I currently have a "bench-top" drill press that sits on a sheet metal stand
that I have on a HF mobile base. I have a drawer unit that I will use to
replace the sheet metal stand that will give me storage for bits, etc. and I
will be doing the switch-over soon.



In remounting the press, I am considering rotating the head on the column so
that the chuck is no longer centered over the base but is rotated 180
degrees. I would therefore mount the base pointing away from the user.
Naturally, I would keep the table centered under the chuck except when I
wanted to drill holes in long pieces. I would swing the table away and make
a jig to hold the longer pieces. My most immediate use would be to drill
dowel holes in the ends of rails.



Now, every picture I have ever seen of a bench top press shows it mounted so
the chuck is centered over the base. The only difference I can think of is
that, when mounted in the conventional way, mounting bolts in the base would
be stressed (if at all) in compression and, with my new approach, the would
be stressed in tension. I think the stress and deflection of the column
would be the same (of course direction reversed), so that wouldn't be a
problem.



Can anyone see a problem with mounting the press with the head rotated? Are
there examples that you could point me to that show what I am proposing?







Thanks,



Bill Leonhardt

"Bill Leonhardt" wrote in message ...
| I currently have a "bench-top" drill press that sits on a sheet metal stand
| that I have on a HF mobile base. I have a drawer unit that I will use to
| replace the sheet metal stand that will give me storage for bits, etc. and I
| will be doing the switch-over soon.
|
|
|
| In remounting the press, I am considering rotating the head on the column so
| that the chuck is no longer centered over the base but is rotated 180
| degrees. I would therefore mount the base pointing away from the user.
| Naturally, I would keep the table centered under the chuck except when I
| wanted to drill holes in long pieces. I would swing the table away and make
| a jig to hold the longer pieces. My most immediate use would be to drill
| dowel holes in the ends of rails.
|
|
|
| Now, every picture I have ever seen of a bench top press shows it mounted so
| the chuck is centered over the base. The only difference I can think of is
| that, when mounted in the conventional way, mounting bolts in the base would
| be stressed (if at all) in compression and, with my new approach, the would
| be stressed in tension. I think the stress and deflection of the column
| would be the same (of course direction reversed), so that wouldn't be a
| problem.
|
|
|
| Can anyone see a problem with mounting the press with the head rotated? Are
| there examples that you could point me to that show what I am proposing?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thanks,
|
|
|
| Bill Leonhardt
|
|

That is about what I have done. I did the 180 off my bench until I got a floor press.

Now I have a platform on my press that lets me perfectly center normal boring and I can shift the head 90 degrees left and drill perfectly centered end holes. Really easy and repeatable.

With the bench approach I had to counterweight the stand so it would not tip over and I had to clamp the wood to my bench. My main problem was getting the holes precisely where I wanted them.

--
PDQ

--

I had an old 40's vintage Delta that I had mounted that way for years and
never had a problem with it, but now that I've got a bigger shop and a floor
mounted drill press that old bench mounted one is history. It wasn't as
versital a floor mounted drill press, but it did let me do a few things with
long stock that I couldn't have done otherwise. I used to rotate the table
to 90 degrees and attach a long wood fixture that I made to the table so
that I could bore the long center hole in lamp posts (from both ends). With
several drill lengths and working in stages from both ends I was able to
drill the hole in stock up to about 26" in length.

--
Charley


"Bill Leonhardt" wrote in message
...
I currently have a "bench-top" drill press that sits on a sheet metal
stand
that I have on a HF mobile base. I have a drawer unit that I will use to
replace the sheet metal stand that will give me storage for bits, etc. and
I
will be doing the switch-over soon.



In remounting the press, I am considering rotating the head on the column
so
that the chuck is no longer centered over the base but is rotated 180
degrees. I would therefore mount the base pointing away from the user.
Naturally, I would keep the table centered under the chuck except when I
wanted to drill holes in long pieces. I would swing the table away and
make
a jig to hold the longer pieces. My most immediate use would be to drill
dowel holes in the ends of rails.



Now, every picture I have ever seen of a bench top press shows it mounted
so
the chuck is centered over the base. The only difference I can think of
is
that, when mounted in the conventional way, mounting bolts in the base
would
be stressed (if at all) in compression and, with my new approach, the
would
be stressed in tension. I think the stress and deflection of the column
would be the same (of course direction reversed), so that wouldn't be a
problem.



Can anyone see a problem with mounting the press with the head rotated?
Are
there examples that you could point me to that show what I am proposing?







Thanks,



Bill Leonhardt

Bill Leonhardt wrote:

In remounting the press, I am considering rotating the head on the column so
that the chuck is no longer centered over the base but is rotated 180
degrees.

The only thing to worry about would be ensuring that the center of
gravity is such that it doesn't tip over.

Chris