Shopsmith Forums

I started by finding a piece of left over 3/4" plywood that I could get a 14" x 18-3/8" work piece out of. In today's pictures it has not yet been sized but it has the layout lines adjusted for the proper size.

I did a layout on the workpiece to determine what it might look like and then proceeded to locate slots. In general terms the 4 radial slots are a 1/2" wide and 4" long, there are 2 longer slots, about 8" long. The slots are cut all the way though and were made with a template, the router equipped with a guide bushing.

I used a scrap piece of MDF, 1/4" thick to layout a pattern for the template since I would be using it several times. This pattern was then created by using a step around arrangement of wood slats. It will do double duty and work for all the slots.

Template being made.

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Now the template can be positioned by eye over the layout lines.

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Please note that the template requires the proper bit and guide bushing to end up getting the slot the proper size.

Taking several passes and plunging each time ends with the slot being finished. The template is held in place with small nails that our counter sunk so the heads are below the surface. To move the template it is pried up and the nails pounded back flush to the bottom. Repositioned and re-tacked. In this case appearance is not important so I'm working on the face of the project. If you wanted you could use double sided tape or you could do the layout on the bottom and work from that side.

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More coming.

Ed

The longer slots are done by putting the template on one side then routing, move the template and finish the slot.

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Template to the left side.

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Template to the right side.

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The results of today's work.

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I might be held up a couple of days as I've got some other stuff going on but we will finish this project soon.

You are free to guess at this point but you would have to be very sharp or lucky to get it right.

Ed

Drill press table?

curiousgeorge wrote:Drill press table?

Wow you are good!!!!!

Ed

Looks more like an "adjustable" drill press table.
Bill V

Got back to the project today so we have more photos to look at and I hope you will be able to see just how this works.

In the previous posts you had got to see the top. Today I added the legs and the bottom. The assembly was done with a kreg jig system. Might as well start at the point were the holes were all drill and the "box" was assembled.

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This is how the holes look on the bottom of the bottom.

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This is a shot inside where you can see the screws that hold the top on.

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The whole reason for the build was to be able to use a drill press clamp like this.

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The clamp works sort of like a vice grip.

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OK on to the next post.

Ed

Hi again,

The space between the top and bottom has to be such that you can get your hand and arm inside to tighten the anchor nut. Making it too small is sort of a monkey trap if you know what I mean.

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Of course the slots let you adapt where the clamp is mounted.

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The max that you can clamp is 3" with this model clamp and using it as shown. If I get time later I'll show how this can be increased.

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I designed this to be use on a 500 which is what I have set-up as a drill press. It will of course fit on the larger table as shown, liked that idea better then making a larger 520 version and having to use it on the 500.

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If you need a fence to position the work piece this would be how I envision being able to do that.

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It is still not done but I'm again not sure when I'll get back to it. I think this should be enough information but as always questions are welcome.

Ed

Just thought of one question that will no doubt come up. Where can you get the drill press clamp?

The one pictured is from here:

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-inch-dri ... 36221.html

Ed

Nice drill press table box, Ed, and a nicely documented tutorial!

Are you eventually going to put a sacrificial insert in the top, in case you need to drill completely through the piece?

If the stud on the clamp were shorter, can you use that clamp with a sliding T-nut in the miter gauge slot to hold items down to the main table? It might be useful in horizontal boring applications, or holding pieces when sanding to length.

Gary

greitz wrote:Nice drill press table box, Ed, and a nicely documented tutorial!

Are you eventually going to put a sacrificial insert in the top, in case you need to drill completely through the piece?

If the stud on the clamp were shorter, can you use that clamp with a sliding T-nut in the miter gauge slot to hold items down to the main table? It might be useful in horizontal boring applications, or holding pieces when sanding to length.

Gary

Hi,

Yes to an insert in the top, you can see the pencil lines in some of the pictures. That is one of the unfinished parts to the project.

The threaded portion of the clamp is 7/16" so it would not fit a standard t-nut. Might not work well either as you would be twisting to tighten and the end position of the tighten clamp might not be where you want it....

For a lot of clamping operations a standard toggle clamp would do just as well.

Ed