Drill-Press Table Supports Long Workpieces

Adjustable wings extend the reach of your drill-press table.

#265–Tools & Shops 2018 Issue

Whenever I drill a long piece that extends beyond my drill-press table, I struggle to hold it down safely. My new shopmade table solves this problem effectively and economically. Make the center panel from any sheet goods you have lying around, and mill extrathick edging for all four sides. Then rout a precise groove through the front and back edge pieces to enclose 3⁄4-in.-square aluminum tube stock. I attached 5-in.-wide particleboard panels to the top of the bars (with a rail below each panel to stiffen it), which then slide in and out of the main table to create very stable extension wings. Couldn’t be simpler.

—Kamran Firooz, Loveland, Colo.

—Drawings by Dan Thornton

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Forrest Woodworker II Blade

A high quality, staple blade for your table saw. With 48 teeth, it is suitable for both ripping and crosscutting.

Buy at Amazon

Ridgid R4331 Planer

Priced nearly $300 less than the DeWalt 735X, the Ridgid R4331 is an excellent value. Its three-knife cutterhead left wonderfully clean surfaces on plainsawn white oak and white pine. It did not perform nearly as well on curly maple as the 735X.

Buy at Amazon