Pillar drill table

Time to get this table finished, I started this back last year, Before I went into hospital in October. Well, I'm now back to near normal as I can get.

First I cut three sections of MDF  board to form the base but I'm not sure yet if  I'm going to use the third piece, still pondering a few ideas that I want to try to incorporate into the base.  Anyway here is the radial arm drill I bought from Axminster earlier.

First I placed the round cast iron table on top of one layer of the MDF  drew around it and marked all the slots, then drill two holes through the MDF then counter bored them to recessed them to the depth of the bolt heads and fixed the first layer to the swivel head as seen.

The top layer  I simple screwed to the bottom layer from underneath, I then machined in grooves for two tee tracks which I bought from Rutland along with a kit of tee bolts and handles. I  then made the fence with elongated slots cut into them made from an offcut of Bali, this allows the fence to be tightened and secured at any angle using the drill tip as the centre spot.

 

My pillar drill is situated very close to the workshop door that in its self is not a problem when I'm using the drill, but when it's not in use with the MDF table attached it protrudes out into the doors entry space too much and makes life difficult entering or leaving the workshop. 

I designed this to stay attached to the circular cast iron table all the times. 

To get over this I simple unlock the table with the lever lock arms as seen on the left, the radial arm can now swing the table to the left at the same time the table swivels in the radial arm itself. as seen in the photo on the right.  I then cut a recess along the back edge of the table to allow it to fold further back ( middle photo).  Shown on the right tuck away neatly when not in use.

 

This now leaves me pondering, As I mentioned earlier a third layer of  MDF this would be slipped in between the two-layer to incorporate some more ideas that  I want to use with this drill or to change the design underneath completely to give the table much more depth. 

More to follow.