More drill press table design Q'S

[Rick Moyer]

I need to upgrade my drill press table. I have seen LOTS of posts and pics of many of yours and others, but I have some general design questions remaining.

1. FENCE What height do you prefer and why?
1a. Is there any reason to be able to slide the fence further forward than the chuck? Many have the T-tracks to the front of the table?

2. MITRE SLOTS I can see using two to be used for both fence and hold downs (see 1a.), but why not have the fence ones wide and the hold down ones closer to center? I have also seen one table that has one in the very center, front to chuck. Looks usable. How many do you really need?

3. INSERT How do you keep it from lifting? square or round? If round, how do you keep it from spinning? I understand the round benefit of turning slightly, but wouldn't an offset square one give you about the same benefit?

I know there are lots of pics and designs but I'd like some feedback from you who have used yours a while now. Thanks!

[Shawn Pixley]

1- My fence is about 2-1/2" high. I have a t-track in it to place stop blocks & clamps in it. Used most of the time. I wouldn't go higher. I may build a shorter one to address drilling close to an edge where the chuck may interfere with the fence.
2 - I have 2 t-tracks in table front to back. While I have never used the fence in front of the chuck, the track in front get used for hold downs for most every drilling operation.
3 - I put a round offset hole for the insert. It is friction fit. That said, I often have a sacrificial block below through holes. I think a square version woul also be fine. It would be easier to replace.

You didn't ask, but what I would do differently would be to add better dust / chip collection. Additionally, I might suspend some drawers / shelves below (removable when you needed to tilt the table) to hold the drill index, forstner storage, stop blocks, plug cutters, and other accesseries.

Good luck!

[Grant Wilkinson]

I'm on my third table, and I think that it's finally where I should have been on the first one. My fence is 2" high, down from 3 on my first one. It slides in two tracks that stop at the chuck. Like Shawn, the fence has a horizontal track in it to position stops. It's split in the middle and I have a dust collection port in the split. I have two more tracks running from the front of the table. They are close together than those for the fence. I found that if I only had one set front to back, they were too close together to hold the fence well, or too far apart for hold downs for short pieces. Having two sets of tracks addresses that. My insert is square and off center. I just turn it when its chewed up. It's just easier to cut square inserts than to turn round ones.

[glenn bradley]

1. FENCE What height do you prefer and why?

I have a 3" split fence, a 3" solid fence and a 1/2" fence. The 3" split fence stays on most of the time and would be my only one if I had to pick. This is just high enough to clamp to without getting in the way of the quill handles for most operations, it splits to make room for the chuck when drilling small holes close to the edge, I can put the vac behind the split to draw the spoil away while I work.

1a. Is there any reason to be able to slide the fence further forward than the chuck? Many have the T-tracks to the front of the table?

I have four tracks that run full depth. Generally the outer ones are for the fence and the inner ones are for holddowns or other fixtures. I frequently use one or more of all four t-tracks in front of the quill for jigs and fixtures.

2. MITRE SLOTS I can see using two to be used for both fence and hold downs (see 1a.), but why not have the fence ones wide and the hold down ones closer to center? I have also seen one table that has one in the very center, front to chuck. Looks usable. How many do you really need?

I have four as you describe and this shop made fixture for getting in really close:

DP holddown-v2 002.jpgDP holddown-v2 003.jpgDP holddown-v2 004.jpgDP holddown-v2 005.jpgDP holddown-v2 001.jpg

3. INSERT How do you keep it from lifting? square or round? If round, how do you keep it from spinning? I understand the round benefit of turning slightly, but wouldn't an offset square one give you about the same benefit?

I have never had my 4-1/2" square insert lift up. You only need to just barely drill into it, not through it. It is offset so that I can rotate the square to a new area four times. I have something on my to-do list to make a 4-1/2" adapter insert with a 4" circle in it so that I can use a round insert and get even more "new" areas to use.

[Kent A Bathurst]

What Shawn said. Word-for word. Except:

When my fence interferes with the chuck, I just put a strip of plywood between the fence and the work piece. A second low-rise fence seems to be too much fooling around, IMO, but that is me. Shawn's solution is more solid.


OH - also - I have 4 tracks imbedded in the table, so my hold-downs can reach.................

..............these critters from Rockler are the cat's pajamas, for DP hold-downs.

[Doug Herzberg]

Rick, I mounted a cross slide vice on the factory drill press table. I fashioned several tables with a 2x4 attached to the bottom to clamp in the vice. This allows for precise adjustment after the work is attached to the table.

IMG_8483.jpg


For a fence, I use a long piece of angle iron clamped to the table. I also clamp the work to the table. If the work is too small to clamp to the table, I can usually put it directly into the cross sled vice. As far as putting the fence in front of the bit, occasionally the workpiece needs every bit of the space between the bit and the back of the drill press, so I move the fence to the front.

I usually put a piece of scrap under the workpiece, but occasionally I just drill into the table, since it's nothing special.

One of my tables has T-tracks, but I find I never use that one. It has an insert. I don't recall any problems with it lifting out.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm on my third table, and I think that it's finally where I should have been on the first one. My fence is 2" high, down from 3 on my first one. It slides in two tracks that stop at the chuck. Like Shawn, the fence has a horizontal track in it to position stops. It's split in the middle and I have a dust collection port in the split. I have two more tracks running from the front of the table. They are close together than those for the fence. I found that if I only had one set front to back, they were too close together to hold the fence well, or too far apart for hold downs for short pieces. Having two sets of tracks addresses that. My insert is square and off center. I just turn it when its chewed up. It's just easier to cut square inserts than to turn round ones.

