EASY Drill Press Mod I Should Have Done Years Ago
This one's a game changer!
***Learn Welding and Fabrication in my $39 Online Courses***
courses.timwelds.com
***Things to do this mod yourself***
Stronghand Locking Plier Clamp: amzn.to/3CqE5M3 (There are a few sizes. I used the 3-3/8" version)
Stronghand Bar Clamp: amzn.to/3BX7jAB
5/8" Drill Bit: amzn.to/3y4F41y
Tap Magic: amzn.to/3UM72ZX
Deburr Tool: amzn.to/3fm6qd5
Center Punch: amzn.to/3UPccUW
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5% off Evolution power tools at store.evolutionpowertools.com
*This description contains affiliate links which provide a small commission to support the making of these videos at no additional cost to you.
Short, precise, and NO unwanted yapping video. Two thumbs up. Oh, I forgot to mention NO ANNOYING background music. Great work. Many thanks. I use a magnet ring to catch metal shavings.
"...magnet ring to catch metal shavings..." You ever hear one of those ideas that are so brilliant and simple you feel like an idiot for not thinking of it before? Yep, this. In my defense however, I RARELY find myself working with iron & steel - mostly plastics and Al. But next time, I'm grabbing one of the salvaged speaker 'donut' magnets from the back of the shop door!!! (Which will probably be when I do Tim's mod!) Thanks to all who share ideas!!!
Magnetic rings are certainly a good idea, failing that just a cheap ferrite rectangle with one end near the hole. It's easier to clear the chips off. Also, it's not necessary or even helpful to use cutting fluid when drilling or machining cast iron. The graphite content provides ample lubrication, and the chips are self breaking which greatly limits heat buildup. The chips are easier to collect with a magnet in the absence of fluid, particularly sticky fluid.
@Gottenhimfella
Hey Tim - excellent work. (Mechanical engineer from Australia here.) The chips you noticed are also emblematic of the material being ductile iron, as opposed to the (cheaper and more brittle) gray iron. Ductile iron also raises a burr around the centre punch mark, whereas gray iron does not. (Both good methods of determining which kind of iron you're machining, if the material type is unknown.)
I came down here to make a similar comment. In addition cutting fluids are not required for either material.
Machinist from Australia here, that is without a doubt grey cast iron, you obviously have not machined grey cast iron or even centre punched it. While not as ductile as some materials grey cast iron is still ductile enough to raise a burr around a centre punch and make short swarf.
@@mrsock3380mechanical engineer here. Never trust an engineer who leads with their qualifications lol. But as a mechanical engineer who has actually machined stuff that sure looked like gray iron to me…too bad I can’t be trusted now.
@@TKC_ I think youtube has a collection of hobby machinists that didn't think it through, like a friend of mine that asked me to look at this, he spent a lot of money setting up a little workshop but didn't have anything to make, sees stuff like this and thinks it's a good idea. I put him onto model steam engine building from kits and now I get calls asking how to achieve results in machining and fix his mistakes, rather than stupid things to make.
@@mrsock3380 oh don’t mind me I’m just salty from years of reminding engineers that work with me to listen and don’t always try to stand out as the smartest person in there room. Usually this happens as a tradesperson with way more experience tries keeping them from making a major mistake while being ignored.
I've seen people mention it, but just the way your come off is so pleasant, and just seem like a really genuine nice person. Thank you for all the videos, they give me motivation to learn new things
The basic safety step you took by rotating the part against the column before drilling would be worth highlighting to beginners.
where is this in the video?
4.13 when he uses the clamp to drill the plate at the end of the video.
Another option is to use two of these clamps. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.
It took me a broken finger to learn this.
Thank you for a great idea! As I watched you hold the vise with one hand and advance the drill with the other I thought to myself. This man is doing what I have done a million times. I am going to drill out my press table like this and add a clamp to the vise itself. Totally would have not thought of this had it not been for your video! Many thanks Brother!
I’ve been fighting my drill press for years. I will definitely be trying this on mine. Thank you.
I really appreciate that you provide a source for all your tools and accessories, no matter how briefly they appear in the show. Thanks!
That’s such a neat idea, I’m so going to be modifying my drill press at the weekend, thanks Tim
Nicely done! Thanks for sharing!
