Modular drill press (plus Dremel 3000 support)

Boost MeIf you like the model and find it useful, boosts are always appreciated 😄

This is a drill press that can be easily customized for different tools just by replacing a couple of parts. The included supports hold a Dremel 3000: if you have a different rotary tool, or maybe you want to use your soldering iron to press threaded inserts, you just need a different tool older to screw in to the base of the support column.

 

It uses aluminum tubes (20mm OD / 18mm ID), one 30 cm in length, the other one 20 cm in length. There are 8 623 ball bearings: 6 for the tool column, 2 for the lever.

 

I've used a mix of M3 screws and some threaded inserts to assemble it:

• 4x M3x8 flat head screws + threaded inserts for the plate
• 3x M3x12 socket head screws + washers + nuts to secure the back column to the base
• 2x M3x12 button head screws + washers + nuts to mount the front ball bearings, left side (I used 1 washer behind each bearing to avoid any play)

• 2x M3x12 button head screws + washers + nuts to mount the front ball bearings, right side:

• 2x M3x18  socket head screws + washers + nuts to mount the back ball bearings (I used 2 washers around each ball bearing). Suggestion: tighten the screws of the 6 ball bearings only after mounting all of them; tighten the backside screws until the sliding column works smoothly without play.

• 1x M3x14  socket head screws + washer + nut to secure the front column support to the back column

• 2x M3x8 + 1x M3x16 socket head screws + washers + nuts to secure the bottom of the tool support. The longest screw also keeps the spring in place:

• 1x M3x6 socket head screw + nut to tighthen the small ring at the top of the tool column
• 4x M3x6 socket head screws + threaded inserts to mount the bottom Dremel holder to the front column support
• 1x M3x10 socket head screw + threaded insert to mount the top Dremel support to the column
• 1x M3x4 button head screw (but a M3x6 SHCS is fine as well) + threaded insert to fix the spring at the top
• 1x M3x8 + 1x M3x6 button head screws + threaded inserts to mount the two halves of the lever handle. The handle contains a ball bearing like those used around the main column.
• 1x M3x25 socket head screw + threaded insert to mount the lever to the column
• 2x M3x12 flat head screws + threaded inserts to mount the lever ball bearing to the tool support column
• 2x M3x4 socket head screws + nuts to mount the ball bearing guide to the lever

I've used minimal supports in this print.