Susan - you are an absolute star. I couldn’t work out how to do it, so I thought I’d give it a quick Google. It’s as simple as you demonstrated, and it is set up perfectly now. Thank you so much.
😭😭😭 finally these techniques was so simple to square drill press I have been searching for these for months already . Thank you so much Mam really appreciate it.
Thanks for a simple answer to a problem we all have! I too have a cheap drill press. Not such an issue for me as I build birdhouses. Birds never complain about anything being out of spec, but it is nice to get the drill a little closer to being right on!
Great video, another top tip i have done myself, is to glue a magnet to the front (or side) of the top housing, there i put my chuck key, never lose it and its quick and easy to stick on every time
Thanks Susan, I'm about to bring my late father's old "Ferm" drill press back into regular use. It's identical to your Silverline model ( but green ) and I was wandering about checking the table relative to the drill. Your way will do for me for a basic simple drill press like this one. Subscribed to your channel and will keep my eye on it. Good luck and best wishes, Ray.
If you want to be OCD about leveling the table then it can be done in both axis. First you want to level it front to back. Yeah, I know... no adjustment. You would have to use a paper shim or whatever thickness material under the flange to make it level. Then go back and level it again left to right like you just did.
There is a much easier way. If you use a piece of timber and the existing taper of the bottom of the stage. Tapping each side until the stage is perfectly horizontal. That way, when you tighten the bolt, it does not rotate the stage.
Thanks, I just tried that with my drill press and even though the deviation was only a couple tenths of a mm here and there, adjusting the table made for a noticeable improvement. I filed the table joint a bit where it meets the pillar, for front-to-back alignment; not sure if that is a good idea, though.
Thanks for the tip. My drill press looks almost identical to yours and I had a much worse front to back misalignment - so much so that I had to take a file to the round flange on the table. But even then, it is of such poor quality that it flexes up and down with a bit of pressure so buy cheap, buy twice I suppose.
About it being higher on the back see if its possible to unscrew the two hex dowels pins on the side casting and then tilt it foward and tighten again.
Hello Susan. The table of my portable drill press has a difference of 4 mm between the lowest and the highest corner. It's a fixed table so I´m not able to adjust it. Do you know any solution for this type of drill press?
OK, but what happens if you need to move the table. I mean, your adjustment is a one time only work, so it is pointless unless you do it every time you change table height. I would rather spend more money on a better drill press, or make a more permanent alignment, like in the center axis of the table. Perhaps a good cleaning would help. Anyway, it's a good idea to align the table...
I somehow ended up with a very similar drill press in my workshop. I would say that, given the play in the quill, this amount of tuning that you are doing here isn't really that relevant. I like your method though. That is definitely one i will remember when needed.
You can't do that, this is an illegal simple and inexpensive process... you need an expensive coaxial dial test indicator. Slowly step away from the drill press with your purse held above your head.... :)
gentle use of a file, plus a heavy use of patience, could get the front to back level too. Go on make a silk purse out of a pigs ear, you know you want to. 👱
Susan - you are an absolute star. I couldn’t work out how to do it, so I thought I’d give it a quick Google. It’s as simple as you demonstrated, and it is set up perfectly now. Thank you so much.
Wow that's a great idea. I am definitely trying this so I don't have crooked pin holes again
Really helpful. Just what I need to set up my new drill press.
😭😭😭 finally these techniques was so simple to square drill press I have been searching for these for months already . Thank you so much Mam really appreciate it.
Thanks for a simple answer to a problem we all have! I too have a cheap drill press. Not such an issue for me as I build birdhouses. Birds never complain about anything being out of spec, but it is nice to get the drill a little closer to being right on!
Brilliant. Simple. Perfect. Thanks
Great video, another top tip i have done myself, is to glue a magnet to the front (or side) of the top housing, there i put my chuck key, never lose it and its quick and easy to stick on every time
Brilliant. Thank you!
Simplest way I've seen. Thank you
simple and powerful tip, thank you
Usefull and simple
Thanks Susan, I'm about to bring my late father's old "Ferm" drill press back into regular use. It's identical to your Silverline model ( but green ) and I was wandering about checking the table relative to the drill. Your way will do for me for a basic simple drill press like this one. Subscribed to your channel and will keep my eye on it. Good luck and best wishes, Ray.
Hello Susan, it is good advice and very simple, thank you.
If you want to be OCD about leveling the table then it can be done in both axis.
First you want to level it front to back. Yeah, I know... no adjustment. You would have to use a paper shim or whatever thickness material under the flange to make it level. Then go back and level it again left to right like you just did.
Thanks! I've this model, branded as Wolf from Amazon, that's helped me a lot!
There is a much easier way. If you use a piece of timber and the existing taper of the bottom of the stage.
Tapping each side until the stage is perfectly horizontal. That way, when you tighten the bolt, it does not rotate the stage.
You can put a thin metal behind and under the screw of movement of the the Table
Thanks, I just tried that with my drill press and even though the deviation was only a couple tenths of a mm here and there, adjusting the table made for a noticeable improvement. I filed the table joint a bit where it meets the pillar, for front-to-back alignment; not sure if that is a good idea, though.
Thanks for the tip. My drill press looks almost identical to yours and I had a much worse front to back misalignment - so much so that I had to take a file to the round flange on the table. But even then, it is of such poor quality that it flexes up and down with a bit of pressure so buy cheap, buy twice I suppose.
Its like a 3D Printer bed leveling process :D I'm not sure its accuracy but its a nice trick.
About it being higher on the back see if its possible to unscrew the two hex dowels pins on the side casting and then tilt it foward and tighten again.
Hello Susan. The table of my portable drill press has a difference of 4 mm between the lowest and the highest corner. It's a fixed table so I´m not able to adjust it. Do you know any solution for this type of drill press?
Unlike drill presses made in the UK back in the day most imports have accuracies built out.
short leg of allen wrench in chuck, long leg will show 'un-levelness'.
OK, but what happens if you need to move the table. I mean, your adjustment is a one time only work, so it is pointless unless you do it every time you change table height. I would rather spend more money on a better drill press, or make a more permanent alignment, like in the center axis of the table. Perhaps a good cleaning would help. Anyway, it's a good idea to align the table...
Nice! Did you ever have a go at fixing the wobble in the quill?
There's also quite a lot of play in the chuck, so you can't get it very accurate.
I somehow ended up with a very similar drill press in my workshop. I would say that, given the play in the quill, this amount of tuning that you are doing here isn't really that relevant.
I like your method though. That is definitely one i will remember when needed.
You can't do that, this is an illegal simple and inexpensive process... you need an expensive coaxial dial test indicator. Slowly step away from the drill press with your purse held above your head.... :)
L shaped wooden rods with a wheel bearing is another way
Just use a digital angle metre... 🙄
gentle use of a file, plus a heavy use of patience, could get the front to back level too. Go on make a silk purse out of a pigs ear, you know you want to. 👱
thats only going to work if the table is true and on your drill there`s no way it will be ( mine isnt either ) .
god luck
Ever triwe a level,😂😂😂😂
your no engineer using an adjustable spanner. Use the correct tools.