Drill press Table?

[James Williams 007]

I finally got a drill press for my shop and man did I get a deal. I lucked out finding a new 20" Jet 1.5HP for 300$ on sale at my local store. The table is massive but i need to make a better one geared toward woodworking. I am trying to design one to cover all of my bases. I've seen some pics in previous posts and I am trying to identify the key features. I will need a good fence that i will have mounted to t-tracks that run from front to back next I need to handle clamping thats where my questions are. I've seen some with t-tracks running side to side and front to back and some with just a set running front to back like the rockler table. I would prefer to build in enough of the tracks to allow clamping where ever it was needed. I tend to over build adding too much when it's really not needed but I fear the time i go to clamp something and I just can't get the clamp to reach the piece.
OK so heres what I am thinking four t-tracks mounted front to back two just outside the middle insert to allow for clamping on small stuff then the other set of t-tracks mounted a few inches outside that for everything else. I will mount the fence in the back of the t-tracks with the cam type levers. The size of the table will be about 36" by 24". What type of clamps work best for a drill press table hold downs or the toggle type?

[Danny Thompson]

Considerations:
Rotation. The problem I saw with cam type levers was it didn't look like they could be easily rotated. Hold-downs can be rotated to reach small items or oriented diagonally if needed. So think about how you would orient your levers, would they rotate?

Capacity. I had trouble finding a lever with as much clamping capacity as the hold-downs. A nice wide selection of levers could solve this problem.

Profile. Hold-downs seem less likely to intefere with the drill stroke due to their low profile over the board.

Volume/Speed. Another factor to consider is your work volume. I think the levers are quicker to operate, so if you are making a lot of repetitive cuts, a cam type lever may be significantly more convenient (i.e., quicker) than a hold-down.

This last factor, to me, is the only reason to go with levers on a drill press table.

My $0.02.

[Bill Huber]

I like my table clean and not a lot of stuff on it. I don't have any T Tracks for clamping, I clamp to the fence or I clamp to the table when needed.

I started out with the Rockler I got but didn't like it that much. So I saved the fence and made my own table (3/4 MDF), nothing fancy just a plan table.

It slide over the drill press table and then I have 2 knobs that hold it on. I can slide it right off when I do metal work and don't want to mess up the table with cutting oil.

I would also say don't use the flip type levers, that is what I stated with but did not like them at all for the fence. I then tool the levers off and drilled out a piece of broom handle as a spacer and that works great.

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[Todd Hoppe]

Here is mine:

Its made of two layers of 3/4" maple ply. The bottom layer has hole drilled and countersunk, and carriage bolts inserted. The bolts attach to the stock table (through the slots in the table)

[Bob Vallaster]

My table looks like Todd's for the track layout; the surface measures 18 x 24". The replaceable insert on mine is smaller---3 1/2" square.
For my fence, I used 1/8 x 2" angle iron. (The price for aluminum of appropriate thickness was scary.) Note: I took a small square with me and checked a half-dozen pieces before finding one which was decently square---most were off, some by a bunch.
The fence is faced with 3/4" ply, 1 7/8 x 24", and it is positioned with cam clamps. The face is topped with two pieces of t-track (~11" long) leaving a 2" gap in the center.
The reason for the center gap in the t-track: this fence (2 3/8" finished height) replaces a 3" high fence which occasionally fouled the chuck when drilling small diameter holes close to the fence (small dia. = short bit). I can now get the chuck low to the table and close to the fence without shimming along the fence or under the object to be drilled.
I used the bargain track stop (item 147920---$6/pr) from Woodcraft ( http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20221). Today I see flip-stop (item 147923) is on clearance (was $25, now $20).
I admire Bill's slide-on mount arrangement. And I'm inclined toward his clean table philosophy, so my tracks are spread to control the fence. I use clamps & cauls to secure objects to the table, when (rarely) needed.
If you're clamping to resist the bit/cutter rotating a workpiece, I attend to that by bringing the fence forward to bear on a flank or corner of the workpiece (a corner will need to touch left of the drill bit to resist rotation). Small objects can be held in a handscrew, which then bears on the fence.
Good luck. It's a satisfying project when done.

Bob V.

[Mike Spanbauer]

I use the woodpeck version: http://www.woodpeck.com/wpdrillpresstable.html and am very satisfied.

I got it for a fair bit less than the current price due to a sale, but the table is very nice. Phenolic top, robust t tracks, accurate fence.

I couldn't justify the effort and time when the table would have cost 60-70% of what I paid for this one.

just a thought.

mike

[Jules Dominguez]

This table is on a Jet JDP15M drill press I bought last Spring. It's made from a single layer of 3/4 Birch plywood and is 40 1/2 X 19 1/2 in front of the post, and 5" depth behind the post for handy storage of drill bits and other small stuff.

