Drill Press Mounting

[Stephenwp]

How would you mount a 17" floor standing drill press...

1. Let it stand on it's own base?

2. Bolt neoprene machine leveling feet to the base?

3. Bolt it to the floor?

4. Other?

[lane]

And the correct answer is #1

[rockrat]

I agree with #1 as well. Although, if needed a bag of sand could be tossed on the base to make it feel a bit less top-heavy.

Although, the last place I worked required all equipment to be bolted down. Made it hard to drag a drill press over to a mill for a second operation.

rock~

[BadDog]

I agree with the others as well. I don't bolt down my drill presses, though I believe OSHA requires it. They are VERY top heavy, and one the size of my big 20" VSG would put some serious hurt on you if it toppled. But that has never been a problem (yet).

[J Tiers]

I have an 18" Clausing standing on it's own base, which is pretty substantial. But if it got a good push, it would come over. And on it's way over it will have some serious force..... I lifted it into the truck, and it's surely a heavy thing.

More so if I re-mount the original 100lb 1 HP Crocker-Wheeler motor on it.......

I've been thinking of bolting it on top of a large piece of plywood to increase the base width. This is an earthquake zone, after all.

Then again, it is so tall that it is into the piping and joists above it, so maybe some plumber's tape holding it close to upright would prevent the problem from starting.

[Your Old Dog]

I'd just get a lanyard to go around you belt to the drill press so it can't get away from you while you are working I have a floor model Delta and really don't like the damn thing bobbing and weaving around. I've thought about trying to mount it through a hole in the workbench to help stabilize it AND give more places on the work bench to sit stuff while I'm working.

I once had the save drill press in a bench mount and I don't know what go into me when I unloaded it and got this floor model. I think tool lust got the better of me and in this case for me, lessor was actually better

[winchman]

I made a triangular brace to go between the top of the column and the wall behind it. It was wide enough to have bolts going into two wall studs.

Roger

[Evan]

I have my Strands bolted to a much wider base of wood for stability. It won't tip and is still relatively easy to move.
The wood base is covered in galavanized sheet metal.

[Your Old Dog]

I made a triangular brace to go between the top of the column and the wall behind it. It was wide enough to have bolts going into two wall studs.

Roger

I'll have that done today ! Great simple fix for something that has bugged me every time I address the DP. Everything in the shop has a nice stable feel to it but this damn machine.

Just noticed this is Steve's first post. Welcome to the board Steve

[DR]

Take a look at the current crop of floor standing DP's. Notice how small the bases are.

Then take a look at older American made DP's, the bases are huge in comparison.

The only explanation I have for the tiny bases on the imports is they're sized that way to fit into a smaller box.

If I had to use an import I certainly would not have it free standing.