No room for a big Drill press.

[FrankEV]

My shop is tiny!  I do not have room for a floor stand drill press or even a heavy bench stand drill press.

Up to this point I have simply been using a hand held drill for bits down to 1/16" dia, or for the very tiny holes, the small drill bits chuck mounted in a dedicated Dremel Tool, to make the blade access holes.  Both are just used by hand holding the drill or Dremel Tool.

I recently had an occasion to stack cut a total of four 1/4" layers (1" total) of solid oak.  I found that in a number of cases where the hole was close to the cut line, it was not made perfectly perpendicular to the wood and therefore, was actually outside the cut line on the bottom layers.  

I don't do a lot of stack cutting and I guess I should be a lot more carefull.  However even on thin panels, I have found that when small cut out areas are close together, if I did not hold the drill perpendicular to the wood, the hole angles off toward the side encroaching on the adjacent cut line.

My question is what are those of you, that might be in my predicament, using for a drill press.

Dremel makes a small drill press, but is seems the base is only about 6" square and it would not allow drilling pieces larger tha 6" wide.  I have also reviewed a few of the You Tube videos on how to build a Dremel Drill press and they don't look to apealing.

    

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by FrankEV

[OCtoolguy]

Buy the Dremel plunge router attachment. That way you won't be limited to where you can drill. I've got two of them. One for my regular Dremel and one for the larger discontinued Dremel that was designed for doing cutouts. They work great.

 

[JustLarry]

I use the Dremel plunge router attachment, also. 

Larry

[ike]

I also have a small work sho 8X10 I have a lot of tools in that small space A 10' bench top drill press , 2 belt sanders, a bench top band sawwood racks and a craftmans table saw.when I want to use the table saw I have to put the Scroll saw away. when people sees it thay are amazed how I got thay much in the shop Islso use Dremell  the plunge router at one time I had a floor model drill press It went bad so I decided to go with what I have now. I have lived with this for the last 30 years.

IKE 

[Roberta Moreton]

I also use the plunge router attachment 

[kmmcrafts]

Plunge router on the Dremel works well if you cut thin stock.. I have one and use it for some projects but there is side to side play in the plunge part of it.. and sometimes it not always at a straight up / down drilling.. it can be a few degrees off. Not bad in thin material but it's not super accurate if you're drilling on a line that would be for veining etc... or close to the next cutout.. it works great if you don't need precise holes though.. 

[GrampaJim]

I have been using a bench top drill press may by Wen for about 6 years.  It was cheap and does everything I need. 

 

[OCtoolguy]

I just recently sold a great little bench top drill press made by Delta. If I recall correctly, it was a ShopMaster 250. It was an 8" capacity which means it had 4" from the center of the chuck to the post. It was perfect for my tiny shop but I found a deal on a 10" ShopMaster 300 so I bought it. Not all that much bigger but it has a crank up table. I sold my little one for as much as I paid for the bigger one. Keep on eye on C/L for used tools. Everything in my shop was bought used from either eBay or C/L.

 

[RangerJay]

Been a while since I posted - but I feel your pain about a small shop.

One option might be a "Lazy-Susan" for bench top tools.  Mine is a 36" circular table top and it holds my bench top drill press, a 4 inch bench-top jointer and a bench top router table - it has stood the test of time - originally built in 1979(ish) and has been a main fixture in 4 workshops since.  Nothing fancy about the construction - in truth about as rough a piece of carpentry is it gets - just a plywood top on a 2X6 tripod frame (with its own circular plywood top) - central "bearing" is a 6 inch spike - think I got the original design from a Popular Mechanics magazine - but I recall dumbing it down quite a bit to suit my own budget and capabilities  ......

Jay

[Rockytime]

6 minutes ago, RangerJay said:

Been a while since I posted - but I feel your pain about a small shop.

