Bench Top Drill Press - Table Repair

An easy to make yet, feature packed, new table for your bench top drill press. It features many options that you will like as a regular user of the drill press. I found this drill press at work in a metal scrap heap destined to be thrown out the next day. It was obvious why it was discarded. The table had a large crack right through the middle. Whether the press fell over during (ab)use or it was flaw in the casting of the table, nobody could tell. The drill press had been standing in the corner of the shop so long, nobody remembered or wanted to share ;-).

Also if you have a drill press with a working table, this will still be a project for you! The standard tables are notorious difficult to clamp your work piece to and are usually quit small. This table is flat on all sides so you can easily clamp down any work piece. Best of all it is a whopping 43 cm (17") wide and has a depth over 20 cm (8").

Supplies needed:

• Top: Plywood 417 mm x 205 mm x 15 mm, 1pc.
• Sides : pinewood 154 mm x 93 mm x 32 mm, 2 pcs.
• Back rail : hardwood 203 mm x 58 mm x 18 mm, 1 pc.
• Screws 3.5 mm x 50 mm, 6 pcs. (table to frame)
• Screw 3.5 mm x 70 mm, 4 pcs, (sides to back rail)

Tools needed

• Cordless drill
• 4 mm drill (for pre-drilling holes for the screws)
• 4mm counter sink drill bit
• Drill bit(s), matching the screws
• Forstner drill bit 20 mm - 30 mm (center hole in the table)
• Forstner drill bit 45 mm (recess for mounting table to drill press column)
• Miter saw
• Tape-measure
• Marking knife/utility knife
• Pencil with sharp point
• Masking tape
• Woodworking glue
• Glue clamps
• 8-15 mm drill (for aligning table)

The amount of wood required is small and the dimensions are not critical. You might have it lying already in your shop or you local DIY center can easily cut it for you. Other wise you might need a miter saw and circular saw.

For finishing your table there are various options. I've decided to use traditional woodworking finish: line seed oil and furniture wax. Make sure you buy the boiled lineseed oil! Raw line seed oil will _not_ cure and leave a sticky residue behind. The wax is to give the table a smooth finish on which it is easy to slide your work pieces around.

Table assembly

Before assembling we need to prepare the individual parts. Have a good look at the plywood and decide which side will be the top. Put some masking on the top and mark it as such.On the back of the plywood mark the middle with a pencil tick. This will later help align the table top with the rest.

Take the hardwood 203 mm x 58 mm slat and mark the center. Use the cordless drill and the 45 mm Forstner drill bit to make a 5 mm depth recess. This will be the pivot point for the table and the drill press. Use the 12 mm drill to drill all the way through the hardwood. This will be the hole for the M12 bolt to mount the table to the drill press.

Taper the two sides as shown in the diagrams. It is not strictly necessary but it looks very nice and also lowers the weight at the pivot point.

Clamp down all the pieces on the plywood as you would mount them (see the images). Mark the places for the holes and predrill the holes throught the first layer of wood and countersink.

Take everyhting apart again and put woodglue on the connecting surfaces.Clamp down all the pieces again. Now fix it all up for real using the woodscrews. Remove the glue squueze out with a wet rag. Make sure nothing is left behind so it won't show when applying the finishing layer.

Let the glue cure for 24 hrs or whatever time is prescibed by the manufacturer. Don't cut corners on this.. (been there, done that ... sniff...).

Mount your new table to the column of the drill press using the M12 washer and bolt. Mark the center of your table. Install the 20 mm - 30 mm Forstner bit and drill a clearance hole through the table.

Application of Lineseed oil

Finish a woodworking oil with line seed oil really brings structure and the colors of the wood in your project come to life. For an easy step it is amazing the effect you can achieve! Some people swear by tungsten oil, claiming that it gives an even better result. However line seed oil is available at almost every DIY store and for shop project the difference will be insignificant.... Be sure to buy boiled lineseed oil and not raw lineseed oil. When the raw oil is boiled some additives are added to the oil that will make it cure faster. Raw lineseed oil just dries in the air leaving behind a sticky residue. Boiled lineseed oil cures (oxidizes) when exposed to the air and forms a film in the upper fibers of the wood. This really brings out the color and the texture of the wood. I've seen and done it many times and am still amazed at the difference!

Application is really simple. Poor some oil on your work piece and use a rag to distribute it all over the project. If all the wood surface is wetted, use a rag to really rub it into the wood. Once done, leave the oil to soak in for about 10 minutes or so and use a clean and dry rag to rub off all the excess oil. Repeat: rub off all the excess oil that is not soaked in. Leaving a thin film layer on top of the wood, will turn this into a sticky rubbery layer, prone to attract dust!

After letting the oil cure for about a week, repeat the above process once or twice more, until you are satisfied with the result.

Do NOT throw the used rags into the dumpster, curing of lineseed oil is an exothermic process and rags have been known to combust and even burn down shops! Luckily there are two safe and easy ways to dispose of used rags. Either hang them out on a clothesline and let them dry for a week before disposing of them. Or soak them thoroughly in water and put them in a plastic bag and dispose of them. The plastic bag keeps the rags wet and prevents the oxygen from reaching the oil.

