On Dec 12, 11:16*am, BrianSiano wrote:
There's a project I have in mind that requires some precise and
regular drilling, so it may be time to buy a drill press. I'd prefer
to get a small benchtop model, but I have a problem.

The project requires drilling pilot holes into the ends of boards that
are roughly 30" long. You can see that this can be a problem even with
a floor drill press.

Is there a way to get around this problem? Perhaps a benchtop drill
press whose top can swivel away from the base?

I have a floor-model drill press (Delta 14"). I can swivel the table
so that it is vertical. Clamp a piece of wood to the table to serve
as a fence & clamp you boards to the fence.

May years ago, I made a horizontal boring machine as I had to make a
lot of dowel holes in the end of balusters for a railing. I don't
remember all the details, but I used plumbing metal strapping to
attach a hand-held drill to a piece of plywood. On another piece of
ply, I screwed in 4 lengths of threaded road to adjust the height and
somehow attached it to the other ply with the drill. A piece of wood
was used as a fence to guide the exact position of the dowel.

HTH

Luigi