One option might be a "Lazy-Susan" for bench top tools.  Mine is a 36" circular table top and it holds my bench top drill press, a 4 inch bench-top jointer and a bench top router table - it has stood the test of time - originally built in 1979(ish) and has been a main fixture in 4 workshops since.  Nothing fancy about the construction - in truth about as rough a piece of carpentry is it gets - just a plywood top on a 2X6 tripod frame (with its own circular plywood top) - central "bearing" is a 6 inch spike - think I got the original design from a Popular Mechanics magazine - but I recall dumbing it down quite a bit to suit my own budget and capabilities  ......

Jay

Remember, no pictures, it does not exist.

[new2woodwrk]

I have a small shop as well.

Every tool I have is on a rolling cart for not only movement but also  convenience.

I have a Dremel with this workstation:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068P48O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is mounted to a flip top cart that also has my Genevieve mounted on the same side, with my Planer mounted on it's own side

The workstation for me is amazing! The base is small enough to fit on the top of my cart and I can add a larger table top to it when I need additional support.

I use dbl sided tape to expand the base and a simple piece of 1/2" ply as the expanded platform

I also have 2 bench top drill presses - a Wen 3410 and a HF 8" I just bought because I thought my wen was breaking down. The wen is on it's own wheeled cart and the HF is mounted to a 3/4" slab and currently clamped to the back of my main workbench - which of course is also on wheels LOL

At some point I want to mount both drill presses to a flip top, but I don't see that happening anytime soon due to the nature of my Saturday craft fair events that are on going through March

 

[RangerJay]

Rockytime:

You're a hard man - remember - smartphones didn't exist in 1979(ish) - and in 2020 - now 40 years later - I do have a smartphone - but actually using it is another thing entirely  ...

Not sure all is visible - but in the background is my woodrack - and off to the left is our yard ladders etc.

 

Jay

 

.

[OCtoolguy]

7 minutes ago, RangerJay said:

Rockytime:

You're a hard man - remember - smartphones didn't exist in 1979(ish) - and in 2020 - now 40 years later - I do have a smartphone - but actually using it is another thing entirely  ...

Not sure all is visible - but in the background is my woodrack - and off to the left is our yard ladders etc.

 

Jay

 

.

Jim, can you elaborate just a bit on the pivot point? I'm trying to envision what you are using as the pivot. Is it just a large nail, a bolt or what? Any bearing surface at all? I was thinking of making something similar to yours and using a good quality "lazy Susan" bearing plate. Woodcraft has them but not sure if they are large enough.

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by octoolguy

[ike]

I would have showed you a picvture of my shop but my computor won't upload photos I have to take it in with this chinese flue going around I am kinda leary of going into the stores right now maybee when it slows down I will go.

IKE

[RangerJay]

25 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

Jim, can you elaborate just a bit on the pivot point? I'm trying to envision what you are using as the pivot. Is it just a large nail, a bolt or what? Any bearing surface at all? I was thinking of making something similar to yours and using a good quality "lazy Susan" bearing plate. Woodcraft has them but not sure if they are large enough.

 

Pivot point is literally a spike - the turning surface is wood on wood - I did add "stop-holes" to secure the table top with an extra spike but never did feel a need to use them - for sure turning the table it is an Armstrong method to change workstations but nothing more than you would do a dozen times a day with other kinds of tasks - no real need for a large set of Lazy Susan bearings - but if you felt the need to add one after construction then I'm sure it would be an easy add-on.

Jay

[OCtoolguy]

17 minutes ago, RangerJay said:

Pivot point is literally a spike - the turning surface is wood on wood - I did add "stop-holes" to secure the table top with an extra spike but never did feel a need to use them - for sure turning the table it is an Armstrong method to change workstations but nothing more than you would do a dozen times a day with other kinds of tasks - no real need for a large set of Lazy Susan bearings - but if you felt the need to add one after construction then I'm sure it would be an easy add-on.

Jay

Thanks, I've got an idea forming in my pea-brain and it will make the "lazy susan" unnecessary.

