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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
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    3,277

    Default Cutting large holes

    I want to make a wooden drill press table and I had a Thick MDF off cut from a job a forum member had worked donated to me for this purpose.

    I intend to fit a few rows of T track and maybe some nice red gum edges.

    The plan is to have the table surround the drill pillar like a yolk. So I'm wondering what would the best way to cut a nice clean round hole ¾ off the into the board??

    I don't have any hole saws and I think the column too large a dia. No bandsaw or jigsaw to use. Would a jigsaw cut 40mm mdf?? What about those old fashioned adjustable bladed hole cutters or are they for sheet goods?


    Also what is the usual finish for mdf??
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    ACT
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    84
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    Default

    Hi,
    Make or buy a template and use a router and guide or template following bit.
    Regards
    Hugh

    Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    706

    Default

    Suggestion - rough as guts chain drill or holesaw to hog it out, then finish and tidy up with a router either using a circle cutting jig or make a circular template out of very thin material and follow it round with one of those router bits with a bearing on them or make a very big template and just follow it round the inside with the edge of the router base ?

    Circular template could be made with circle cutter on drill press ? to cut template from very thin material

    You might get lucky and find a big holesaw exactly the right size - I have seen some huge ones


    ............ and watch out for the mdf dust ............

    if you google router circle cutting jig you will find heaps of ideas from simple to horribly complex

    Manually - draw a circle and use a fretsaw then tidy with flappy sandpaper on drill press ?- by the time you've made a jig and mucked around to get it to your satisfaction you may be better off doing it manually

    Bill

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Do you intend to use the same drill press for metal?

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
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    3,277

    Default

    I have never done any template routing before but it may be worth investigating, thanks for the suggestions.



    Bob, No I am going to use the drill press my grandfather built for wood work and the old waldowdn I'm restoring for metal work. One oily drill one dusty drill, and no mixing! I'm also building a dividing wall down the middle of the shed to separate the two mediums.
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bundaberg
    Age
    54
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    3,402

    Default

    Steamingbill's manual method will be more than adequate and you can use your jigsaw with a narrow blade. Just be real careful with the huge amount of noxious dust that the flapwheel will generate.

    I like the idea of the red gum edging! For a useable finish I use thinned down varnish only on MDF, it soaks in to the surface without leaving a layer so you can cut your slots for the tracks, coat it and the tracks will still slide into the slots.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    6,973

    Default

    Second for the router
    It's pretty easy too
    Call out if you need a hand


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Of The Boarder
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    68
    Posts
    16,794

    Default

    Dale stop don't do it. I did that with my small drill press years ago and found it ARPIA.

    Why??

    Because with it being around the tube so tight you can not tilt the table so I with both larger tables I did this which allows tilting


  10. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    That is a point! Although Im not sure how often I'd need to tilt the table for wood work
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    16,794

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DSEL74 View Post
    That is a point! Although Im not sure how often I'd need to tilt the table for wood work
    I have tilted mine more often for woodwork than for metal work Dale.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Perth W.A
    Posts
    720

    Default

    A decent set of hole saws is a wise investment for woodworking and metalworking for that matter.
    This is certainly the easiest way to do your yoke.
    Just wondering if it is really necessary to permanentky fit a sub table around the drill press column anyway.Suppose It could be handy at times but my machinery is crammed in a small workshop so anything overhanging could be a pain.
    I have a radial arm drill press with a head that can be angled and so never need to angle the table anyway.

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