[How-To] PowerMatic 18" Drill Press

[brino]

I'm working alone, so safely lifting the more than 250# assembly is at the forefront of my mind

That's a smart move!

Beware that thing will be extremely top heavy when you get the head on.......combine that with the wide table and small wheel footprint it will be a tip hazard!

If you push it too far and the wheels hit the edge of that rug it just might go over.

Be safe!

-brino

 

[M0nkeywithaH@mm3r]

I’ve found that not all T-nuts are created equal. I expect something like a Teco would be pretty foolproof but I picked up some generic ones from our local tool supply a while back and half of the ones I came home with wouldn’t fit the slots. Not much oversize, but enough to be a real annoyance. I dusted the edges on the belt grinder and got them to work but it was a pain. The ones I get from a more industrial supplier work fine right out of the gate.

-frank

I fear that is very likely my problem, as I got mine from Amazon...

 

[benmychree]

Very seldom are things clamped down on a relatively light drill press. The one above with what I presume to be power feed would be an exception.

 

[M0nkeywithaH@mm3r]

That's a smart move!

Beware that thing will be extremely top heavy when you get the head on.......combine that with the wide table and small wheel footprint it will be a tip hazard!

If you push it too far and the wheels hit the edge of that rug it just might go over.

Be safe!

-brino

Yes to all of that. The rug you see is one of two anti stress mats that move as the work moves. The casters I used are a dual brake swivel design I found. The foot pedal locks the wheel as well as the swivel. If one of them is locked, I can rotate the whole assembly. If two of them are locked, it's nearly immobile.

I needed it to be mobile for one of the current projects in the backlog. I'll be cutting a slot in 1/2" PVC, and then drilling 'drop holes' for Christmas Icicle strings. Then the lengths of assembled PVC get clipped in place with spring clip broom holders screwed into the soffits. It's an idea I found a couple years back on Instructables, I think.

 

[Aukai]

Take one, and soften/radius the edges, then see if it helps. If this is the only machine that uses those T nuts, then adjust to fit.