Need to buy a compound table. Advice wanted

Huntsman Knife Co. LLC.

Huntsman Knife Co. LLC.

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Sep 10, 2010
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Hey guys,

I have a 1.5HP drill press from Harbor Freight and want to get a compound table for it for faster and more precise drilling. What is a nice affordable table that will give me X and Y movement and good precision? Im looking to not spend over ~$300. My current clamping setup is slow and frustrating to use.
 
I would not expect precision with an import compound table. A full handle turn will not likely correlate with the dimension that the manufacturer states it will. With the said, using a dial indicator against the edge would be very accurate. I bought a Dayton table and using a dial indicator showed very minimal runout over the 15". Although, i would not likely ever continue drilling over such a distance since my vise is mounted closer to the center. I mounted the import drilling vise on the Dayton table and the runout was minimal after getting the vise squared on the compound table. This will allow me to drill various holes without constantly moving the drilling vise. With this said, I think that Palmgren makes the tables for Dayton. I ended up paying about $170 for my table, but would not pay what Zoro is asking. Plan on a few hours scraping, decreasing and living. I painted the all the previously painted surfaces with hammer paint to protect it better.

I think that you would likely like this addition. A cross slide drill vise could also be an option. I didn't go that way since I wanted a larger surface to mount the material to and be allow a few item on the table at the same time. Hope this helps.
 
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