What looks like a fence in front of the post isn't, it's a rail to add stiffness to the length of the table, as is the apron under the front of the table. I made the rail with 1/2" thick white oak to minimize loss of "swing", and the apron with 7/8" thick white oak.

I didn't want to cut grooves into a 3/4" table, or to double the thickness, so I made a "portable" clamping and/or fence arrangement with a T-slot. I clamp it to the table where and as needed with 6" bar clamps.

I also use Jorgensen No. 1623 clamps, which can exert big-time clamping pressure, at times. The one shown lying on the table has a special post which came with the clamp, but a 5/16" pan head machine screw of appropriate length also works. The Jorgensens can be used anywhere you're willing to drill a 5/16" hole through a table or bench top.

I use both the "portable" T-slot bar and the Jorgensens on other tools and benches at times

[Wayne Cannon]

After trying a couple of commercial drill press tables, I finally switched to this one based on plans from Wood Magazine.

http://woodstore.net/drilprestab.html

I wound up with a couple extra set of plans and instructions if you are interested.

I have found that a high fence will eventually interfere with either the chuck or the handles, and for all designs have switched to using a flat T-track extrusion (http://woodhaven.com/Category.asp?Id=105) as my fence for most operations -- it's only about 1/2" high above the table. I use a taller "L" shaped T-track extrusion (http://www.kregtool.com/products/ka/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=48) when I need more vertical support.

[Mike Cornelsen]

It's time for me to make a DP table and I really like the clean look of Bill and Jules' tables. If I use t-track at all, other Creeker's have suggested an "X" pattern, using the lower half of the X. But a piece of t-track in a board I can clamp anywhere on the table? Perfect application of the KISS principle.

[Dana Vogel]

I sort of copied Woodpecks older (discontinued) drill press table with a few of my own modifications ie a nice Incra 36" Track Fence w/Flip Stop which I picked up at a Woodcraft in Pelham, AL for 50% off. The edges were capped off with 1 1/2" rubber T molding from Home Depot's flooring accessories dept. See it here at my Picasa WebAlbum: http://picasaweb.google.com/vogeldp/DrillPressTable;) (http://picasaweb.google.com/vogeldp/DrillPressTable)

[John Keeton]

Dana, that is one nice setup!!

[Matt Meiser]

Very nice! But for the life of me I can't why Home Depot has T-molding in the flooring department. Good information to know because I need some.

[tim mathis]

Hi James,
for a large fence i use 2 " square aluminum tube, it is a true 90 deg angle and easy to clamp to.
i use a small incra fence for small stuff , on both i use the easy and secure t-bolts with knobs to tighten them down.my table is 21 1/2" x 39 " the main table is 21 1/2" deep x 24 " wide . the 2 drop leafs are 7 1/2 " wide each.the wings were easy to get level with the main table using washers and when locked down with the knobs it is a solid table. this has been the right size for me in a shop ( garage ) that has to be mobile. i have a piece of laminate glued inside the round hole so all i have to do is cut another disk and pop it in when that one is chewed up and everything lines up great.the red x-y vise is mounted to baltic birch and slides in the tracks on and off quick.
tim mathis
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/sharpeneranddrillpresstable005.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/sharpeneranddrillpresstable012.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/sharpeneranddrillpresstable001.jpg

[Mike Cornelsen]

How do you like it? If it's not, I saw a very similar one on Woodcraft. Not sure I need it but it might be something to put on the Xmas list.

[tim mathis]

Hi Mike,
yes it is. and woodcraft is where i purchased it about 2 years ago. it has been better than i expected for the cost and should last a long time.
i am very happy with it.
tim mathis

[glenn bradley]

If you're like me you will end up with more than one fence. A tall one, a split one and a low one. I'm not sure how you table tilts but using the table and fence during angle boring is what sold me on an enhanced table (see pic). Normally the fence is behind the material, of course. The four tracks on mine have come up short only a few times. Your four tracks positioned differently could solve that for you.

One idea may be to use two tracks and then use the table for awhile to determine if your next set should be close or wide spread(?). Just food for thought. Do put your insert off center. Mine was intended to be centered but I modified the table position to get four uses out of each insert. Others have used round inserts to get even more versatility.

[Russel Tauras]

I have my eye on this drillpress table. Want to attach it to my 12" Craftsman drill press.
How easy/hard was it to attach to your drill press?
Does attach securely?

[Danny Thompson]

Mine is round and off center for maximum use. Also, since I already had the radius on my circle cutter dialed in, I cut a few spare inserts for later:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=79699&d=1200875575

Link to the thread with more details ("Shopmade Drill Press Table"):

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=74322