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Drill Press Table Build Perfectly For Your Workshop

Drill Press Table Build
Written by Brent Butterworth
Last Update: May 5, 2023

Working with a drill press is more than just knowing how it works based on different operational modes. Your desired outcome may not come easy unless you ensure proper positioning for your drill press, and a table becomes essential herein. Can’t you handle drill press table setup? Well, read this article attentively, and by the end, I hope you’ll know how to do it.

If you will be working on large samples, getting a drill press table is as important as knowing about the drill press table setup.

There are several steps to be taken to install your brand-new drill press table, and these steps have to be followed in order not to ruin your work and sustain injuries.

Follow the guidelines in this article, as it will save you a lot of stress setting up your table.

Drill Press Table Build

What to Know About a Drill Press Table?

A drill press machine is used to drill holes into either wood or metal materials but with a drill press table there will be precision, and also you can make a different kind of holes into your working material. A drill press table helps to stabilize your work materials so you will not have to worry about it sliding off the drill press machine.

Drill Press Table Setup

Drill Press table setup guide

You may consider it as a part of the entire drill press setup, or a separate activity. When you are installing your drill press table, you have to think about getting a sturdy and suitable table installed on your existing drill press table as this will help in having a proper installation. There are two types of table slots namely

  • Thru Slotted Iron Table
  • T-Slotted Table

1. Mounting on Thru Slotted IRON Table

Installing drill press on a thru slotted iron table is tedious, and the steps that will be outlined must be followed to have the desired outcome. These steps apply to mainly 17″ and smaller drill presses.

  • Take out the brackets, fence and other knobs from the table.
  • Take out the iron table from the drill press.
  • Make sure you place the face of the drill press down on the bench and orient the iron table toward the table base.
  • Drill four 5/32-inch holes around 1/2″ deep into the base of the table. Attempt and focus the gaps in the spaces. Be mindful of not penetrating entirely through.
  • Utilize the coarse string screws and the extensive oval nuts to verify the tables together. Make sure not to fix the screws yet.
  • Reinstall the assembled back into the drill press.
  • Once set up, relax the section and table cinch handles so you can transform and turn the table into its last position.
  • Introduce a 3/8″ bore in the drill hurl. Expel the wood filler in the focal point of the table.
  • Advance the plume to draw in the drill bit into the 3/8″ arrangement opening. Lock the plume in this position.
  • Pivot the table so that it looks square with the base of the drill press. At last, re-fix all the clip handles and the four screws.

2. Mounting on T-Slotted Tables

Installing a drill press on the T-slotted table is quite easier than on thru slotted iron table. Before that, you should keep the safety rules in mind.  Most of the larger presses have a T-slotted table. Follow these simple steps:

  • 2 to 4 counterbored holed have to be drilled through the table that lines up with the T-Slots.
  • Mark the spot of the holes with a pencil.
  • Drill the counterbore with a 3/4-inch wide spade bit. It may be sufficient to have the depth measured at 3/8 inch if you’re mounting with a hex head or level head screw.
  • Utilize a 3/8″ drill to complete the process of penetrating through.
  • Utilize the 5/16-18 oval nuts for conclusive mounting with the right bolts with exact length.

Mounting a drill press table is relatively easy if the steps of installation are followed, but it is best done with two persons in order not to mishandle it also to speed up the installation process.

If the drill table installation is done correctly, work done will be faster, easier and more accurate. A drill press is incomplete without the drill press table.

About the author

Brent Butterworth

A Professional Woodworker & Custom Furniture Builder

Brent lives in Wisconsin and is a woodworker, custom cabinetmaker, interior consultant, and a freelance writer who got the opportunity to write several magazine articles for different publications on home improvement and woodworking. He’s always amazed at the depth and breadth of woodworking all over the globe, and feels proud to be a part of this great effort. Brent has built everything one can imagine, from unique art furniture to different types of home furniture to canoes and even a sailboat.

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