Having a drill press in your workshop is great, adding a custom built drill press table with a larger work surface, t-tracks for clamping, and some storage just expands the functionality exponentially. Below I am providing plans for a DIY drill press table that includes storage for small items. The 18″ x 24″ surface is larger than most stock drill press tables, and the extension wings provide additional support when you need to drill longer items. The t-tracks allow the use of all sorts of clamping devices, as well as miter guides, and a few other handy accessories. It’s also designed with a built-in hose attachment for dust collection, and an easily replaceable insert so you will always have a solid backing to eliminate tear out when drilling through pieces.

Materials List

• 3 – 18″ x 24″ plywood or MDF
• 2 – 31″ x 3 7/8″ pieces of 3/4″ plywood or solid wood (drawer frames
• 2 – 6 1/4″ x 7 3/4″ pieces of 1/8 plywood or hardboard (drawer bottoms)
• 2 – 4″ x 4″ pieces of 3/4″ plywood, MDF, or solid wood (dividers)
• 4 – 16 1/2″ x 4″ pieces of 3/4″ plywood, MDF, or solid wood (vertical walls)
• 2 – 10″ x 4″ pieces of 1/2″ or 3/4″ plywood or MDF (back walls)
• 4 – 8″ pieces of 2×4 (extensions)
• T-Track intersection kit (4 sets)
• 48″ Universal T-Track
• 4 – pieces 3/4″ dowel or metal rod, 9 3/4″ long

We’ll start this DIY drill press table by preparing several of the pieces, then go into assembly after we have the majority of the pieces prepared.

Top and bottom bases

The first pieces you’re going to cut in order to build this drill press table are the three 18″ x 24″ bases. The bottom base is a single solid piece, while the top is constructed of two pieces. All three of these can be cut from 3/4″ plywood or MDF. I would recommend staying away from solid wood for these pieces so you have better assurances of a flat work surface.

For the lower top piece, the only additional cuts you are going to make is a single 2 1/2″ hole, centered width-wise on the board and 7″ from the back edge. NOTE: depending on your drill press, the distance from the back edge may need to be more or less than 7″. I find the 7″ measurement works well for my 50+ year old Craftsman floor model drill press. For the upper top piece, you are going to need to drill a 3″ hole in that same location – and save the piece that was cut out. This will be your replaceable insert when you are done. Since the hole is 1/2″ larger, you should be able to have this piece rest on top of the lip created on the lower piece.

You’ll also need to route a series of 3/8″ deep dados for your t-track to be inserted. The diagram below provides the measurements I used to create my top grid based on my normal usage and needs. Feel free to modify the design as you feel fits your style.

Drill press table vertical walls

Now that we have the bases cut, let’s move onto the vertical walls. There are four sets of pieces to cut here – the outer walls, the inner walls, the dividers, and the back walls. NOTE: These plans have them all shown as 4″ high pieces, with the intent of using wood glue along with screws, nails, or pocket screws to hold them in place. You can, of course, use other types of joinery such as dados to secure them in place. Just remember to adjust the measurements before you cut to account for the extra height needed to slide into the dado joints.

Both the outer and inner walls have one end cut to an 85° angle instead of a standard 90°. This is to allow for the slant on the back wall. Why the slant? Well, without it I couldn’t get my vacuum’s hose into the dust collection port. This allows for more room to operate without sacrificing surface area on the drill press table. The outer walls are cut to 16 1/2″ long, while the inner walls are cut to 15 11/16″ long.

The outer walls also need to have the holes drilled for the 3/4″ dowels. Drill these holes with the centers 1 1/4″ from the top of the outer walls. The center of the holes should then be 3 1/2″ and 7 1/2″ from the back edge of the outer walls.

Align all four pieces flush to the front edge of the table and secure with wood glue and the mechanical fasteners of your choice. Remember to attach these with the slant going inward!

The 4″ x 4″ divider blocks go between the inner walls. The back divider block should have a hole drilled through it matching the diameter of your vacuum hose. My hose is 2 1/2″ in diameter, so that is what I used for this block. The middle divider is attached 8 1/2 or 9″ from the back edge of the base. This puts it far enough front that the hole in the top sits behind it, creating a pocket for dust collection.

The last pieces to cut and attach are the 4″ x 10″ back walls. You can use either 1/2″ or 3/4″ plywood for these, or even 1/4″ if you that is the scrap you have handy. Glue and fasten these to the back end of inner and outer walls along the 85° cut.

Extension wings

For the drill press table extension wings, you’ll need to cut four pieces of 2×4 to 8″ long. You will also need to drill out the corresponding holes for the 3/4″ dowels. For these pieces, the holes do not need to go all of the way through the pieces, they only need to go 3/4″ – 1″ deep. They should align to the holes drilled in the outer walls, centered 1 1/4″ from the top of the 2×4 pieces.

Cut the four 3″ x 10″ pieces of 3/4″ plywood or MDF to attach to the top of the 2x4s. The top piece will need to have a dado routed that corresponds to the t-track in your drill press table top. When you secure these to the 2×4, make certain to align the inner faces of all of the pieces so they can sit flush to the side of your table top.

DO NOT GLUE THE INNER 2×4 IN PLACE YET. First, put the inner 2×4 piece in between the outer and inner vertical walls assembled above, then put the dowels through the holes in the outer wall. Now you can glue the dowels into the inner 2×4.

Drawers

The last components to construct are the two simple drawers. You can use any type of drawer joinery you wish. I like to keep things simple when they are utilitarian in nature, so I would typically use a 45° miter fold v-groove bit so I can just make the 90° grooves in the plywood and fold it. However there are several other techniques that also work perfectly fine for this size draw. I also prefer to use a simple single 1/4″ deep dado in all of the boards to allow my 1/8″ hardboard drawer bottom to rest. The important thing is keep your drawer box about 1/8″ shorter and narrower than the openings so it can slide in and out easily.

At this point, the last thing you should need to do is attach the top pieces to the lower frame. Use the same joinery techniques for the lower top as you did the bottom base. Then I recommend simply using 1″ wood screws to attach the t-track pieces. These going through the upper top piece into the lower top piece should be adequate to hold the two top pieces together, and if you ever need to replace the upper top due to wear and tear, you don’t have to worry about replacing the lower portion of the drill press table – just remove a few screws and your ready to switch it out.

If you have any questions or comments, drop us a note in the comments section down below.

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