Attaching a bench top drill press to a rolling tool cabinet.

[dbhost]

For those that want to see how I did it, like I said, super cheap Husky rolling tool cabinet, maple topper.The cabinet was technically a scratch and dent, no clue where any scratches or dents are other than the top that is covered by the topper so no harm no foul... And the topper probably cost me more than the cabinet...

Anyway, yep, just poked holes in it, put the washers on, bolt through, washer on the top side, nut, tighten... Lather, rinse, repeat 4x and call it done.

I literally have all of my drilling stuff excluding my cabinet jigs that live with the router cabinet jigs in there. I am dangerously close to having no more space, but I also have the blow molded cases for 2 3/8 corded drills in there. I bet it I got rid of the cases, I could free up an entire drawer...

[LCHIEN]

I would think that would be sufficient.

[dbhost]

LCHIEN You are correct sort of. I attached the drill press to the maple topper AND the top layer of the sheet metal of the cabinet. So bottom to top assembly. 3/8" x 3" coarse thread bolt, 1.5" fender washer, sheet metal of the tool cabinet hole drilled, maple topper hole drilled, foot of drill press, 1.5" fender washer, and 3/8" nut. All run together / cinched tight. The concept is the fender washers distribute the load more evenly through the sheet metal top, which is in turn reinforced by the maple topper.

It is possible I am not seeing everything that needs to be, but I honestly don't see any potential issues with this setup. I have braced against bracing , spread the load a good long ways.

If it was just fender washers against the sheet metal with no maple topper then I would have a good reason for concern as even with the 1.5" fender washers, that still concentrates the forces in a relatively small area.

[LCHIEN]

Maybe the tool cabinet had the maple cabinet topper he mentioned and he screwed the drill press to the maple top and not to thin sheet metal?

[dbhost]

capncarl not even sure what I would use to reinforce the under side here. I figured, perhaps incorrectly, that the fender washers on the bottom, the top side has the maple bench top, and then the drill press foot, more fender washers and nuts. Pulled together as a nice tight sandwich. I figured the draw of everything together would brace it all up sufficiently. Time will tell, but given the direction the forces I am aware of would be pushing and pulling, I think the only risk would be at the very edges where the tool cabinet top is rolled and crimped.

[capncarl]

You didn’t even reinforce the bottom side of the 20 gauge sheet metal top? Just used fender washers?

[dbhost]

Okay this is an old thread but I just wanted to update everyone. I found a bargain basement price on a shorty Husky 4 drawer tool cabinet that put the drill press at the correct height, and a Husky maple tool cabinet topper. I just centered the drill press on it, drilled the holes and bolted it up using 1.5" fender washers to spread the load... Solid as a rock. Once the shop gets a bunch cleaner I will post up pics of my changes, but this allows me ot stash my drills, drill bits, forstner bits drilling jigs etc... all in one cabinet, kind of. My cabinet pin jig, and drawer slide alignment jig are both technically drilling jigs, but they are also cabinet specific jigs and as such, well most of my cabinet jigs are router jigs, and so they live in the router jig cabinet drawer...

[dbhost]

I think I am going to go with Jim Frye's idea, except it looks like he paired the 2x4s on end, I will lay them down, and probably plane them to 1" and make my own butcher block of sorts... Easy and cheap enough. Probably Liquid Nails the thing down and use lag bolts to hold the drill press ijn place.

[dbhost]

27" wide by 18" deep with a 1/2" deep lip on 3 sides. I carried over my shop made rebuild of the Grizzly drill press table you sold me years ago that did NOT like how humid the Galveston bay area is (Not now or ever blaming you for that discovery, I just had no clue MDF would react that badly that quickly to my shop environment, learning experience for me. Unlike many folks here I will NOT use MDF for just that reason...).

[dbhost]

It's a typical mechanics bottom box, there is a lip that is on 3 sides and about 3/4" on each front corner to capture the top box, probably 1/2" deep.

Something I am considering, Liquid Nails for projects to simply stick it down.

I am simply trying to prevent rocking. If I could avoid drilling the metal that would be better...

[LCHIEN]

How to remove Craftsman tool box drawers

https://youtu.be/fuDBfkdqjoY

[mpc]

What does the top of your tool cabinet look like - is it dead flat or are there vertical lips around three sides? My tool cabinet has raised lips... so instead of trying to attach through the top (and having to remove drawers to install the lock washers and nuts) could you instead simply drill holes through the lips and screw into the sides/edges of whatever wood platform you use? Then short lag screws would be enough to hold the DP to the wood platform.

What else might fit on that cart? Grinder for tool sharpening? Or a tray/tub for water/oil stones, diamond sharpening plates, etc.? Battery chargers?

As I recall, on my Sears Craftsman tool cabinet the drawers have arc-shaped cutouts in the sides that create half-round tabs facing downwards. Those tabs stick into the drawer slide mechanisms. Just a little lifting and prying was all it took to pop a couple drawers out years ago, leaving the slides in the cabinet body.

mpc

[LCHIEN]

Dave, here's my take. I'm basically a lazy guy.

Your tool chest is 27" wide. Probably has a lip on the sides. with 27" clearance.
The top is probably thin sheet metal, too thin to attach the DP to directly because its so flexible and just supported at the edges.

I would simply cut 2 ea 2x4 x 27" long and set them on top of the chest. Place the DP on top of them with the pedestal spanning both front to back.
Adjust the spacing between them so you can put lag screws though the holes in the pedestal into the 2x4s close to the inside edges. making the 2x4 separation as large as possible to have the most forward and back stability. 3/8" lag screws with large washers should be fine even in oversized slots in the pedestal.

You can if you want fasten the 2x4 to the cart, but I doubt its necessary. You now have a 27" wide footprint that will be difficult to tip over sideways.
The front to back stability is probably good enough but you can add some outriggers with 2x4 feet to the ends of the 2x4 to extend them to the front and back of the top of the cart.
The lip at the sides and back will probably keep it from sliding off or moving around.

I'm betting there's plenty of weight and dimensional area now for stability and to not have to fasten it to the top of the cart by any more than gravity, unless it makes you feel better.

[dbhost]

Considering how much stuff in my shop is made from construction grade 2 by and 3/4 inch plywood I'm surprised I hadn't thought of that.. Pretty darn good idea actually

[Jim Frye]

Mine is lag bolted to a top made from 2 by construction scraps edge glued and biscuited together. I believe I used 3/8" bolts as that what fit in the holes in the DP base. The wooden top was attached the the old BT3100 steel base by screwing up through the base into the top (basically an upside down shallow box) with some deck screws.