Introduction: Cheap PCB Drillpress for Dremel
I needed a drill press for my Dremel 3000, to drill printed circuit boards - so I decided to make one with stuff I had lying around.
Step 1: Parts
Pieces of wood:
3 lengths of 40x10mm - 90mm (frame top), 170mm (frame bottom), 160mm (frame vertical part)
2 lengths of 30x18mm - 40mm each (corner blocks)
1 length of 30x40mm - 110mm long (to mount rod)
Base board -180x300mm 12mm thick
Other:
Metal rod - I used a 390mm long, 9.5mm diameter rod from an old printer (but only needs to be 280mm long)
Spring from an old torch
"L" shaped piece of metal (from old car radio)
One large nail
Nuts, bolts, nails, glue etc.
Step 2: Mount the Rod
Drill a hole in the 30x40 block 2cm from one end to mount the rod. Hole needs to be straight, and the rod needs to be a tight fit. This is the hardest part because you haven't got a drill press (catch 22!). I drilled from both sides with a much smaller diameter drill, then widened the hole with larger drill bits.
Gently tap the rod into the block and mount the block on the base board with glue and nails from underneath. If the rod is not exactly vertical you might need to wedge something under one side (I used a couple of nails).
I also extended the rod into the baseboard.
Step 3: Build the Frame
I glued and nailed the frame pieces together, except for the top piece - which I mounded with nuts and bolts in a loose hole to allow slight adjustment later.
The nail slides through a hole in the base section and is banged into the base board. Then I chopped the top of the nail off (with the Dremel cutter) so that the assembly can be removed if required.
Step 4: Add Drill Mount
I wanted to be able to easily remove the Dremel to use it for other things. I used an 'L' shape bit of metal from the case of an old car radio and cut a slot to fit the neck of the Dremel, and bolted it (to allow adjustment) to the vertical part of the frame.
After tightening the end of the Dremel against the metal, I found that a rubber pulley belt at the top of the Dremel was sufficient to hold it in place.
And that's it. It has worked really well for drilling PCB's - no more broken drill bits!