Your idea is great 👍 Small tip: Your drill press will feel a lot sturdier when you weigh it down to the ground. Don't be shy to put a 60lb or maybe even a 100lb concrete block into the machine stand. For mechanical machines, weight is good.
Great idea. I have the exact same Shop Fox drill press I purchased through Grizzly over 10 years ago and this will work wonders. I've been using C-clamps to hold my pieces and def need to pick up some of those vice grip clamps. Additionally having a better set of HSS drill bits makes a world of difference. Thanks.
@@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Thanks for the tip. I will.
Good solution for that drill bed. I have a larger square drill bed with T slots and have a piece of angle steel bolted down that I turn my vice to rest up against. So the angle is preventing the spin. It’s quick to adjust and can be used as a datum for drilling holes at a set distance into a length of steel.
Cool; I have some of these 5/8 inch clamps already for welding and will look forward to using them on my drill press!
I wish all videos of this type. Straight to the point and very helpful.
Upon watching this vid, I went right out to my shop and did the same to my drill press. Don't know why I never thought of this before. Thanks.
A very useful mod. I see this happening in my workshop very soon. I too got very frustrated with having to constantly change belts on the drill press and so I did the treadmill motor swap. This is working very well for me. I liked it so much I also did the same mod on my lathe and my drill press. An added bonus - I picked up all three treadmills for free.
There should be a feature on drill presses that allows you to loosen those pulleys so that you can easily swap the belts around as needed, especially when you need to switch the belts over under to get the other set of speeds
If you do go the inverter route for speed control is worth spending a little time seeing it up properly; you need to look into the torque boost option for the lower speeds and I also set up two, switched, pre-set speeds (same speed but one forward and one reverse) that I use for starting taps. I also use the DC injection option to give a proper emergency stop. If you work the drill hard at low speeds, as I do, then it's also worth fitting an auxilary fan to the motor as the motor's own fan is designed to cool the motor at synchronous speed and will not stuff enough air through the motor at lower speeds.
Excellent idea, thanks! I've so many times been unable to clamp where I want to due to those ribs underneath.
Yes, I have found that clamping or holding is the biggest problem in metal or wood work. How well the target is held can make a big difference in smoothness of cut, drill, whatever process you're doing on it.
That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Great idea Tim!!! Going to do this on the old drill press I'm reconditioning.
Such a basic, yet highly effective mod. Thanks for sharing.
I have very large gearhead pedestal drills. I recently rescued a drill stand identical to yours. Once I had sorted out the switch, the seized chuck etc it hums along. I use it almost daily. Thanks for an excellent idea. I will certainly copy that as holding fiddly pieces on a drill stand of this size can see you with damaged fingers.
Wow what a great idea it's so simple I can't believe it took me this long to realize, I have already installed 3ph motor with inverter on my drill press and set hz to 45 to 80cps which has almost eliminated the need to change speed with belt/pulley changeovers, and I got reverse as a new added feature. I like your videos. Ray Stormont
Great idea!!! I'm literally about to fab up a small table top to mount my drill press using 1/2" plate steel. I have a mag-drill and plan to use annular bits for my holes. And thanks to YOUR video you have given me another idea on how to make it more useful. Thank you sir!
This press has worked like a charm for my projects kzhead.infoUgkxajoEbapTfqWaadnqb04h6U576yxXp-FE . I didn't even secure it to my table top, mainly due to the fact that I was using a 15 lbs drill vise. It's not flimsy at all as to what others have claimed it to be. Make sure the locking nuts and levers are secured and there won't be any issues with light pressure and patience. I was able to drill through aluminum, plastic, and steel (steel took a while) with no problems at all. Yeah it took a little longer than a regular drill press, but I don't have the space OR the money for one.The instruction manual was worthless, but luckily assembling the press was intuitive. However, the manual would be good for ordering replacement parts if needed. There is a nice breakdown of the parts that are included in the kit. Before ordering, make sure it is compatible with your unit, it is clearly stated what models the press is compatible with.This was an excellent purchase for $40!!
Great idea. I use the same vise, bolted down, and have to spin it to center. This is way more better!
Excellent idea! Thank you for posting it.
