Grizzly drill press table any good?

[dbhost]

Okay so I was looking for plans to build a drill press table when I stumbled upon this...


Source: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Press-Table/H7827

Grizzly H7827 drill press table.

Description
Add this 23 3/4" wide x 11 7/8" deep Drill Press Table with 3" high fence and stop block to your drill press for greater work support and increased accuracy. The fence and stop block slide along T-slots for quick, yet secure set-up and a removable 3 15/16" square center block allows thru drilling past the table. Fits all standard drill press tables and includes two universal table clamps. Mortising chisel and clamps not included.

For $29.95.

Now IF I had the material on hand, the small pieces of melamine and such would that I would just need the hardware, maybe $20.00 worth, but without the melamine on hand, heck, I can't built this thing that cheap.. But is it any good? It looks like it will do what I want, which is provide a fence, and production stops so that I can get my holes EXACTLY where I want them, in a repeatable fashion...

[poolhound]

DB, it sounds to me like you need to work on having more materials laying around that way you can build stuff without going and buying it

I am nearly finished building a very similar table but I agree that if you had to go and buy all the parts new it may be more cost effective to just get this Griz table.

I think Loring said he had owned this particular unit and had some issues, not sure exactly what though.

[dbhost]

Hey, I'm all up for building my own table... I am not crazy about the Grizz fence. Kind of short. Anyone care to clue me in to a good deal on T track, and hardware?

[JoeyGee]

I normally am all for the build rather than buy, but I have to judge it based on my time availability. My woodworking time is very limited, so I would rather build projects rather than stuff like this when I can get it cheap enough.

A few years ago (before kids) when I had more time, I would have built one myself, but not now.

[LCHIEN]

I got this table, its back in the box.
THe table was really too small for a 15-16" drll press, maybe ok for 10-12"
The fence was too high, my elevation crank handles kept hitting it when the work was close to a sutable drilling height. The stop required re-engineering before it worked properly.
other than that its OK for the price. Rod kirby tells me that I should remove all but one handle from the elevation crank - he doesn't use them but I use all three of them.

I'm much happier with the Woodpecker low profile drill press table and I made a high fence for it when i need one.

The griz is identical to the one in the MLCS catalog for about $55.
If you want to buy my grizz drop me a note, its almost pristine. I was going to sell it with an 8" drill press I have.

Loring

[dbhost]

other than that its OK for the price. Rod kirby tells me that I should remove all but one handle from the elevation crank - he doesn't use them but I use all three of them. ...

Loring

That's good input. Thanks Loring...

I agree with you on the handle thing. But then again, my drill press experience prior to this WW thing was machining for custom automotive applications (Custom light mount brackets, switch panel brackets and suck for custom Jeeps). When your workpiece is solidly clamped down, I always found it easier to apply steady pressure with both hands, sort of a hand over hand thin like a steering wheel... But I digress... That brings me back to the table design problem. I have the bottom of the DP figured out thanks to you guys. (I am going with Rod Kirby's base idea, but using Ply instead of MDF since it's more humidity stable, and what I have... My biggest need is stability from my less than level floor...

I am guessing that if I built a table 12" deep x 18" wide, I would need 2 T track slots for the fence, and one to hold stop blocks / clamping blocks and maybe some blocks with toggle clamps. I guess I could EITHER go with some 3/4" ply which I have on hand, and spend $30.00 or so on T track, star knobs, etc... from Peachtree, and toggle clamps from HF. Of course I *COULD* stop being a tightwad and cough out for a sheet of 3/4" melamine board which will likely find its way into other projects as well... Now what about a build plan though? Any suggestions?

[just started]

I have the Rockler version, looks the same, and I'm happy with it.

[dbhost]

I got this table, its back in the box.
THe table was really too small for a 15-16" drll press, maybe ok for 10-12"
The fence was too high, my elevation crank handles kept hitting it when the work was close to a sutable drilling height. The stop required re-engineering before it worked properly.
other than that its OK for the price. Rod kirby tells me that I should remove all but one handle from the elevation crank - he doesn't use them but I use all three of them.

I'm much happier with the Woodpecker low profile drill press table and I made a high fence for it when i need one.

The griz is identical to the one in the MLCS catalog for about $55.
If you want to buy my grizz drop me a note, its almost pristine. I was going to sell it with an 8" drill press I have.

Loring

PM sent...

[radhak]

If you don't have any of the material, you might as well buy this table; you definitely are gonna spend as much money and much more time building it.