A couple of tips to get the most out of the application:

• Prepare the raw wood eq break the sharp edges, remove the dust
• Lineseed oil can be a bit smelly, so use it in a well ventilated area
• Cotton rags (old shirts) work very well, no need to buy special stuff
• Use gloves to keep you hand clean, though a good wash with soap will work as well
• Do NOT throw the rags straight into a dumpster, see above

Materials needed:

• Pinewood 48 mm * 21 mm * 500 mm
• Bolt M6 * 40 mm
• M6 washer
• M6 knob or M6 butterfly nut
• Paper measuring tape (free at your local DIY store / Ikea)
• Woodworking glue
• Masking tape
• Finish: boiled lineseed oil
• Quick release clamp

Tools needed:

• Miter saw
• Router table
• 12,5 mm / 6 mm keyhole bit, 8 mm shank (or whatever will fit your router collar)
• 6 mm straight bit, 8 mm shank
• 90º V-cut bit, 8 mm shank
• 5 mm drill (brad point)
• 5 mm shelf support pin
• Cordless drill
• Ruler
• Marking knife / utility knife

From the pinewood slat, cut of a length of 60 mm. This will become the stop block. Decide what will be your front side (nice side). Now we are going to drill a hole in the middle of the stop block. Put a piece of masking tape in the approximate middle of the block. Mark a diagonal X in the middle of the block on the masking tape. For this hold a ruler from one corner to another an draw a line on the tape. Repeat from the other corners. Use the 6 mm drill bit to drill a hole through the block. To prevent tear out at the front, first set your cordless in reverse. Once all the fibers on the top have been cut, set the drill in normal forward direction. To prevent tear out at the back of the block, place it at a piece of sacrificial wood.

The next step is to make the slot in the front of the fence. For this we are going to use a router table (if you don't have a router table, wait for my next instructable or check the alternative below). Using the ruler and a utility knife mark the middle of the wood. Install the V-cut bit in your router table. Raise it, so that it's just a hair above the table surface. Put the wood against the router table fence and adjust the fence until the mark on the wood touches the tip of the V-cut bit. Install the 6 mm straight bit in the router table and router a and route a straight slot of 6 mm wide and 10 mm depth. if you are inexperienced around a router table, route the slot in incremental steps of 2 mm until the correct depth has been reached. Never use your fingers to push the wood over a router table, always use a push block if you want to use your fingers until a ripe old age!

Now install the keyhole bit in your router table and set it at the same height as the straight bit. Route the final slot in the fence. You should end up with something like in the picture.

If desired, apply a finish to the fence and the stop block. For details on application of line seed oil, see the paragraph in drill press table.

After the finish is fully cured, the paper measuring tape can be added to the fence. Use some masking tape to keep the measuring tape flat on the table. Apply a thin coat of woodworking glue on the back. Now glue the measuring tape to the fence. Don't worry if it is slightly to large, after drying it can be trimmed down using a utility knife.

On the bottom right side of the fence drill a 15 mm depth 5 mm diameter hole and insert the shelf pin. In the right back corner drill a 5 mm diameter hole, circa 10 mm depth.

Now assemble everything. Slide the M6 bolt in the slot of the fence, add the stop block, the washer and the butterfly nut. Insert the shelving pin in the hole on the router table. The fence can now be swiveled back forth. Once the correct position has been determined, the fence can be locked in position with a quick release clamp.

ALTERNATIVES

1. If you do not a have a router table or the required bits, use a table clamp or a C-clamp to keep the stop block in place.
2. If don't have a shelf pin at hand, use two woodworking clamps to keep the fence in position. Or cut a piece of an M5 bolt with a hacksaw and round of the edges.

A spirit level is a really useful tool to quickly set-up the table perpendicular to the drill.

Materials needed:

• Spirit level
• Caulking gun with some caulk
• Masking tape

Tools needed

• 10 mm straight router bit, 8 mm shank
• Portable router with fence
• T-square / combination square or a sheet of A4
• 10mm drill

The first step is to make sure the table is perpendicular to the axis of the drilling operation. Insert the 10 mm drill (or another long straight shaft you have at hand) in the drill press and lower the bit so it just rotate freely. Now use the square on the left right sides of the drill to make sure the table is really perpendicular. Otherwise lower or raise one side of the table. TIP: If you only have squares that are too large for the job, use a corner from a sheet of A4 paper or letter paper. (see image).

Now route a slot in the front side of the table. The slot must slightly longer that the length of the spirit level. On the sides of the slot add some masking tape to keep your drill press table clean. Apply a small bead of caulk in the slot and push in the spirit level. Make sure the spirit level is perfectly flat in the recess eq the bubble is perfectly centered. Now remove the masking tape with the squeezed out caulk (if any) and let the caulk cure for 24 hrs (or the recommended curing time).

Don't you love it when all your tools are organized and close by? This helps you bring this a step closer. To tilt the table you need to loosen the M12 nut half turn and then fasten the bolt again. To make it an easy step, the wrench is stored under the table. Invisible yet within reach!

Materials needed:

• 2pcs. neodymium magnets circa 20 mm, with mounting hole
• 2pcs. 3.5 mm x 12 mm screw or super glue if the magnets are without holes
• 2 rounds of felt (optional but recommended)

Mount the magnets under the the table near the front edge circa 12 cm apart. The rounds of felt are optional but all but eliminates the klang!-sound when the wrench is placed against the magnets. That's it!

This my first instructable and writing it has been a new and fun experience. But as in everything new, you need to learn by doing and by receiving feedback. If I missed anything or you would like some clarification, feel free to contact me and I'll try to answer your questions as good as I can. I just hope that in the end you have a nice working drill press table. I've mine now for some time and am still happy with the time I invested in it. It has helped me in a lot of projects!

Kind regards,

Cor