Great idea, I’ll be doing this to my drill press this week
Brilliant! I've been trying to solve that problem ever since I bought my drill press. It was certainly one of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments when I saw your vid. Thanks!
Honestly one of the best suggested mods I've seen! When I start back in the shop I'll be doing this ASAP! Thanks for sharing!!! I have a tiny shop in barely the "half" of a 1&1/2 car garage; but I AM sporting a full-sized standing drill press. It certainly makes a presence there, but I had NO drill press; and it was free from an old employer clearing out. It's an old beast and still works a treat! For anyone still interested - the two major mods so far have been: 1) Installing casters [locking fronts on a ~26" crossbar for stability]; because in a small shop having as much as you can mobile helps you to make the room you need for a project as you need it. 2) A "POWERED" warning light on the top so I will always know if it's plugged in regardless of where it's in the shop. It's an ornate hollow black skull cast in resin about the size of a golf ball with a diamond pattern carved in to the cranium. I cleared & widened the openings I could and inserted a red C7 bulb fixture tied directly to it's power input before the switches. 2a) Also added a small OSH!T sticker above the control switches that warns "Not to be operated by F@#$wits".
Brilliant idea! Gonna have to add this to my drill press table!
Shop is looking nice! I would like to hear about your mill and how it works for your needs, pro’s and con’s. Drill press mod should speed up things quite a bit.
Thanks a ton! I'm planning on some machining content including a look at some of the tools over the next few months.
Its a great Idea. I'll be doing this to mine. What is also amazing is you managed to stretch this out to almost 5 minutes.
Great information I’ll be doing this to my own drill press thank you for posting 👍
What a great simple Idea! Thanks for the friendly and informative video.
solid video, great practical use of a table clamp for a drill press.
Brilliant idea. Gonna do that to my drill press too. Thanks for sharing sir.👍😊
Thanks for watching! Links for the items used in the video are below. ****Learn Welding and Fabrication in my $39 Online Courses**** courses.timwelds.com ****Things to do this mod yourself**** Stronghand Locking Plier Clamp: amzn.to/3CqE5M3 (There are a few sizes available. I used 3-3/8" throat depth.) Stronghand Bar Clamp: amzn.to/3BX7jAB 5/8" Drill Bit: amzn.to/3y4F41y Tap Magic: amzn.to/3UM72ZX Deburr Tool: amzn.to/3fm6qd5 Center Punch: amzn.to/3UPccUW ****Discount code 'TIMWELDS' saves friends of the channel**** 15% Laser cutting at sendcutsend.com (discount code: TMWLDS15) 5% off HTP machines and quality accessories at usaweld.com?ref=timwelds 10% off welding coupons, kits and supplies at weldmetalsonline.com 5% off Evolution power tools at store.evolutionpowertools.com *Contains affiliate links which provide a small commission to support the making of these videos at no additional cost to you.
Great job, I’m make two changes now on my press, this one and adding a keyless chuck. Thanks for the advice 😊
By far the best mod I've made to my small floor standing press is an adjustable jack stand supporting the table. It is made from 18" of 2" sq steel perforated tube, 18" of 1.875" round steel pipe machined to fit inside the 2' tube, and 18" of 7/8" threaded rod topped with a 2" ball from a trailer hitch. It has 24" range of adjustability and is bolted to the T slots in the base plate. With the jack stand I can easily square the table to the column. The table can now support a huge amount of weight and will not deflect downward no matter how much down force I use. I drill mostly steel and aluminum.
I have the exact drill press and going to do this same mod, thx for sharing! Would also love to see your future video on installing a variable speed controller as I too hate changing the belts and would PAY to have my unit upgraded for easy speed changeablility. Appreciate your advice. Thanks again
I second that; I had been informed that using a speed control on an induction motor wasn't feasible, so if you have found one that works with the typical 1hp motors on drill presses, please let us know!
Hey Tim nice idea, just a tip the first drill ie pilot drill, it should only be no bigger than the point landing of your second drill, that will allow it to drill with out vibrating.
That, or use an “NC spotting drill,” followed by step-drilling, when you need an especially good hole - like, for example, where you are going to put a riv-nut insert.
