Drill Press Tables - What is Your Preference and Why?

[straightcut]

Most drill presses have the standard smaller table with center hole and X slots to allow a drill press vise to be moved around and secured on the table. I notice the large production tables are typically solid - with no means for securing a vise, but having a gutter system around the perimeter for cutting oil or chips.

How do you secure your work on a production table? I would think you would need to position your work on a piece of wood, so you don't drill into the table.

Of the two tables, which do you prefer and why?

Thanks for your comments!

 

[383 240z]

I have a production table on my 17" Delta. However mine has t-slots. I use mill clamps for some work holding, or I use the t-slots also to hold my drill press vice, or a set of v blocks for round work. I've never been a fan of the small X tables. For me and the work I do, I'll take a large production table with t-slots, every day of the week.

 

[Murphy4570]

That gutter system as you call it should hold t bolts. You use machinist fingers to retain work or an x-y table to the base table.

 

[ttpete]

That gutter system as you call it should hold t bolts. You use machinist fingers to retain work or an x-y table to the base table.

I mostly use the drill press for non precision work, and it has a small table. I usually have a vise-grip hold down, and just line up the drill with the punch mark on the work and snap the hold down on it. Anything that requires precision I do on the mill.

 

[dr_clyde]

A lot of production tables were designed with the use of drill jigs in mind. You wouldn't want or need to drill through past the table, as the part was held in a hardened jig with all the appropriate locations laid out.

In the multi head drills, the table was long and smooth, so you could easily move the work from station to station to perform each operation.

That's kind of from a bygone era before CNC equipment though. I suspect most new drill presses will have an "X" tee slot configuration. I find a straight tee slot block configuration like on a radial drill to be the most useful. I seldom bolt things to the drill press. If it won't fit in the vise it's usually easier to set it up on the bridgeport and drill it there.

 

[rharman]

I built this for my DP. Works great. Replaceable insert for when it gets chewed up.

 

[ny1]

In MHO these are perfect. Large enough to slide a 8 inch camlock vice around for quick holes and easy enough to put something bulky on parallels.

 

[rsanter]

You generally clamp things in a heavy drill,press vise.
Gravity does the rest

Bob

 

[2oolhound]

I have a T-slot table which I prefer as you can really lock stuff down precisely on it. 75% of the time though my DP vise is clamped loosely with one T-bolt with wing nut on top. It is just loose enough to slide around and position stuff. This makes for quick drilling. An added benefit I like about this is if you have a pilot hole the finish sized bit will self centre in the pilot hole with this degree of movement. Drills even self centre in the punch mark. I find when you're drilling you get enough support from the one hold down that it's easy to hold the work from taking off. The loose bolt does all the work as the force is rarely along the T-slot and usually pulling toward the sides of the T-slot. The other 25% of the time I lock stuff down properly with the T-slot nut holder system or wedge it against the column. I can also quickly turn the wing nut to snug up the one fastener on the vise.

The trough around the perimeter is for catching coolant and there should be a drain hole somewhere to reclaim it.

I have a wood top that slides snuggly over the T-slot table giving me a large flat surface if I want it or I can pop off the T-slot table and pop on a cross slide vise which I use about 3 -5% of times.

 

[Toolmaker51]

There are various drill press tables. The square variety accommodate a little, with a X slot and through hole, some tilt for angle drilling. Cannot recall one ever put to use. Horizontal or swung vertical is sufficient; too few are able to layout and produce an angular or compound work.
Machines with slotted tables are often 'lay out' drills, that have X-Y positioning; nearly mill size they are not prevalent. A flat table without holes or slots are production equipment. Operator moves along bank of 2-6 heads conducting different operations; they are usually in a jig, positioned manually while tools are guided by bushings, often a 'First Operation' task.
They are great for second op too, reaming, counter bores, spotfacing, countersinking, tapping. The part commonly mounted now in a fixture, securely holding the part, tools guided by hand to previous hole.
Sometimes a rail 'steers' a jig or fixture, when the work is in a straight or narrow line to minimize random movement. There certainly have been tooling incorporating both jig & fixture, depending on part involved. Some are 'box' or 'tumble' jigs to set hole positions, then a lid removed to run 2nd operations.

80 years ago, such relatively simple methods turned housewives into at least semi-skilled workers practically overnight, supplying Allies world-wide. Was it effective? Are we not still speaking English?

Do not discount gang drills. They still command a good price at auction and used market. In the right hands, correctly tooled, applied to the right job, turn out a lot of parts quickly, within a compact footprint. There are CNC's with fast toolchangers, but lag behind a dedicated person moving to a spindle just inches to the right.

(edit in) There are production tables that owners have mounted sub-plates, usually a matrix of drilled and tapped locations, sometimes including dowels for even faster set-ups.

(edit in) Below, "dutchgray" mentions Arboga; there are several Northern European drill presses with serious capabilities, though my favorite 'big compact' used to be the Johansen, but has very insubstantial ways to support the large table, then Wells-Index #125 radial (looks like a Bridgeport and fixed table) I decided consumed excess footprint; both replaced by Veet Radial, made in Detroit no less.

The design is great, speed and feed ranges are appropriate, well powered, #4 Morse taper, built-in knock out, power column and perfect operator ergonomics. For scale, I've included vise that on the table, bought at auction in the east. That is not boot of a danseur, but my 11-1/2, so the body alone exceeds 24" in length, and about 38" long. Now to be my 2nd op machine awhile, located between two vertical mills #40 & R8. Not visible, but there is flood coolant, and a vertical position on back side of the table. I'm sure, first tool to build is going to be a big Vee block for center drilling round and square stock

 

[dutchgray]

If I could find one, an Arboga will the swivelling table which has the 90 deg edge clamping surface so that you can rest a large work piece on the base but secure it to the edge of the table, those are nice machines.

If I had the space, a large radial arm drill on a T base, so you can have one as just the base, one with a box table and one with an adjustable angle table on at all times.

The flat hole/ T slot less production tables you see, the intention is that the user can drill and tap bolt down holes in them as necessary for the work being done. It would not have been uncommon for a drill to be set up for one operation and it to be run on that until it was worn out.