What do you use for a reference point to square a drill press table.

[Gary roofner]

I have a drill press I bought off Craig's list with harbor freight table it a sears its a heavy duty

drill press what do you use for a reference point to square the fence to the column .  The drill press runs smooth. 

[Hugh Clare]

Square the table to the quill, then the fence to the table.

[Gary roofner]

What are you using for reference to square to?

[Hugh Clare]

To square the table to the quill, you can chuck a drill bit or any other known straight rod. My drill press came with a rod to use for squaring. The column-to-quill orientation is most likely fixed. I can post pictures if I'm not explaining it well enough.

[michael evans]

Hi gary how s it going? i have a pretty basic pillar drill .I built a drill table basically a square piece of ply found the centre of the plywood marked it .And then centered it to the centre of the drill piont i placed in the chuck.Hope this helps gary.

[Ken Darga]

Gary, 

''check the chuck'' for trueness---

before putting the drill press into service, 

so as to insure there is no wobble when a cutting tool is installed.

Insert a known straight 1/4'' dia x 10-12'' long rod, (drill rod stock is most suitable)---

check for rod flatness before proceeding with inserting the rod into the chuck.

Insert the rod into the chuck, and turn the chuck by hand, and measure for any wobbling of the rod at the outer most end.

Next,  set your drill speed to the ''MIN rpm'' setting---

turn on the machine and observed for any wobble near the end of the rod.

Some chucks do not position the tool dead center.

If its not dead center, loosen the tool, rotated it 90 degrees and recheck.

Keep rechecking until you can get the rod/tool running straight.

After you've checked and rechecked with the drill rod, 

follow-up with an ''accurate brand point drill bit''.

Turn-on the machine, set at the slowest rpm, and observe for any wobble of the ''braid point'' on the drill bit.

Place a 3x5 white card stock on the back side of the rotating bit, to enhance the visual.

If there's any wobble, loosen the chuck, rotate it 90 degrees, tighten, and repeat the check.

When accurately set-up and running, there should be NO wobble in the drill bit, for optimum drilling results.

(The bit must be ''wobble-free'' when drilling at higher speeds).

If your having issues with checking and not getting accurate results, 

let me know, before going to the next phase.

Also, observed for ANY undesirable vibrations that occur during your reviews of the machine.

REASON for checking all this out, is to insure your chuck is in good usable working order.

A tool running at high rpm, if not running true, can cause some potential personal bodily injury.

Wear safety glasses---

a face shield is very useful.

[Ken Darga]

Gary, 

After completing the ''chuck-check'',

the table needs to be adjusted so its ''perpendicular''/ 90 degrees, so as to obtain accurate drilling operations.

[KregRep]

Here's an easy way to square the drill press table to the chuck: http://www.woodnet.net/tips/drilling/double-checking-a-drill-press-.... You can also use a bent wire to do the same thing.

KregRep

[Gary roofner]

Thanks for the help I got the idea now simple when think about it .

[Ken Darga]

Squaring a drill press table:

 

To obtain a more accurate 90 degree setting, a longer horizontal member will be beneficial.

 

Cut a piece of coat hanger wire 15’’ long.

Bend one leg 1’’ vertically.

Make the next bend in the wire, making a 12’’ leg.

Make the next bend in the wire at the opposite end, of the wire, 2’’ long at 90 degrees.

You’ll end up with (2) 90 degree bends---2 vertical legs and 1 horizontal leg.

 

Insert the 1’’ leg into the drill chuck, and hand tighten.

 

Place a flat 1x2 x 25'' long strip of wood, or similar flat stiff object, centered on the drill press bed---orientate this object from left to right, facing the drill press.

 

Elevate the drill press table, and rotate the drill chuck ‘’BY HAND” so the tip of the wire just touches the wood strip.

Rotate the chuck 90 degrees---so the wire tip touches the wood strip on the opposite end.

 

When the wire tip touches the wood strip, at each end in the same horizontal plane,

the table is square.

Check each end a couple times or more, manually rotating the drill chuck, insuring the tip of the wire touches the wood strip on each end.

 

After making table adjustments, lock the table tilt tightly into position.

 

TIP:

For any drilling operations, to be performed at a different angle from 90 degrees---

make a jig/fixture so the work-piece is positioned at the desired angle, without adjusting the table tilt.

Clamp the jig and work-piece firmly in place, before proceeding with the drilling operation(s).

EX:  drilling at 45 degrees---the work-piece will be at 45 degrees vs tilting the table 45 degrees.