Drill Press set up??

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

OK.  I have a Delta Bench mounted Drill Press.  When I bought it I bought a very heavy 4" Columbian vice that I can clamp to the adjustable table of the drill press. I had thought that there would be bolts that allowed easy sliding, centering of stock under the drill bit....  the slots in the table and those in the vise don't line up??? Therefore using C Clamps...... not good

Then a friend gave me an Incra table with a frnce and "Incra Stop"    This is attached to the drill press table with wood screws coming up through the drill press table from the bottom.... BUT the table gets in the way of the crank handle on the Drill Press..so I cannot raise or lower the table without taing the wood scrows out and removing the INCRA table..... not good








So How can I properly/usefully attach the 4" vice AND/OR the Incra table and still be able to raise and lower the table?? What is the most useful way to set up a drill press for gun building???

Pleas show pictures of how you do it...some of us don;t have the tool vocabulary...I need pictures... Please

[albert]

you might be able to take the handle off,and put on a nut and another jam jut and use a socket,extension,and a ratchet

[David Veith]

Take the handle off. Find a socket that fits over the end tie. Drill the socket and tap for a Ellen a. Ratchet wrench from there Or take one more socket and weld it on. Or take a block of steel drill it for the rod do the Ellen screw then weld a socket on it for a ratchet. I would do it for a ½ drive that way I have some length. to the ratchet. If there is no flat spot for the ellen file one. Just a pile of thoughts as I type.
David

[heinz]

 Can you mount the table on some hardwood blocks as spacers to lift it table above the crank?  This may restrick ypur travel too much on a bench press however.

[heinz]

JUst looking I do not think blocks will work. 

[Robby]

+1 on David's plan.
Robby

[Acer Saccharum]

You could make a long shaft, and put the crank way out near the right hand end of the table. You would need a shaft support near the crank handle.

new parts needed:
Shaft coupling, shaft, shaft support.

Tom

[BrianH]

it looks like you may be able to mount the incra tableforward so the back lines up with the original table that should give you enough room to use the existing  handle. also you can drill the top so you can run bolts down thru the top into captured bolts on the bottom so when it is removed there will nothing in the way when using the fence

[okieboy]

 While I don't disagree with any of the ideas expressed, I am going to take a different approach to "What is the most useful way to set up a drill press?" There isn't a best way to set up, as different jobs call for different set ups. My drill press is similar to yours, I have a small drill vise, a really cheap cross-slide and various home made jigs for doing one thing and another. The single best way to leave your drill press is with the table bare of any attachments. You are trying to set the height after attaching your workholding (tool vocabulary for vises and fixtures). Setting the table height is always the first thing I do on a setup, often with a vise or jig setting loose on the table (and holding the work if the work is small enough.
 Here is a pic of my drill press, vises and assorted accoutrement's.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Okieboy, I would love to see a picture of how you set up to drill and tap a lock plate.o you have such a picture?

[volatpluvia]

Dr.
I found my drill press vice heavy enough that I held it with the left hand while working the drill bit into the metal with the right hand.  I never had a grab sufficient enough to move the vise.  I often found that, by the time I had the vice clamped down, I had moved it from where I wanted to drill.  With the vice un fastened I lowered the bit and could center the vice carefully and drill.  My holes always came out better than using a hand held electric drill.
volatpluvia

[okieboy]

 Dr. Tim, I do not have a pic yet of the lock bolt install. I have inletted the lock and should have inletted the triggers this weekend, but managed to break a trigger plate in half (new one tomorrow). I will install the tang to trigger plate screw before doing the lock screw as I am building percussion and what tension between the powder drum and lock plate.
 There is more than one way to do the lock plate screw, but I am going to use a set up similar to the one shown, except the gun will be lock side up. the location of the screw through the lock bolster will be chosen and lightly punched before putting the gun in the drill press. The lock plate will be clamped in the stock with a small c-clamp. I will "find" the location of the punch mark with the cross slide and a center drill in the chuck. Once found, we center drill, replace the center drill with the tap drill, drill through the lock plate and stock with the tap drill. At this point we can proceed by one of two ways. 1. We can use the drill chuck as a guide and tap the plate, then remove the plate and drill through the stock with the screw body drill; or2. We can remove the plate from the stock, drill through the stock with the screw body drill, then use the body drilled hole as a guide for tapping with the stock bask in clamps on the bench. If using the second method, your tap must be longer than the stock is thick and you may want to relieve (grind down) some of the tap shank.
  Hope this gives you an idea. I will post the actual photos on my Building thread when I get to that point.
 Please ask questions if I wasn't clear on any thing.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Nice setup!!!   I assume the "Cross-Slide" is the vice  you have holding the rifle. Is it mounted to the board?  Where does one purchase such a tool for a reasonable price... that is cheap.... I haven't seen one in the Depot or Lowes that I remember.

[keweenaw]

Tim,

I drill and tap my lock plates, and I'm assuming that you mean putting in the lock nails, in the stock.    If you want to drill holes to assemble a lock, you need a lock assembly fixture to hold the lock plate.  If it's heavy enough it can just sit on the table.

