Drill Press Table for Woodworking
This episode is part of the Let’s Build Series
The drill press is a terrific tool in the woodworking shop especially when it has a drill press table that conveniently clamps the work, provides a fence for repeatable and accurate cuts, and also offers a safer working environment. The drill press was originally set up for metal working and most tables that come with the drill press are small metal tables. As a result, they can be rather awkward for use in the woodworking shop. (The video shows how to make a drill press table specifically for woodworking.)
A better solution for the woodworker is to buy or make a woodworking drill press table. It’s a great woodworking project that will turn the drill press into one the great woodworking tools for your shop. If you buy one of these tables you are typically looking at paying at least $100. However, you can make your own drill press table and you can be working with it easily within a few hours. Also, you can customize it to your liking. Perhaps you would like to add a port for a shop vac, maybe a drawer for storing drill bits, or maybe due to shop size you will prefer a certain size table for your drill press.
The material for the drill press table that is shown in the woodworking video is made from 3/4″ thick shelving with a plastic laminate surface. The material came from one of the big box hardware stores, however the 2′ x 8′ shelving was damaged on a corner and sold as 50 cent culled material.
The hardware that was added makes all the difference in the world. T Track, T bolts, and knobs are what you see with this table.
If you have grown accustomed to working with a small metal drill press table, you will likely find drill press tables to be very handy to work with and very convenient. The addition of an adjustable fence is a huge plus and the hold down clamps work very securely. (You will find that drilling out mortises are a snap.) Moreover, the adjustable stop blocks offer repeatability as well as accuracy. When you decide to switch over to the new drill press table you will find that your work also flows much smoother. You are likely to experience much more control and also feel a greater sense of confidence when working on various woodworking projects. Let us know how your drill press table works out for you.
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