I’d love to get other people’s opinions regarding drill press fence solutions. Currently, I’m not entirely thrilled with my fence setup. And I’m curious whether it’s a me problem or if there actually is a better solution. I currently have a Nova Voyager DVR with the stock table and fence. I do not have any prior experience with aftermarket tabletops like the Woodpeckers DP-Pro, but I'm starting to look in that direction. A part of me is wondering if I even know what exactly I'm seeking- hopefully that's relatable, lol- but anyways, would love other people's thoughts.
I graduated college last May and spent a sizable chunk of my time there in the university's machine shops. I learned to absolutely LOVE working on knee mills and bed mills. Also enjoy working on metal lathes and proper CNC Vertical Machining Centers too, but something about the blend of user feedback with levels of precision impossible to obtain by hand, along with the use of the cartesian XYZ coordinates in relation to the work, just tickles my brain, I find it so satisfying. Now that I've graduated, I don't have access to that level of machinery. While I'm aware that those levels of precision are both unrealistic to expect of typical woodworking tools AND totally unnecessary for most woodworking projects, where possible, I'd like to mimic some of the functionality of those machines.
Back to my drill press- I dislike how much of a pain it can be to set the fence to just the right position to achieve a certain distance between holes and the board's edge. While I know it does not matter much in this particular application, I'd find it easier for the fence to move along one line, as opposed to how trying to walk it into place always results in weird diagonals. While I do not have one, I look at the fence adjustments built into nice mortising machines, how it always stays perpendicular to the work surface as opposed to going diagonal under typical adjustment, and it just seems simpler, if that makes sense? Plus, most of those fences lend themselves to microadjustability, whereas a fence that freely moves along two supports without staying in parallel, such as the existing one, is sort of a hope and a prayer to get to exactly right.
It also makes me think of how in general, a lot of the higher end router table fence solutions find a way of remaining on one plane as opposed to going diagonal. Like how the Jessem, Incra, Infinity, Harvey, etc. all keep the fence parallel throughout the adjustment, compared to something that provides horizontal movement in the screws relative to the base of the fence itself, thus allowing the fence to go diagonal. All the systems where the fence stays parallel throughout its range of adjustment offer microadjustability too.
So I guess I'm wondering, is there any solution you guys have stumbled across for drill press fences that limits the degrees of freedom within its adjustments, such that its adjustments are more possible to precisely control? Something more like what can be found on high end mortisers, router fences, and milling machine tables?
I built a table for my 17" Jet. It had a round table, I built a rectangle the same width as the round table.
The crank handle to raise is just as accessible as it was before, I've seen many DP tables that require an an adapter or relocate to use the crank. You have push button, so it's not a thing with you.
14" x 24" and I've never needed it to be bigger.
Hey, you don't know me, but you don't like me ... Buck Owens
I haven't built a "proper" table for my DP, but I do have one of those XY tables for small mills installed. Very handy for positioning and with the "T" slots, I can have a fence mounted on the back edge. I'll use the front/back position adjustment for the table to position the bit the needed distance in and just slide the work piece left/right as needed for drilling. The typical range of movement for these small tables is somewhat limited.
While I like most others have a shop-built DP table and fence that works extremely well for all my needs. Reading your post the precision you seem to require would make me suggest the solution "SplinterGroup" refers to. These X/Y tables were quite popular on drill presses back in the late 70's - early 80's. I have one stored away that I haven't put eyes on in almost 30 years. Looking at a 2 HP jet table saw the other day I tripped over one in tall grass just outside the owners shed. My point is that these are not so rare a commodity that you should be able to acquire one both easily and affordably. Good luck.
I've got 2 of them, but they also both play well with my 2 bandsaws. I have a Kreg fence on my 14" saw, and have never really been wild about it so I looked around. I ended up buying the Carter Mag fence which I dearly love. Super simple, set and lock down the magnets, and it is THERE not going anywhere. at the time I thought of it just as a bandsaw fence.
For years my drill press was a radial DP made by Shop Fox. On it I had made a HUGE table, with all sorts of T Track, and other BS, and all I ever used was a fence, to stop stuff from going forward, that was it for me, just a fence. I sold that one, and bougth a 14" table top DP, and told myself all I was looking for was a fence, and BAM, just like that Mag Switch came out with 2 new fences, and BAM again, I got a call from an old friend who sells a lot of tools, asking me if I wanted one to review, yeah sure, send it on. I reviewed it, and really like it, but I kept thinking dood you already own this fence.
I didn't actually, but the Carter mag fence was so similar and I dearly loved it on my bandsaw, but DOH, never gave a thought to it on my DP. Why, I haven't a clue. I absolutely am in love with mag technology. I also love that wedge lock, or square end on the Mag Switch fence. I also love the ability on the Carter to use the grooved fence to house all kinds of T nuts, and stuff attached via them. Tell the truth I couldn't pick a winner, love em both. Love em on, or off a drill press, or a bandsaw. Either way they rock.
Just throwing them out there because a lot of folks overlook them. If you want a lot of do dads, nope, but if you just want something to cram something against, they rock, so easy to set. Have the ability to angle in a second, cause all stuff isn't square, and a fence in T Track is supposed to angle, but they don't do it well
Yeah I was already aware of the XY table options that exist. On an unrelated note- I’ve actually been considering building what would basically be a version of an XY table for precise horizontal boring on a standard wood lathe. But that’s a different rabbit hole, haha.
Im considering an XY table but both don’t think that would be an end all be all, also don’t know how well it would work on a nova voyager. If you accidentally bump the table walking past, it shifts from the center hole being directly under the drill bit, if that makes any sense? So I would be concerned the shear weight of an xy table plus my workpiece would actually lend itself to being LESS accurate. Moreover, it wouldn’t lend itself to bigger workpieces.
I’m realizing that especially since there’s no miter slot in my drill press table, it really just isn’t a big deal for the table to shift diagonally. With that said, it would still be awfully nice if the table could just be more micro adjustable.
I guess what I’d love would be a fence that borrows the micro adjustments from router fences, just for a drill press?
