A drill press table to last!

[James Williams 007]

I tried to build a table that would always have enough to suit any project. I'll admit it might be over built a little but it is rock solid. I used two sheets of birch ply36" x 24" x 3/4" then I did the apron with rock maple and the fence and insert are oak. I did a lot a research (most on this site) and looked at a lot of designs and I came up with this. I liked the idea of a circle insert because you can use the whole thing. Let me know that you think good or bad.

[Brad Ridgway]

Very nice!!!!

1) do you intend to use any dust collection and if so would you somehow attach to the fence?

2) does your underlying metal table have any play and if so how'd you resolve? I had temporarily mounted a rockler router table to mine until i venture into something else and i have at least 1/8" inch of slop acros the table...

thx
-brad

[Bob Slater]

Very nice...that just gave me an idea for using my craftsman router table that I was considering getting rid of. Won't look nearly as good as yours though.

[Andy Casiello]

:eek: Wow, that's a beautiful table! Sheesh! I've been thinking about building a table for my drill press, but you just set the bar pretty darn high. :D

I don't see any downside to that table except I'd feel bad scratching it up working on it. Nice job!

[Alan Schaffter]

Very nice table!!!! I cheated and got one of the WoodPeckers seconds.

After using it now for a year or so, there is one thing I do not like- dust, chips, metal curls, etc. always get stuck down in the T-Track slots. I see a need for the slots but there has to be a better way. Maybe I'll add a small, long, flexible extension to my DC hose so I can vacuum out.

The other minor issue that was easily fixed was the fence locking knobs. I replaced them with quick acting cam levers from LV.

[Don Abele]

James, that's a really sweet looking table. Mine isn't nearly as nice, but it's beefy like yours as well.

My only comment is about your replaceable insert. That's the first one I've seen in a circle, most are square (including mine). My thought was always that it would prevent the bit from grabbing the insert and spinning it. You'll have to let us know if that's ever a problem.

Again, nice table.

Be well,

Doc

[Alan Schaffter]

I believe he mounts it so the bit drills off-center. That way when it gets too buggered, he just rotates it slightly to a new spot. I can rotate my head stock, and also change the position of my insert.

[Don Abele]

I believe he mounts it so the bit drills off-center...

AAHHHH...see, that's the key and is not obvious when looking at it. Ingenious solution. And it's easier to turn it, than remove and rotate the square blocks.

I'll have to remember that for my "next" table!

Be well,

Doc

[AL Ursich]

I believe he mounts it so the bit drills off-center. That way when it gets too buggered, he just rotates it slightly to a new spot. I can rotate my head stock, and also change the position of my insert.

Now that was a GREAT TIP !!!!:D

Thanks,

AL

[James Williams 007]

I plan on adding a run next weekend to my dust collector to handle any dust or chips. I am going to screw a 4" plastic male connector to the fence in the gap I left. I havent had any problems with play in my metal table it was solid as a rock and bigger than most drill press tables at 18x17 but it dosent have a hole in the middle for bits to pass through thats why I started this project.

[James Williams 007]

I made the circles 6 and a half inches so that could use my biggest fostner bits and still be on the insert and then I offset it so that I can use the whole insert and while I had the circle cutter set up I cut about 8 inserts so I won't need to cut any more for years to come.

[Tom Henderson2]

James-

Nice table.

Could you show a view looking up from underneath, so we can see how you attached it to the existing DP table? That is often the tough part....

Thanks in advance. Like many others, I'm contemplating a considerably more modest DP table for my gar.. oops... I mean shop.

-TH

[Chris Padilla]

Nice! I have a DP table from Woodpeckers. I had to smile at your cutout in the fence...I had to whack into my brand new beautiful one when I needed a lousy extra 1/4" of fence depth!

LOML always smiles at my constant "massaging" of brand new things either for the house or for the shop because it seems nothing ever fits like it is supposed to!

Maybe one of these days the DP manufacturers will brighten up and actually offer a real woodworking table top for the drill presses they sell...but I doubt it....

[James Williams 007]

I didn't do anything too fancy but it holds the table with no room for play and if I need to slide the table off to use the cast iron table for metal work or whatever else it only takes seconds to remove. I got some t nuts from the borg and put them in the top side of the brace or bracket that I built around the cast iron table then put the thumb screws in and the force keeps the table locked in place. I hope the pics help.

[Todd Hyman]

Very Nice table James. I ended up building the DP table from Shop Notes #94. (Aug 07) It had a small drawer that is located between the table top and the drill press's table. It also has dust collection that I can connect a 2 1/2" shop vac hose to. The inserts have different size slots in it to allow the chips to be collected under the table. It works pretty good, but I also added above table collection using this.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1911&mode=details#tabs

Peachtree Supply also has something that may work and its on sale.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/edirect_10708.htm

The only thing that I wish I did was to have a circular insert rather than a rectangular inserts but I made enough of them to last a while as well.

[Mike Goetzke]

Nice table but nicer looking dogs. Three of them (we have four)! I built a table from Wood mag. but I really like your multiple tracks - nice place for hold downs. Plus I never thought of it till I saw you DP. My handles are so long I usually remove one so it doesn't hit the fence. Looks like your handles are much shorter than mine - time to get out the hacksaw.

Mike

[Danny Thompson]

Nice and wide. Stable-looking. What kind of finish did you use?