Drill press mod

I have a big floor drill press in my shop but I don't have one in my "hobby workshop". So there was a bench drill press on offer at lidl and thought I should get one and make some improvements. This is the original model :
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...dd6b58086e.jpg

The biggest problem with those bench models is the shallow throat. I build guitars as a hobby and i needed a big throat to be able to drill bridge post holes in body blanks. I used scrap pieces of square tubing for the construction. I drilled 4 holes at the back of the drill head and fixed it on the vertical tubing. I made the holes oversized on purpose, so that I could fine tune the alignment of the head in relation to the table. I moved the motor further back and got a matching belt to get it running. The table is just another piece of square tubing with an old cabinet door bolted on top. Finally, I made a bracket with welded steel plates so that the table can travel up and down. I used the original threaded handle to tighten the bracket on the vertical column.

Here's a photo with the original base in front for comparison :
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...150223_005.jpg

Wao, that's a mod !
Congratulations !
I like it !
Christophe

Great idea. :thumbsup:

Thanks immortalx! I've added your Drill Press Modification to our Drilling and Drill Presses category, as well as to your builder page: immortalx's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="/drill-press-modification-6"><img src="/uploads/110852/drill-press-modification-6.jpeg" alt="Drill Press Modification" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="/drill-press-modification-6">Drill Press Modification</a> <span> by <a href="/builder/immortalx">immortalx</a></span> </div> <div class="tags"> tags: <a href="/tag/drill-press">drill press</a>, <a href="/tag/modification">modification</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>

WOWA thats some serious square tubing their partner....Great Mod now I have to clear my throat too..:lol:

I really like that mod!!! If only I could do that to my mill :headscratch: .

Great mod, and a very practical solution to your specific need.

Thanks guys :)

Allow me to join the chorus in thanking you for the fine example of making something that was good better.

Pretty awesome mod you have there. I have a small Craftsman drill press that I have been trying to get to drill straight. Now I see your mod, and I may copy it to give me a bit more room while drilling. Thanks for posting your project.

Ron

Since I may do a similar mod I'm wondering how did you tram the head and have you addressed the typical runout of these smaller drill presses?

Great idea! I'm pasting this one on to my son in law.

Now THAT'S an upgrade :thumbsup:

Regards

Doc :hattip:

Thanks again guys!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yrralguthrie

Since I may do a similar mod I'm wondering how did you tram the head and have you addressed the typical runout of these smaller drill presses?

---

I had to google the term "tram" because English is not my native language :D I guess you mean the squareness of the head in relation to the vertical column and to the table?
I drilled 4 oversized holes on the back of the head and thus I was able to adjust the roll by rotating the head. For the pitch I didn't have to do anything, but if you need to, you can add washers to the 2 lower or upper bolts to adjust it. I put a straight long shaft in the chuck to help me do measurements.
I then added the table and adjusted it with the following trick :
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/cf...ips_5F00_3.jpg

I added spacers between the horizontal square tubing and the table until it was square.

The runout is acceptable for the application (it's definitely no milling machine!) and I just have to live with that. It surely is way better than those vertical drill stands!

Looks like you also replaced the chuck with a keyless chuck. They are a real timesaver. And I better explain that I think! I mean the hand tighten chucks that get tighter the more torque is placed on them by the bit. NOT the keyless chuck found on hand drills.

Thinking about the word tram. I could have said tramming the head or adjust the head to zero, but that's not very clear either. And while English is my first language I don't know another term to use.

I have been known to use a hammer to adjust runout.

Good project.

Very clever solution to your problem. It looks very professional also. The wooden table is much more forgiving on guitar body's than cast iron, well done.

Hi immortalx,

Very impressive reworking of that drill press! Your Drill Press Modification is the 'Tool of the Week'!

You'll be receiving one of our official HomemadeTools.net T-shirts:

Attachment 3011

Let me know (via PM) your size, color choice, and mailing address. We'll get the shirt in the mail to you directly.

Congrats!

Ken

Cool! now I know what my next project is

I have a very similar drill but a different brand also have the height problem some times and the table does not fit the drilling vice very well so this kind of mod could be very useful.

Attachment 3012

Thanks you guys!
Kbalch I'm honored, thank you for the reward! I already have a homemadetools t-shirt so my wish is to keep it for another forum-ite.
I'm already very happy with the title of "tool of the week" :)

Since you've already received one of our official HomemadeTools.net T-shirts, we'd like to award you a $25 online gift card from GiftRocket.

Let me know (via PM) your personal email address and we'll get the gift card out to you directly.

Congrats!

Ken

That's so kind of you! PM sent!

Good idea and nice simple design. :hattip:

nicely done and very useful. thanks

This thread has been moved to the Must Read subforum. Congrats (and thanks) to immortalx for making such a valuable contribution!

I think it is a great job.I like reading thing like this to do in my own shop.

Thanks wetsuinc for your post...:O)

Nicely done!

Hi immortalx,

Very good mod.

Regards
Bill

Hay!mot y tuong tot ,toi se lam mot cai giong ban.

.....and I almost bought a drill press last week, brilliant idea!!!