On Jan 4, 1:14*pm, Todd Rich wrote:
John Martin wrote:

(snip)

Drill press sounds pretty light duty for that size hole, but if it's
all you have you may be able to make it work.
Even half the weight of the plate may be too much for the table,
though. *Why not put the drill press on top of the plate? *Clamp it
there and swing the head into position. *Or, maybe there is a hole in
the base you can drill through.

I'm not understanding this question. *The head of the drill press is on
top of a fixed shaft. *It can't be lowered. *The table is adjustable to
bring the work close enough for the 3" travel of the spindle to work. *Yes
the head can be swung around, but isn't rigidity lost that way? *And what
should I clamp the plate to?

John Martin

This is what I have:http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38142

The pictures is fairly accurate.

I modified an even crappier Duracraft drill press to drill holes in
heavy steel by chiseling out the lip that rests on the top of the
column so the head can slide down near the base.
The head needed more & larger clamping screws but it's rigid enough to
drill at least 1/2" holes in WF beams, in 1/8" steps.

I bought a cheap 1/2" shank drill set, Grip #35295, because they are
only 3" long and I was making tall parts on a short milling machine.
They actually hold up fairly well in mild steel.

Jim Wilkins