Me, on the other hand, have to build it - I have a couple of the t-tracks from last year from rockler that i have not yet used; and i have tons of ply/melamine that i have accumulated 'just in case' i need it.
In short - no excuse to buy, and the promise of shop-time just for it's sake - priceless.

[poolhound]

I am guessing that if I built a table 12" deep x 18" wide, I would need 2 T track slots for the fence, and one to hold stop blocks / clamping blocks and maybe some blocks with toggle clamps. I guess I could EITHER go with some 3/4" ply which I have on hand, and spend $30.00 or so on T track, star knobs, etc... from Peachtree, and toggle clamps from HF. Of course I *COULD* stop being a tightwad and cough out for a sheet of 3/4" melamine board which will likely find its way into other projects as well... Now what about a build plan though? Any suggestions?

Mine is based on a concept I recall from woodsmith. You dont necessarily need metal T track. I have a 3/4" base and then a 1/2 piece laminated on top (1/4 would probably work). I have cut an 1/8 deep dadoe the width of a T bolt in the base and then after the top is dry cut a centered slot through the top just larger than the size bolt you will use (1/4 or 5/16) and volia you have a T-slot. I have left an approx 5" gap in the top with the edges mitered so I can have a replaceable insert. The fence will be two layers of 3/4" baltic. IMHO Tslots for stop blocks are nice but not at all essential. a block and a clamp will work fine. I also have a few of these which have multiple uses including for attaching stopblocks to all my fences.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...=fence%20clamp

I know pics will help, I will post some when its finished this WE.

[Greg in Maryland]

Hi

I built this table for for my drill press: Drill Press Table. It is from issue number 94 of ShopNotes.

Some elements of construction:

• Two 3/4 inch plywood pieces laminated together then topped with formica.

• Two T tracks for the fence.

• There is a replaceable table insert made of MDF to drill into.

• The fence is made from Hard Maple with T track.

• There are four cutouts to assist in clamping of the work.

There were more bells and whistles to the plan, like dust collection, drawer, etc, that I chose not to incorporate.

I am at the point in my woodworking "career" that the trial and error experience of building shop jigs, fixtures and cabinets far out weighs the convenience of purchasing the same thing. I would rather make mistakes on something for the shop that for that piece of award winning woodworking for my wife. (not that I have anything award winning yet!)

I can post pictures if that would be helpful.

Greg

[hermit]

[QUOTE=LCHIEN;378152]
The fence was too high, my elevation crank handles kept hitting it when the work was close to a sutable drilling height. Rod kirby tells me that I should remove all but one handle from the elevation crank - he doesn't use them but I use all three of them.

QUOTE]

Loring, funny you should mention this, for years I put up with this problem, then a couple weeks ago, it dawned on me to remove 2 of the handles. voila problem solve for me! don't know why it took so long to figure it out.

DB, fyi, heres one I made for my new floor model. I laminated 1/2" on 3/4" mdf which gave me the perfect replaceable insert depth. I now have a t slot in the fence, made with a t slot router bit.

Todd

[dbhost]

I am at the point in my woodworking "career" that the trial and error experience of building shop jigs, fixtures and cabinets far out weighs the convenience of purchasing the same thing. I would rather make mistakes on something for the shop that for that piece of award winning woodworking for my wife. (not that I have anything award winning yet!)

I can post pictures if that would be helpful.

Greg

I know the feeling, but shop time is at a premium. The pre made table isn't a cost item so much as an item to keep me in the shop doing other, more important stuff... But I could use the skill building time. I was thinking the time and materials would be better spent on a router table / fence setup to replace the old Wolfcraft table on the basic cart I slammed together... How well do T slots cut into say BB ply hold up compared to T-track? I guess I could go that route, would basically need to grab a mess of star knobs.

IF I were to go with a T slot cutter, what specs should I get if I wanted to use standard 3/8" hardware?

[L. D. Jeffries]

I've had one for a couple of years now and like it. Although I did cut a dado to the right of the original T-track and put in another. The only fault I found was the DP handle hit the hold down knob on the fence at the right side; this cured that plus it gave me another t-track to use for hold downs. Simple fix to a very inexpensive table.

[dbhost]

Well, I found Loring's post about his Hitachi Drill press. (Nice looking machine BTW). I hope these pics show up side by side... But if you notice, the handles that control the throw of the quill are MUCH longer on Loring's DP than on mine. I do not believe that there should be any problem with this table, and as soon as it finds its way to being installed on my DP I am going to test it, take some pics, and post the results. It looks like I should be happy with this one!



Even IF I get any interference with the handles, which I doubt, but I CAN cut the handles down 1.5" or so, and rethread the ends...