Base slots on a drill press. What are they for?

[skipnay]

I'm wondering why they put slots on the base of a drill press? Maybe it's just me but can't think of a reason other then their isn't a reason!!! I would say I guess you could bolt weights to it. For what reason? Pictures might help me....

 

[ken w.]

They are made for a vise or drill press clamp. I'll try to put a pic up.

 

[RECox286]

Usually to attach a holding device such as a cross slide vice.

Uncle Bob

 

[1991Syclone]

Well, there's this for the table:

But I think he means the very bottom base, not the table. I suppose it's so you can anchor it to a stand.

 

[zmotorsports]

The slots in the BASE are there for fastening/clamping/jigging longer items to that won't fit between the table and the quill. The table merely swings out of the way and you mount your work to the base. I don't think it is anywhere near as common as it once was but drill press manufacturers still put them on the base.

Mike.

 

[bmk]

We've used them for bolting an angle plate to. Then you can clamp a plate or whatever on to that.

 

[Ign]

Same concept as this:
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/t...mpaignId=T9F&gclid=CIuvluOCqMsCFZA2aQodmgwFPA

IOW infinite flexibility in what jig/fixture/table/angle plate you attach to the base

 

[knobby]

For clamping using a T nut perhaps?

 

[Big Pete]

I've used them to clamp big stuff down to. I bored out a motorcycle swingarm pivot by bolting it down to the base of the drill, no way was it going to fit in a vice.

 

[skipnay]

Thanks guys. Yes I was talking about the base and not the table!

 

[jmarkwolf]

On a floor standing drill press, there can be nearly 4 feet between the quill and the base.

Still not clear on the practical use of those slots in the base on a floor standing drill press.

 

[skipnay]

I need to find where to buy those vise clamps????

 

[ttpete]

I need to find where to buy those vise clamps????

Mine is Vise-Grip brand.

 

[OccupantRJ]

On a floor standing drill press, there can be nearly 4 feet between the quill and the base.

Still not clear on the practical use of those slots in the base on a floor standing drill press.

If you need to drill a hole in the end of a railing ballister or the like, it can be stood up on end and clamped or bolted to the DP base by whatever fixturing one can come up with.

 

[speed bump]

On a floor standing drill press, there can be nearly 4 feet between the quill and the base.

Still not clear on the practical use of those slots in the base on a floor standing drill press.

We had some jigs that we bolted in those slots for locating the parts. Not having a lathe it was also convenient for drilling and tapping long parts.

 

[ovrrdrive]

I use the slots on the table for bolting a drill press vise on. I use the one's in the base for bolting the drill press to my home made stand...

 

[skipnay]

Has anyone bought these? T Slot clamping kit

 

[CJM8515]

Its the same principle as the table, you move the table out of the way and can mount a clamp to the base. Its for longer objects.

 

[zmotorsports]

I need to find where to buy those vise clamps????

I purchased mine from Enco. Watch for their 20% and free freight coupons that come up quite often. Don't EVER pay full price on Enco, they have their coupons too often.

Mike.

 

[Ign]

On a floor standing drill press, there can be nearly 4 feet between the quill and the base.

Still not clear on the practical use of those slots in the base on a floor standing drill press.

It's called Z-space, and if you're a machinist it's nearly the holy grail. I put a 4" riser block on my Bridgeport to gain, well, just 4" of Z.

One of (but not the only) the primary reasons machine shops keep a DP around is because it will have a lot more Z-space than any vertical mill.

 

[Provincial]

Has anyone bought these? T Slot clamping kit

I haven't used that particular brand, but I have used both high-priced American and low-priced Asian (including Harbor Freight) versions of the same thing. All do the same basic thing, which is clamp the work firmly to the table. I had to rework the HF set a little, since the threads wouldn't spin together with my fingers. The threads were very hard, and I believe the studs are very strong and wear-resistant. All the other parts were very hard, as well.

Unless these aren't properly heat treated, they should hold up in a home shop environment.

 

[zmotorsports]

It's called Z-space, and if you're a machinist it's nearly the holy grail. I put a 4" riser block on my Bridgeport to gain, well, just 4" of Z.

One of (but not the only) the primary reasons machine shops keep a DP around is because it will have a lot more Z-space than any vertical mill.

Exactly. Sure glad I had my 20" floor mounted drill press last week when a Borg Warner T-18 transmission housing wouldn't quite fit in my mill and I had to drill and tap some holes for a Novak adapter that I was mounting for a client.

Mike.