I use my drill press virtually everyday and find that the most useful arrangement is to keep the table bare and use a really heavy vise - a 5" one- that I can slide around to where ever I want and which is heavy enough to stay put. I doubt I C clamp it down more than twice a year.  And also maybe twice a year I might attach it to a table slot with one bold and simply turn it as well as the table to align something. Since you shouldn't be using the drill press as a mill and all the drilling is starting with a centerpunch mark, as long as the vise holds the work square it need not do anything else.  I'm using an old Craftsman bench top drill press that I have on a dedicated stand that is 43" high so the work is up where I can see it and so I don't have to bend over.  The table on the Craftsman is bigger than yours and is easily rotated from side to side, as well as moved up and down so that the vise can always be well supported.

Tom

[Acer Saccharum]

Grizzly has the cross slide vises: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Cross-Sliding-Vise/G1064

[Acer Saccharum]

I like to put something in the table, such a peg or bolt, to keep the vise from whipping around should the bit ever catch.

The vise, of course, is not a balanced load, so it starts to shake pretty bad, and if you don't have the nerve to turn it off, the bit can snap, and the vise, or drill press go flying.

I once saw a guy try to grab the spinning work piece, after his drill bit caught. That is not a good idea, either.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I don't plan to build any lock kits soon... What I need is just a way to hold the plate while I drill and tap the holes for the lock nails.... The way I have done it is pretty precarious, I would like to find a way that is more stable and save..as well as accurate.  Okie's method will certainly get it done and keep everything aligned.  Any other suggestions??

[omark]

i have a cross slide vise,(harbor freight) not high quality but low in price. i bolt it directly to the drill press table at an angle to clear the height adjustment crank. then lay a flat piece of wood across the bottom of the cross slide vice. this piece is smaller than the lock so the vice clamps on the lock plate or whatever im drilling but keeps the item level.     mark

[Mike T]

Hey Tim,  You can get the vice from use-enco.com.  I have a similar Delta Drill Press and vice as you have and use a T-slot bolt to hold it down to the slotted steel table.  One is usually sufficient to hold the vice because you can tighten them with a wrench and locate the bolt to counter posible rotation with a spacer against the post if needed.  This eliminates the problem of trying to line up two bolts in the vice slots with the table slots, and allows you the freedom to position the vice where you want it to be.   I have never had one move when tightened even when I eliminate the spacer.  The larger the drill the more torque and you will have to use your judgement as to when to block it.  Also. I have a jig to drill pins and screws that uses a pointed bolt through a piece of 3/4" ply clamped to the table, centered with the drill.  The handles on my press unscrew, and I remove the two which interfere with my set-up and use only one to lower and raise the quill. Call me if you want to come over and have a look see.  I'll be glad to let you check them out.  Better than photos.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Hey Tim,  You can get the vice from use-enco.com.  I have a similar Delta Drill Press and vice as you have and use a T-slot bolt to hold it down to the slotted steel table.  One is usually sufficient to hold the vice because you can tighten them with a wrench and locate the bolt to counter posible rotation with a spacer against the post if needed.  This eliminates the problem of trying to line up two bolts in the vice slots with the table slots, and allows you the freedom to position the vice where you want it to be.   I have never had one move when tightened even when I eliminate the spacer.  The larger the drill the more torque and you will have to use your judgement as to when to block it.  Also. I have a jig to drill pins and screws that uses a pointed bolt through a piece of 3/4" ply clamped to the table, centered with the drill.  The handles on my press unscrew, and I remove the two which interfere with my set-up and use only one to lower and raise the quill. Call me if you want to come over and have a look see.  I'll be glad to let you check them out.  Better than photos.

omark...that is so simple it's brilliant........ are you an engineer??

Thanks Mike,
I will call this weekend.  I would like to see the set up before I go buy anything... 

[Jim Kibler]

I don't plan to build any lock kits soon... What I need is just a way to hold the plate while I drill and tap the holes for the lock nails.... The way I have done it is pretty precarious, I would like to find a way that is more stable and save..as well as accurate.  Okie's method will certainly get it done and keep everything aligned.  Any other suggestions??

Tim,

For jobs such as drilling for lock bolts etc, there is really no need to have it fixed rock solid in place.  The key is a substantial center punch mark and a pilot hole.  Works perfectly fine for applications such as this. 

Jim

[David Rase]

omark...that is so simple it's brilliant........ are you an engineer??

Tim,
You can't use the words simple and brilliant in the same sentence as "engineer"
DMR

[omark]

doc tim, not an engineer, and dave is right.  im just an old mechanic,,,,spent my life fixin engineers mistakes.   lol     mark

[bob hertrich]

Acer, How is the Grizzly slide vise held on the drill press?

[Scott Semmel]

My cross slide was bolted to the table of my drill press the day I bought it several years ago and hasn't moved more than once, and moving it with two bolts securing it is a five minute process at best. I modified my jigs to fit in the vise and use those roller thingies that extend to keep stuff level. Whatever I paid for that vise, it was one of the best investments I made for my shop.