Thread: Bosch PBD40 + bench

Hello all,

The Bosch PBD40 bench drill is a great little drill and it had certain features that appealed to me (electronically variable speed, an accurate digital depth readout, compact size, keyless chuck, etc). So a few months ago, when Amazon was selling it at an incredibly low price of around $246.42, I pulled the trigger.

Although, it is a great little drill, it isn't without its flaws. There were three that stood out for me: 1) the unergonomic handwheel; 2) limited "throat" depth; 3) the tendency for the post to flex under heavy load. A search on YouTube brings up a surprisingly multitude (it seems to be a very popular drill in Europe) of videos showing how other owners overcame these faults. So armed with this newfound knowledge, I set about remedying the faults of this drill.

Here's what I came up with (apologies for the sideways pics)......

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I replaced the awkward round handwheel for a tri-spoke wheel from H&F ($23) and mounted it on the wall. Having the steel post supported at both ends stops the flexing under heavy load. And by raising it a bit off the bench, it increases the throat depth as it allows material (up to 60mm) thick to slip under the post.


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This pic shows the drill at it uppermost position and shows how I'd secure a board standing on its edge using a Veritas Holddown & Quick Release Wonder Dog & Bench Blade that runs along the T-track. Note: I still have to rout out a mortise for a sacrificial insert. It's on the to-do list.


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This pic shows how I'd secure a standard board with the Incra track clamps. The Veritas QR Wonder Dog does a great job of ensuring that the work piece stays hard up against the fence. On the wall is a wooden (bamboo) magnetic knife block that I've used to hold small drill bits, etc, and the lower arm is a great place to store the tape measure.


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I had to use levelling feet to allow adjustment to the bench to make sure that the drill is perfectly plumb to the bench surface. The light from the bandsaw serves both the drill station and the bandsaw. Bench top is made up of 2 layers (66mm total) of Solid Ash Utility Panel from Bunnings and the base is made up of Grey Ironbark. Finish is 50:50 BLO/mineral turps + paste wax.


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This is a close up of how I mounted the Incra fence and how it slides along the T-tracks.


The only downside I can see to my solution is that even when the drill as its lowermost position, with some shorter drill bits, there's insufficient travel to reach the bench surface. This was a compromise I'm willing to accept as it can be overcome by using longer drill bits or by raising the workpiece (perhaps with a drill vice or sacrificial scrap of wood).

Hopefully my solution helps someone else.



Cheers,
Mike