Drill Press: bench-mounted or mobile

[Handy Al]

In the garage workshop I am building I have a Delta DP350 benchtop drill press.
It's currently mounted on a crudely roll-about cabinet.

I'm considering mounting it on one end of the workbench to save on floor space.

Your thoughts?

[Uncle Cracker]

If it's a benchtop unit, there's no reason not to mount it on your bench, if you have the available bench space, and it is less in the way there than on the floor. I'm assuming that this DP has adequate size and power to suit you. Most who get floor models need something beefier, or need all the free bench space they can get. I did, you might not.

[SARGE..g-47]

Morning Al...

Depends on the size of work-bench you have and how large of projects you do... It would definitely get in the way of long stock to be hand planed.. etc. in my own scenario. I think you are the best judge of what to do as you know what your work-style tends to be.

Regards...

[WayneJ]

Just a thought on mounting it . Mount it as close to the edge as you can, Then if you need to drill into a long piece you can swing the head over the edge of the bench
Wayne

[Pappy]

I would keep it mobile cabinet mounted. Set the cabinet up for storage of drill related items.



As soon as you hard mount it to the bench, it will get in the way!

[jbalders]

If you have a wood vise on your workbench, you could possibly take a trick I've seen used for metal vises. Mount your drill press to a piece of plywood with a few other 1.5" wide pieces glued and screwed to it (so it looks like a short "T"). Then you'd be able to clamp it into your workbench's vise.

When you don't need it, store it out of the way somewhere so that your workbench was always free. You could make a hinged section in the back, so you could flip down a section matching the height if the vertical bit of the T, and it'd be free standing when being stored on a shelf or on the floor or something.

[bthere]

I agree with Pappy about mounting it on rolling base that can also be used for storage. I had my DP350 mounted to a piece of plywood sub-base which was then bolted to the workbench for a while. It seemed like it was always in the way of work on the bench, or the wall near the bench prevented me from being able to drill some item. I would sometimes unbolt the sub-base and move it, but that darn DP is heavy, so there had to be a real motivation to move it.

I moved it to a mobile stand with some storage, and it was a great addition. Now the bench is open (except the junk that everybody thinks should stop right there). I can also get the DP out where I want it with no problem.

By the way, Pappy, that is a great stand - lots of orgranized storage.

[gwyneth]

As soon as you hard mount it to the bench, it will get in the way!

I was about to write that!

Pappy, that's a very nice cabinet.

The extra clothes dryer is the stand for my 8" Delta. Go ahead and laugh. It's a great height. There's a 2 1/2" thick cardboard lamination from my papermaking shop in between the drill press and dryer top, damping any vibrations almost completely. (The drier is used only for papermaking felts, which are very light, though it never vibrated very much during normal use).