Soup Up Your Drill Press

The area below your drill press table is the perfect spot to pack in some storage, and turn your drill press into a robust work center.

- Willie Sandry

The drill press may be an unsung hero, quietly doing its job off in some dusty and neglected corner of the shop. Well, that changes today with a series of modifications and upgrades to transform a mundane drill press into a capable drilling machine loaded with storage and extra features. The fact is most drill presses are not built for woodworking, as evidenced by the small round table they’re often outfitted with. Worse yet, many factory tables lack any T-tracks or dog holes for adequate clamping, which creates a possible safety concern. Other common frustrations with this tool are poor bit-holding power and chucks that are difficult to adjust. These issues will all be addressed with this simple plan including a 4-drawer storage cabinet with bonus tool case storage and side hooks. Plus, we'll add a woodworking style fence with over and under-table dust collection, as well as options for upgrading your factory chuck.