This sounds like what I was thinking.
1. How far apart are your front tracks and do find that to be about ideal?

Question for everyone...
2. How big of an insert? Seems like about double your largest used bit would be about right. Does that sound correct? I'm thinking if it is square offset, so you're using a quarter of it at a time. Am I overlooking something important here?
3. Split Fence - How are you keeping both sides coplanar? I assume the reason for split is for dust collection. Any other reason?

btw, thanks to all for the great responses (and pictures)

[Rick Potter]

Slightly different, Rick:

1: Fence is one piece, about 3" tall with a t-slot cut in it. I have no T-track anywhere. If I have a chuck clearance problem I just put a spacer on the table.

1a: I have two t-slots for fence movements. They go all the way out the front, because that is how I remove the fence. The table goes all the way back to the column.

2: Miter slots....I have none. I find that I seldom have to clamp work down. I use a long Kreg clamp when I need one.

3: I have square inserts. Made a bunch of MDF at one time. Friction fit, never any problem.

Pretty simple, I know, but it works well for me.

Rick Potter

[Grant Wilkinson]

Rick: My front slots are 6" apart. So far, that seems to work well. They certainly could be closer. I seem to drill a lot of short stuff, so wider than that would not work well for me.

[Rick Moyer]

OK, one more question: I have an MDF top. what finish to put on it? Nothing, just wax, poly, some combination of stuff?

edit: another question: I guess I could make the insert as big or as small as I wanted, but 90% of the time I'm drilling <1/2". An insert 3" square (offset) would allow up to a 1" bit into each quadrant without overlap. I am debating whether I want to go much bigger. If I need to drill with a larger hole saw or forstner, I could always put a pc of ply under it first. Anyone wish their insert was larger or smaller than what they have now?

[pat warner]

"I know there are lots of pics and designs but I'd like some feedback from you who have used yours a while now. Thanks!"
**********************************************
Drilling, whilst a sophisticated necessity, is often treated like a step child.
Ignore runout, material prep, layout, work isolation, and indexing and your hole could wind up anywhere.
Build a crummy fence and expect adversity. They must be straight, square, & inflexible.
One size does not fit all; make several. One for work on-edge the others for better indexing, clamping, flat work etc. My primary fence is aluminum & plastic, pivots on one end and slides parallel on its own ways.
Build a top out of wood or material that can suck up moisture and you may lose precision, accuracy, & squareness. Would recommend ground, flat aluminum for durability, dimensional stability, and rigidity.

Provide back up material for through drilling and add another measure of error potentiality.
In the machine shop, rarely is material drilled on top of waste; it's not done.
There are ways of accurate through drilling without a plug stuck in the table.

The less you insult your surface, (tee-slots and plug excavations e.g.) the more accurate your drilling will be.
No doubt, if you're drilling for lag bolts and sheet metal screws, most press accommodations will do. But drilling so you can use a fastener to hold two things together without much slop takes care & time.

[Nathan Birrell]

Pat, once upon a time, I do believe I saw details about building your router table fence in a woodworking magazine. Are there any details anywhere about building your drill press table and fences?

Thanks,
Nate

"I know there are lots of pics and designs but I'd like some feedback from you who have used yours a while now. Thanks!"
**********************************************
Drilling, whilst a sophisticated necessity, is often treated like a step child.
Ignore runout, material prep, layout, work isolation, and indexing and your hole could wind up anywhere.
Build a crummy fence and expect adversity. They must be straight, square, & inflexible.
One size does not fit all; make several. One for work on-edge the others for better indexing, clamping, flat work etc. My primary fence is aluminum & plastic, pivots on one end and slides parallel on its own ways.
Build a top out of wood or material that can suck up moisture and you may lose precision, accuracy, & squareness. Would recommend ground, flat aluminum for durability, dimensional stability, and rigidity.

Provide back up material for through drilling and add another measure of error potentiality.
In the machine shop, rarely is material drilled on top of waste; it's not done.
There are ways of accurate through drilling without a plug stuck in the table.

The less you insult your surface, (tee-slots and plug excavations e.g.) the more accurate your drilling will be.
No doubt, if you're drilling for lag bolts and sheet metal screws, most press accommodations will do. But drilling so you can use a fastener to hold two things together without much slop takes care & time.

[pat warner]

Yes. But cannot be disclosed on this forum.

[dan sherman]

Yesterday afternoon I purchased one of these to replace the cobbled together stuff I've used over the years.

http://www.woodpeck.com/wpdrillpresstable.html

You can probably build something similar for about half the price, but I decided my shop time was better spent on other stuff, so I just bit the bullet. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but the two things i liked most abut it was it's adjustability and low profile stock fence.

[Alan Schaffter]

I have a Woodpeckers DP table. It is ok but I will build my next table. It will have 4 T slots for more jigging and clamping flexibility, but . . . . . . not your ordinary ones, because I really don't like standard aluminum ones I have now. Dust and metal shavings always get trapped in and clog the slots and sometimes I really crank down on the clamps too hard and that can deform them.

I'll make the new T slots from steel angle or Z channel so they will have open bottoms! That means the table will be made from five individual sections held together underneath with steel cross beams. I may just weld the steel Z channel to a frame so I can drop in table panels made from Birch ply or MDF.