How do I go about squaring up my press table?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Well-Known Member
So after seeing the holes I made in my first set of scales and say the Corby's line up I took for granted that I was squared up. Last night I took another pair of scales drilled them for a knife, everything turned out great.....Except one of the bolts doesn't sit perfectly straight. So I need to square up my table on my press. I spun a coat hanger around the table and can see where I'm low. My problem is: What's the best way/material to shim up the table to make it square?

My table has a piece of round stock that sticks off the bottom of it and goes into a round collar that I can tighten/loosen to spin the table around. So my guess is I need to build up various spots on that round collar would be the easiest route. As opposed to trying to work off the bottom of the table right?

So what is the best way to go about doing this?

Included are some pics of what I'm working with so you guys know

Here is the top of the table

press1.jpg


Table removed to show the post on the bottom and the collar it sits in

press2.jpg


And just another shot of the underside of the table and the collar

press3.jpg
 
If the clamp arm also rotates around the main collum, it may be easier to shim it there assuming it doesn't get moved off center. Up and down may work fine. Building up the table tube would only make your table good in that one position. The clamp looks like the weak spot in the whole set up, it has play in it by neccesity to be able to swivel the table. Let us know how you solve the problem.

Rudy
 
shim material goes between the shaft and the collar. Try using bronze washers or washer material if you don't have any shim stock -- and who does?
 
Cant see the head of the drill.

Is it possible that it could be adjusted to the table, like we do with a mill?
 
Well I think the problem isn't as much the table as it is the quill upon further inspection. Instead of spinning the chuck someone suggested to try spinning the table. When I did that with the coat hanger trick it was pretty much spot on. Then I put a bit in the chuck grabbed it and tried wiggling it there was a little slop in it. So I'm hoping it's just the bearings or something like that. Either way I hope it's something fairly easy to get fixed.
 
Spinning the table won't necessarily tell you Jack...
Except that your table is square to its own shaft.

You have a table with a spud sticking out the bottom.
Providing that the spud is perpendicular to your table, you can spin it all day long and read zero, regardless of if it is square to the spindle.

Now, if that spud is not perpendicular to the table, you will see a difference.

I'd post a drawing, but I don't seem to have that capability on this forum.

Picture a capital "T"
The top of that T is a disk, or your table.
Tilt that T over say 15 degrees, and measure the high point.
Now spin that disk, your table, along its axis, the leg of the T, what happens?
Same measurement regardless of its rotation.

The only true way I know of to true up a table to a spindle, is by spinning your measuring contraption in the spindle. Coat hanger, indicator, whatever.

You can get pretty close by using a square on the table and up against the spindle though...
 
Fellhoelter said:
Spinning the table won't necessarily tell you Jack...
Except that your table is square to its own shaft.

You have a table with a spud sticking out the bottom.
Providing that the spud is perpendicular to your table, you can spin it all day long and read zero, regardless of if it is square to the spindle.

Now, if that spud is not perpendicular to the table, you will see a difference.

I'd post a drawing, but I don't seem to have that capability on this forum.

Picture a capital "T"
The top of that T is a disk, or your table.
Tilt that T over say 15 degrees, and measure the high point.
Now spin that disk, your table, along its axis, the leg of the T, what happens?
Same measurement regardless of its rotation.

The only true way I know of to true up a table to a spindle, is by spinning your measuring contraption in the spindle. Coat hanger, indicator, whatever.

You can get pretty close by using a square on the table and up against the spindle though...
Click to expand...

Okay I see where you're coming from. However if I can wiggle the chuck and hear it clunking around also how do I go about determining where my problem lies?

I know it's inconsistent because I drilled a few holes to put Corby rivets in. The first hole came out fine, the second hole is a bit on an angle. So it would lead me to believe that something, somewhere, is out of whack. If I'm using a coat hanger as my guage and the quill has some slop in it as I'm turning it by hand... How would I know if it's the table of the quill?
 
Could the stock you were drilling be out of whack ? Not flat or sides parallel.
I'd start with the simplest solution and start eliminating causes from there. If it's not the stock, zero your table with the spindle and drill a small diameter hole in a piece of 1" or bigger square stock(steel or aluminum)that you mark the orientation to the table on. (front, back, R, L) Then take the drill bit out of the chuck and slide it back in the hole you drilled, check to see if the drill bit is perpendicular to the face of the stock on both sides. A small machinist square or a cut off from the stock you drilled will make a passable inicator. If the drill bit is not perpendicular shim accordingly to bring the table to true.

Also if you're clamping your stock to the table before drilling, I've noticed on my presses that one side lifts up just enough to screw things up because of irregularities in the table. I clamp as close to the chuck as possible without letting it hit the clamp. Just a couple thoughts before you go nuts and start discombobulating bearings and spindles. :eek::eek::(

Rudy
 
Well I noticed it when I drilled a set of scales for corbys. It was a set of book matched scales and I had one that drilled fine. The other didn't :confused:. I don't know what the cause of that would be. I do know when I put a bit in the chuck and try wiggling it... It wiggles and clunks around. I've never owned a press but would think it shouldn't do that. I bought if off a guy who's dad had it in an old shop who used to do some metal work. Chances are whatever use it saw it was a lot. The guys father passed on and was trying to clean the shop out so I got it for not much more than a song and dance. It's an old HF (called them about it, it's discontinued). It has no plastic on it and overall seems like a pretty decent machine. Considering it's age and where it came from chances are it needs some fixing up if I want it to be accurate.
 
I can't knock HF's old stuff....I still have a working band saw by them that was bought in '86. Most of the import stuff don't have the greatest tolerances to start with but it sounds like your press has seen it's tolerance in use. You should be able to match bearing numbers(probably metric) but I don't know about other parts.

Good luck,
Rudy
 
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