Comment

Comment by Gary W aka Rev. Bluejeans on January 4, 2019 at 5:57pm

Nice project and solid tips, Brian!

Comment by Brian Thompson on January 4, 2019 at 11:07am

Keith

I'd agree, in certain circumstances and with standard twist drill bits......but I used a spur point bit for my tuner holes, which has a central point and two raised spurs that help keep it drilling straight.....they produce almost zero tear out if you clamp the piece over some scrap....worked perfectly.

Comment by Keith Rearick on January 4, 2019 at 10:30am

Starting with a smaller bit, would be even better.

Comment by Brian Thompson on January 4, 2019 at 12:51am

Here is the finished base, ready for final assembly. I finished the plynth with some walnut stain and a coat of acrylic satin lacquer after marking out and drilling the mounting holes for the bracket bolts, base bolts and the central screw for the dowl in the upright. They were all countersunk so the base underside is perfectly flat. The two large bolts for the base required the use of a large conical grinding stone, normally used for aluminium, because I didn't have anything else big enough....sometime 'beast kit' is the only way to go! All bolts and the screw are stainless steel, and the only ones I bought in specially were the two big ones for the base, which I was fortunate in finding some the right length saving me the job of having to cut them down to suit as I wanted to leave the drilling area unobstructed for obvious reasons. 

With stainless fasteners it's important to use a dab of copper grease on the threads to prevent the threads from 'galling' when you tighten 'em up. I also replaced all other nuts and bolts on the entire assembly with stainless items I had in stock as the original items are made out of 'monkey metal' and WILL strip after being tightened and loosened a couple of times....good quality nuts and bolt won't.

To finish on a couple of important safety points.......

In case anyone was wondering, when I use the drill press I sit it on top of my work mate then use a couple of wooden scraps to protect the top and then use c clamps to attach it firmly to the work mate from behind the press...i.e. either side of where the two l brackets are.This way they don't get in the way of the work area but the press is firmly attached to the work mate.

Also, most importantly of all.......drill presses are responsible for some horrendous workshop injuries, possibly more so than any other bench tool....so DON'T wear loose sleeved clothing when drilling and always (ALWAYS!) use eye protection!! 

Finally......practice on scrap before committing to a piece you've spent weeks working on....!! Get a feel for how the press works and drill slowly and carefully. Always make a spot mark for the drill to follow (I use an engineers scribe pushed into the wood by hand rather than a centre punch and tack hammer) and I also mount an anglepoise lamp nearby so I can get good illumination and actually SEE where I'm drilling. 

A ggod last tip I'd like to share is regarding drilling holes for string ferrules in tail stocks. Mark the holes on the top AND back using a t-square, following the line all the way around. Then, drill the holes half way through, flip the neck stick over and complete the hole by drilling from the other side. This eliminate the drill bit from 'wandering' and if you've marked up accurately I you'll get perfect holes that line up accurately.

Hope this helps someone out and encourages people to add this useful bit of kit to their tool collection. Yes, it's cheap and cheerful, but with a few simple tweaks you'll have a very adequate tool that will quickly become indispensable in my opinion. Worth a punt.....? Definitely.

Brian Thompson.