Ditto on the size of pilot holes, just fat enough to clear the center of the full size drill you'll be using
Binford Brand drill press in the thumbnail! Awesome call back to Home Improvement! Great video!
Nice one. My best drill press mod was putting a 0.1mm stainless steel shim in the quill. It basically removed all the play from the cheap thing, and now it's spot on.
Thanks for the tip about chip curling, hadn't heard that before.
Holy smokes, I'll be doing this to my drill press this weekend. Thanks!
We did this mod to both of our presses last night. Thanks!
Love it !! Definitely going to do this. It can be quite dicey when you're drilling with a large drill or holesaw and it grabs and rips things out of your hand !!
Nice simple idea Tim 👍👍.
I use that type of clamp in my drill press, except mine had a threaded stud. It simply bolts through the existing slots. I use it to hold both discrete pieces, but also to hold my drilling vice in place.
Yes, and they’re made in two sizes.
I have the same thing. No need to drill holes and more versatile as it can be moved along the slot instead of being anchored in one place. I also use my milling machine clamping fixtures as the t nuts fit in the slots.
Simple and really cool, thanks for sharing!
Excellent idea and presentation. Good job.
Great video. I have a vice just like yours. I bolt it to the work base and have never had to unbolt it. I just swivel or twist the base to line up my drill.
Good fix for an old problem when using a drill press. BTW nice extension on the end of your vise grips. Very helpful!!
Excellent stuff. Makes me wonder why clamping holes are not included in all drill press platforms. Thanks for the great idea.
same here
Great mod for the drill press. I'm looking at doing that now as well.
Love it! I’m going to implement this on my press.
Thanks for making this video! Great video btw! Professional! This gave me ideas for other things for my drillpress.
A brilliant idea thanks I love it
Great idea, thanks Tim!
Great idea, I'm going to copy. Thanks
Wow a simple, but effective modication 👍
I love those vise grip style clamps!! Use them on my welding bench too!
simple great idea, I'm going to do that this weekend
Thanks! I’m going to do that to mine! Great job!
I have an old big bolt that is bolted to one of the work plate holes that I lean parts on to stop them from turning.
Excited to see your belt grinder build. I built a revolution with an auction Baldor 3 phase about 6 months ago. Great tool to have for all sorts of metalworking
Very cool! I helped a friend build a revolution, they're super nice!
What is a "revolution"?
@@g.tucker8682 a 2x72 belt grinder. Only thing that sets it apart is it’s ability to flip sideways. I haven’t used this feature at all however it’s helpful to have.
Great tip! I may use it on my own drill press should the need arise.
Excellent mod, I'm going to do this as well!
Great idea, Tim!!! Clever, and so useful.
Tim, I have watched many of your videos about welding and they are great! The drill press table modification is certainly a time saver and added safety feature. I want to mention that when drilling and machining cast iron coolant is not necessary and makes clean up a lot easier too.
Very cool! I learn something new every day. Thanks!
Definitely doing this, great idea
Your video was excellent. You are a credit to the DIY race. Those multiple holes mean that you can use more than one clamp.
just rewatched, and thought, wow, I need to do this....thanks so much Tim, Paul in Florida
Great idea Tim!
Thanks!
A simple and very useful mod. One that I'll try myself, thank you.
Very slick!! Thanks for sharing! 👍🏻
Now this is a keeper!
Never seen these clamps before, great idea.
That's awesome. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, you gave me some ideas.
Certainly useful my drill press doesn't have the big round table but could see where it can be useful, instead of the vice, thank you for the video, all the best to you and your loved ones
Good idea ! Just inherited one of those clamps ! 👍👍👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
great ingenuity. I love the marker in the chuck.
That was a really good tip thank you .
Nice and simple. Awesome 👍🏼
Great idea Tim. good video
Thanks for the video!
Great Job, what a great idea. THANK YOU.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good idea, obvious when you see it but I never thought of it so kudos to you.
Thanks, Tim, I like your work!
Simple is always best. Nice one 👍
Very nice simple fix, good job!
Thanks! 👍
Can wait for the grinder build!👍
Excellent love the pen, chuck and drill, rake angle
Great idea! Keep up the good work!
Friggin’ brilliant. Next project for me
Luv all your videos, keep up the good work
Cool Shop! thanks Tim!