 

[Rockytime]

1 hour ago, RangerJay said:

Rockytime:

You're a hard man - remember - smartphones didn't exist in 1979(ish) - and in 2020 - now 40 years later - I do have a smartphone - but actually using it is another thing entirely  ...

Not sure all is visible - but in the background is my woodrack - and off to the left is our yard ladders etc.

 

Jay

 

.

Many thanks for the excellent photos. I must say your system is impressive. Amazingly resourceful! Wish I had the health and stamina to create something similar.

[OCtoolguy]

3 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

Many thanks for the excellent photos. I must say your system is impressive. Amazingly resourceful! Wish I had the health and stamina to create something similar.

Anything like that would have to sit out on my driveway. I have no room left in my shop. I'm even thinking of moving my bandsaw outside and having a good cover made for it. What I need is a really good way to store & organize the wood that I have. I have a ton of great wood but I have no place to put it that is out of the way.

 

[FrankEV]

This is my solution!

The Dremel drill press as is, because of it is only 3" from the bit to the post, is imparactical to use for drilling blade holes in almost any fretwork larger than 6" wide.  However, I had the idea in my head I could do something to make it work and Home Depot near me had the Dremel Drill Press/Tool Station in stock for $45.   I took a chance (knowing I could return it if I could not make it work) and bought it this morning.  After I got it home and did some investigating how I could make it work the light bulb lit up in my brain and this was the result.

There is a shelf above my workbench that was just the correct height to allow me to mount the base upside down. I slid the Drill press body on the post opposite of what is normal.  The press can be rotated around the post allowing it to be swung out of the way if necessary.  I use a piece of 1/4" ply as a drill backer and set the stop so the bit will not punch into the workbench top.  Very easy to locate the bit ove the point where the hole is needed.  From the bit to the wall is about 11"  so as positioned it can accomodate panels up to about 22" wide.  

I have two Dremel Rotary Tools so this one will be a dedicated drill for drilling blade holes, although the tool holder body can be rotated up to 90 degrees and used for other operations. 

I don't think I will be braking as many drill bits with this setup.

I located it near the rear corner of the workbench so it should not interfere tooooooo much with other workbench usage.  

As the say, where there is a will there is a way.  And when space is at a premium, you have to think outside the box and make evey square inch count.

Edited November 24, 2020 by FrankEV

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, FrankEV said:

This is my solution!

The Dremel drill press as is, because of it is only 3" from the bit to the post, is imparactical to use for drilling blade holes in almost any fretwork larger than 6" wide.  However, I had the idea in my head I could do something to make it work and Home Depot near me had the Dremel Drill Press/Tool Station in stock for $45.   I took a chance (knowing I could return it if I could not make it work) and bought it this morning.  After I got it home and did some investigating how I could make it work the light bulb lit up in my brain and this was the result.

There is a shelf above my workbench that was just the correct height to allow me to mount the base upside down. I slid the Drill press body on the post opposite of what is normal.  The press can be rotated around the post allowing it to be swung out of the way if necessary.  I use a piece of 1/4" ply as a drill backer and set the stop so the bit will not punch into the workbench top.  Very easy to locate the bit ove the point where the hole is needed.  From the bit to the wall is about 11"  so as positioned it can accomodate panels up to about 22" wide.  

I have two Dremel Rotary Tools so this one will be a dedicated drill for drilling blade holes, although the tool holder body can be rotated up to 90 degrees and used for other operations. 

I don't think I will be braking as many drill bits with this setup.

I located it near the rear corner of the workbench so it should not interfere tooooooo much with other workbench usage.  

As the say, where there is a will there is a way.  And when space is at a premium, you have to think outside the box and make evey square inch count.

Excellent idea Frank. 

[Be_O_Be]

Frank that is brilliant!!  Necessity is the mother of invention & you nailed it! 

[Rolf]

Frank, very clever !!