# Drill press tables - how often do you remove yours?



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Building one and trying to decide if I should put extra effort into making it easily removable with clamps or just semi-permanently attaching it with screws or lags.

I'm pretty sure I know what I want (fence, replaceable inserts, no t-track) but any feedback on what features you use the most or least (or wish you had) is helpful.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

What you want is a table that is easy to attach different jigs to, this way you don't have to remove the table, but you can use it for multiple functions.


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## Ripthorn (Mar 24, 2010)

I never take mine off, unless doing a lot of metal drilling. Other than that, it stays right where it is.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

never took mine off.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I've never removed mine…


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I occasionally take the fence off, but I never take the entire table off.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Well that sounds pretty unanimous. I don't really want to mess with t-track but I will probably want to make some different clamps for it.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I can't recall ever having taken mine off, it's been years and years.


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

Only time i take mine off is when i do metal drilling. Since i made mine from some scrap mdf i don't want the metal shavings getting embedded in the table scratching my wood projects. One other time was when i needed a little extra depth to fit my piece under the bit. I only have a little bench top DP though so might not be an issue for you.
I used 2 bolts and nuts to secure mine so it's no big deal to remove or replace.


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## Chris208 (Mar 8, 2012)

I just built one about a month ago. I havent had reason to take it off yet, but I built mine with toggle clamps underneath that hold the new table to the old table. It works great, and if I do need to take it off,it's instant. I used the toggle clamps from HF, and they are working great. Very pleased with them.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

Same here, Rick, I put it on and never have removed it. No reason to.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Never have removed mine either. Once in a while it falls off but never purposely. I shoul get around to making it more permanent.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Never have removed mine either.


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## BalloonGuy (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm with Chris208 - built mine with t-track and toggles as well, and although I haven't taken it off since building it, it's no problem to do so.


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## Nicky (Mar 13, 2007)

Mine has 4 bolts holding the table in place. I needed to remove the table a few months back to drill a table leg. Easy enough to remove an put back.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

I've never had mine off. I made mine with a drawer which is my favorite feature. I'd like to improve the fence with some type of dust collection, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.


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## Bobmedic (Sep 24, 2010)

Here is mine. I drilled and tapped the table and bolted it on. I almost never remove it. However I have 2 drill presses one for metal and one for wood.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Rick, Before you build one, look at the one HF sells. It has fence.t-tracks,stop,replacable insert,etc. It was cheaper than I could build one. I've had mine for years with no trouble. It comes with knobs to attach/remove it easily. The only mod I made to mine was to route a roundover all the way around.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Normally I don't use an auxiliary table on my DP, but when I have a project that requires various setups such as equal spaced holes or alignment in several pieces, that's when an auxiliary table meets the cast iron. The top also serves as a backup for through holes. I use it as a sacrificial top.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I am all for building tables and jigs. I built my router table, however I could not pass this up for 35$

http://www.harborfreight.com/drill-press-extension-table-with-fence-96395.html

T tracks on top with inch scales, removable insert (I made about 50 of these for different things) a nice fence with a t track in it and included stop block, connects to the DP with toggles.

Edit -gfadvm beat me to it. I also couldn't build one for that price, even if I had the materials (MDF/Plywood) on hand. That's about the price of the t-tracks and one toggle. It's also a solid inch thick.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

I used my morticing attachment fence, and attached my table to it. It sets in the tool slots on the factory table, and the wood table connects to it with threaded machine inserts. It goes on and of fast, and adjusts fast. That covers the reason I take it off the most, (to do morticing with the box chisel attachment) Then that fence comes off when needed. It is about to be rebuilt, and I will be adding t track to the top rail and bed. I also bought a second DP for steel work. It just sucks to clean well enough to go back to stain grade work, after working metal (a workable CL ryobi)


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I briefly considered just making a new table that would fit in the factory table clamp rather than sit on the original iron table… just turn out a round post that would slip in there. It would be neat but I couldn't think of any real advantage.


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## rossboyle52 (Dec 31, 2012)

My top is removable. I made my own toggle clamps from 3/4" plywood and screwed them to the underside of the top. If (although I never have) I need to remove the top I loosen the screws and swing the toggles parallel. 
I too thought that t track was too involved. Also the added expense for something rarely used.


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## TheBoxWhisperer (Sep 24, 2012)

Mine is held on with lag bolts and wing nuts, Ive never taken it off. As for features, I know you dont want t track, but it works really well. Youll want a way to attach hold downs, stop blocks and jigs to both the table and the fence. Mine actually uses 2 fences, one of which doubles as a holder for dust collection.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Ditto never


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## RogerM (Oct 31, 2011)

Never remove mine.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

NEVER
I also have and use the HF one for many years with great satisfaction


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I use mine occasionally and it comes off with 2 1/4-20 screws. I tapped the cast table to locate it in 2 positions.

.............Jim


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## needshave (Jan 13, 2013)

I built mine in '08, and has not been off since. But looking at the HF drill table, I'm not sure I could build it for that price. That may be hard to pass up.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

I've been watching this thread to see what others do. I'm torn between using one or not.

I do probably 50 - 50 between metal and wood drilling and when I drill metal I use a LOT of cutting oil. That in itself will probably ruin the wood after a while.

And then there's that old quandry of where to store it when it's not on the DP, since there's NO wall space anywhere near my DP and the floor around it is usually cluttered with wood scraps.


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## Smertie (Feb 28, 2013)

My table has a crimp clamp around the main post so I can swing the table out of the way when I want to. The only time I have done that is when what I'm drilling is too thick (high) or the drill bit too long and it all doesn't fit under the chuck.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

joein10asee, you could have shallow tray to contain the cutting oil


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Thanks Bert. That is an idea to ponder on.


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