column, (when you want it)

Indexable drilling jig on utoob should one wish to see for themselves, took some getting acquainted with how it works, so I suggest watching part 3 first.

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https://i.postimg.cc/Z5b6RTmj/SAM-5844.jpg

Tom

[michael langman]

What you want is a Bridgeport Quill Stop. It fits the older Craftsman drill presses. It is a spring loaded split nut with1/2" 20 threads.

[Don Peters]

https://www.icai-online.com/educated-nut/

Great tool. Well machined, reliable, simple, easy to use, non-slip. Practically standard on thousands of Bridgeports and drill presses.

[Rick Potter]

Not sure if every brand with the push button nut is the same, but my Delta 16" VS drill press sort of 'clicks' when it is locked. Gross movements are done with the push button, then a half turn or so will make it click, then I make the fine adjustment, and it stays just fine.

No way would I want to go back to a DP with the round rotating unit on the side, like my old Craftsman.

[Robert Hayward]

No way would I want to go back to a DP with the round rotating unit on the side, like my old Craftsman.
I had a Craftsman drill press for a major portion of my adult life with the round double nuts. Adjusting those nuts was the only complaint I recall ever having about that drill press.

[Rick Potter]

Hi Robert,

I was referring to the cylindrical height lock that twists to set height, and you screw it tight with a little handle. Used on a lot of DP's including my old Craftsman. No threaded rod involved.

[Roger Feeley]

Tare a look at the Morton Quill Stop. It screws on a 1/2”-20 thread which makes one Revolution 0.050”. It has a button for quick adjustment. I also have a craftsman DP from the 70’s.

[Keith Outten]

Grizzly also sells a quill stop that is heavy duty.

[Roger Feeley]

Grizzly also sells a quill stop that is heavy duty.
I haven’t priced them in over 20 years but I bet Grizzly is less expensive. I have one on my drill press and one on a flip stop for the cutoff saw.

[Roger Feeley]

https://www.icai-online.com/educated-nut/

Great tool. Well machined, reliable, simple, easy to use, non-slip. Practically standard on thousands of Bridgeports and drill presses.
Don,
that looks the same as my Morton Quill Stops and about what I paid over 30 years ago.

[Roger Feeley]

I’ll tell you what I’ve been wanting for a long time. I want a way to keep the drill press bed from rotating around the post. Let’s say I set up a fence and some flip stops for repeated holes. Then I realize that I need to raise or lower the fence. I can do that but then I have to recheck the flip stops and fence distance. It doesn’t happen very often and when it does, I clamp the rack to the post (top and bottom) and call it good. It would be nice to maybe have a way to pin the rack into place. Hmmm… maybe I just answered my own question…

[Tom Trees]

I’ll tell you what I’ve been wanting for a long time. I want a way to keep the drill press bed from rotating around the post. Let’s say I set up a fence and some flip stops for repeated holes. Then I realize that I need to raise or lower the fence. I can do that but then I have to recheck the flip stops and fence distance. It doesn’t happen very often and when it does, I clamp the rack to the post (top and bottom) and call it good. It would be nice to maybe have a way to pin the rack into place. Hmmm… maybe I just answered my own question…

An Indexed or indexable jig for a pillar drill, you're talking about.
Have another read through the thread Roger.

All the best
Tom

[michael langman]

I’ll tell you what I’ve been wanting for a long time. I want a way to keep the drill press bed from rotating around the post. Let’s say I set up a fence and some flip stops for repeated holes. Then I realize that I need to raise or lower the fence. I can do that but then I have to recheck the flip stops and fence distance. It doesn’t happen very often and when it does, I clamp the rack to the post (top and bottom) and call it good. It would be nice to maybe have a way to pin the rack into place. Hmmm… maybe I just answered my own question…

Roger. if you got your fence aligned where you want it and then put a 3/8 drilled hole through your drill press table, then you could put a long piece of drill rod into the drill chuck and align hole in table so drill rod runs through the hole as you raise the table, the table should stay aligned.

[Tom Trees]

Roger. if you got your fence aligned where you want it and then put a 3/8 drilled hole through your drill press table, then you could put a long piece of drill rod into the drill chuck and align hole in table so drill rod runs through the hole as you raise the table, the table should stay aligned.

Seems like you missed my earlier post too Michael.:)
The problem with your comment is changing the bit, and needing the table outta the way, and a longer rod dropped down from the head, would get in the way of the button,
and the arm.

Regards
Tom