Thread: Drill press aligner

Oh yeh, and I like this thing over a wiggle stick because with the moving needle on the dial indicator you don't have to keep raising and lowering the table during adjustments which just adds more hassle to the whole process. Plus (I think) it produces a more accurate result quicker.

Very nice! Tell me though, what will you do if you find the table is out front-to-back? (I've often wondered about this)

On the couple of presses I'm familiar with there's been a little screw (allen key job) in a hole under the big bolt holding the table arm on. When you screw it in it pushes against the back and lifts the arm from the bottom and thus the front of the table up.

It's a dog of a thing to adjust because the big bolt sometimes needs to be a little loose to gain enough lift and I find that undoing the bolt drops the table and doing it up again lifts it again, so it's a bit of a hit and miss scenario.

I'm also finding that my table has room to tilt around before I've done up its' clamp, and surprisingly, on my press the front of the table is higher than the back so I will have to try shimming the top between the arm and where it bolts on to tilt it down some. I've got the little screw backed all the way out and even tilting the table in its holder isn't giving me enough balance.

I don't think you could ever gain a perfect 0 balance on run of the mill or old machines (like mine). It seems that raising and lowering the table can have an effect and any heavy pressure or off balance weight can alter the table, but since I've gotten mine pretty close (0.01mm left/right and currently about 0.60 front to back), it's been a heck of a lot nicer to use for shallow holes and hopefully the shimming will help with deep 'uns. If I was doing a super critical drilling job I'd try to set the balances at a height I'd be able to work the job at, then not touch the thing.

Its almost quicker to square the job in the vice at times. As you say adjusting, tightening, slightest pressure or raise and lower can alter the table when tightened back up.
That little rub screw, when you tighten the lock nut it either moves or again pressure of tension squashes the little B^^^*(* into the plate.

I now use a level on the work in the vice and square for front to back.

Shimming won't do a thing for angle as the shaft in the hole dictates that. I have considered removing the arm and checking for level/square all round.

After having a closer look at the stem on my table it's got a small taper where it sits in the holder that looks like it has been done post-manufacture. If I get finnicky enough I might see what I can do to get it removed on a lathe which will allow me to shim just the table (maybe).

While it's worth doing a simple alignment check, I think I'm getting into the realm of
"not really worth it" given all the other movement that occurs even in basic use.

Mind you, now that I've started thinking about it, I'll probably come up with some insane project to make that eliminates everything...and never get around to building it

RSG - I think you are arriving at the same place I got to some time ago (& Wheelin' seems to have reached the same destination!). I used the bent wire trick to get my table as square as I could, noting as you have, that square at one position may not be so at a higher or lower position. Now I just put up with it unless the operation is super-critical. Side to side stays well within (my) tolerance, but front to back can change a bit more, presumably because of minor irregularities in the post machining. Also have the frustration of having things move a little when tightened-own - that seems to be universal. "Trial & error" takes on a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! I must cobble up a similar device next time I have to level the table - it would reduce some of the fiddling involved with the bent-wire 'gauge', alright.

Fortunately, mine stays near enough for woodworking & some less critical metal applications, but like Wheelin', when it's cricital, I usually muck about with the holding device, to get thing set up as best I can. The most critical operation I do with mine is slitting the brass backs for saws. The slitting saw, which is 75mm diameter, needs to be very close to parallel with the brass both side to side & front to back. Even a small off-square amount makes a big difference, and will make the saw twist in the slot, which isn't terribly helpful. Setting up the jig involves shimming with paper or thin cardboard, and much testing after tightening down the jig (and quite a few well-chosen expletives!).

Be nice to own real industrial-quality machines, wouldn't it? Or maybe not. Eliminating uncertainty might take the fun out of it all....

Cheers,

I use a Wixey digital gauge for all my alignments. It's quicker.

Ross