Clamping to Drill Press table

[golfnut]

Good Evening everyone. Im a First time poster here so I'll give a little history on myself. I'm a farmer in the midwest and my "garage" is a 70x80x19 building with a 36'x16x overhead door. The majority of the work that happens in here is general machine maintenance and setup.

I just purchased a 20" drill press from Northern Tool. Much better than the 10" Ryobi I got rid of and plenty good for the stuff I'll use it for. The table is a large square table, approximately 16" square with 4 large t-slots in it. There is not a hole in the center of the table.

How would Garage Journal go about working with this table? I would generally like to take the piece of metal I'm working with and clamp it directly to the table and drill. Are there any special clamps I can use? Get myself a drill press vice? Drill hole (1.5"?) in the center of the table?

 

[d.mcfarland]

The small pieces would be best in a vise. Larger ones to the table obviously.

Any chance you could post a picture of the table?

 

[WWIIjeep]

The table is a large square table, approximately 16" square with 4 large t-slots in it. There is not a hole in the center of the table.

Does the table have a coolant trough around the perimeter with a drain plug at one corner? Generally, metalworking drill presses don't have a hole in the middle of the table, so that when you use coolant or cutting fluid for drilling, as you should when drilling most metals except cast iron, the fluid doesn't leak through the hole, but runs into the coolant trough and drain instead.

For tables without a hole, the work is either held in a drill press vise, or set on top of parallel bars or stand-offs. The vise, or the work, is then clamped to the table using T-bolts in the T-slots, with strap clamps and step blocks.

Google "T-bolt" "strap clamp" and "step block" or search for same at McMaster.com or mscdirect.com.

 

[golfnut]

It does have a drain hole in the back left corner but the drill press itself does not a coolant system.

 

[WWIIjeep]

It does have a drain hole in the back left corner but the drill press itself does not a coolant system.

Drill press coolant systems are an aftermarket accessory. For occasional or home use, you can just use cutting and tapping fluid from a can, like Tap Magic, or Rapid Tap for drilling brass and steel, and kerosene or WD-40 for drilling aluminum.

 

[lilredex]

Welcome.

Here are a couple of things made for my DP, that you may be able to use.

The vise slides along the table, and the hold downs could fit it the "T" slots.





Old bearing races are useful as parallel standoffs on the table, also

 

[FMC]

these are useful for smaller stuff, visegrip brand

 

[golfnut]

FMC, with the vicegrip brand clamp you are showing I'm assuming I would need to cut the bolt end to the correct length and put the appropriate size nut and washer on it to work in the T track?

 

[Zeke]

These are real handy for me. I use them on the bench, sawhorse and DP or anywhere else I can bolt them down to:

A drill press vise is good tool to have, but larger stuff can be clamped directly to the table.
And when I find a slot binder with threaded holes I can use these clamps on my table and band saw. Anyone know of a flush slot binder/insert 3/4" wide X 1/2 tall?

 

[Thumper68]

Get some long reach vise grip clamps. they work great.

 

[Provincial]

Unless the holes need to be very square, you can use wood blocking to back up the pieces you drill. This makes set-up much easier, and when you break through into your backing there isn't a violent reaction if you catch the edge of the backing. It also helps save your table from the drill bits. If you use metal for a back-up piece that is very similar to the part you are drilling, it can be hard to tell when you break through into the backing, and workmen have been known to drill right through the backing into the table! With wood you can tell right away that you have passed through your metal part.

Measure your T-slots and search for a clamping set that fits them. There are many different sizes of T-slot nuts. Try to buy a set as they are much more economical than buying individual pieces. I have a mill drill with odd slots and I ended up buying a 3/8" set and also six T-slot nuts that were the proper size. The T-nuts that came with the set were too small for the slots in the table, and that was the only way to put together a set to fit. You want the largest thread size kit that will fit the table slots, in order to get the most rigid set-up possible.

You will find it handy to have a dedicated set-up to provide a stop to put your work against if it isn't long enough to reach the column. This would be a T-slot nut, bolt (or stud + nut), washer, and a spacer to tighten the bolt/nut to make the assembly rigid. This gives you something easy to relocate as needed.

Small parts should be held in a drill press vise. This keeps better control of the part and also prevents drilling into the table.

 

[rsanter]

What you have is an industrial type setup.
There are a couple of good way to clamp material to your DP table.
1 big C clamps
2 you can use the same table clamps like used for milling machines. You can buy a whole set for reasonable price from ENCO ( useenco.com)

Bob

 

[srmofo]

Why not just use clamps made specifically for t slots

 

[FMC]

FMC, with the vicegrip brand clamp you are showing I'm assuming I would need to cut the bolt end to the correct length and put the appropriate size nut and washer on it to work in the T track?

the ring shown separate is threaded

 

[2oolhound]

Basic T-slot sets on ebay: (your manual should give the size)

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/t-slot-set

You have to get used to thinking about your drilling work or you'll end up with the embarrassing happy face pattern of a novice on your new table as you drill through your work into it. The table swings in an arc so the result is a happy face pattern of drill holes (commonly found in school shop machines). ALWAYS KEEP YOUR WORK UP OFF THE TABLE either with parallel bars or wood etc. under pads. With bigger drills comes more HP. Where you used to be able to hand hold your work you'll find the 20" can rip it out of your hand much easier. Long pieces can be rested against the column for quick hand held holes but clamping is recommended otherwise, specially with the bigger bits.

 

[Outlawmws]

the ring shown separate is threaded

His table has no through holes so that particular vise grip would need to have the threaded stud shortened to be practical at all but as it wold be difficult to get tight and aligned has limited usefulness on a solid top table.


The recommendations for milling table clamps, large deep C clamps and the extended reach vise grips are on the money

Another fixture I use a LOT is some 1X with a fence glued and screwed to it, clamped to the table and that allows for bar stock to be set or even clamped with only one clamp while set against the fence, and drilled.

The fence keeps the part from spinning as the drill breaks through, the wood "bed" of the fence keeps the drills out of the metal table, and you can drill a series of holes either the same distance from the edge of the part just by sliding it forwards, or with a stop clamped in place, you can drill a series of parts with the hole in the same spot.

Cheap and easy to make or re-make as it "wears out"

This is one I made for my old DP and the old mil vise I kept on it, but without the vise cleat, it would work for a flat table.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Drill-press-repeat-drill-fence-fixture/