This shelf, made from 3/4-in.-thick Baltic-birch plywood, keeps bits and other accessories for my drill press close by and prevents them from rolling off onto the floor.

After cutting the tray to size, I used a circle cutter to make a 3-in.-dia. cutout (to match the diameter of the drill-press column), centered 1-1/2 in. from the end. Then I added the lip and trimmed the end to create the U-shape that slides easily over the column.

The two-part plywood mounting collar also was made using a circle cutter. Size the inside diameter to match the drill-press column and make the outside radius 3/4 in. or 1 in. larger.

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One half of the collar is screwed to the tray, aligned with the inside edge of the cutout, and the other half fits around the column. The assembly is held fast with a hose clamp.

Drawings by Jim Richey

Drawings by Jim Richey

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