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Mar 20, 2024

Make Your Own Square Hole Bench Drill With This Guide

If the video player is not working, you can click on this alternative video link. If you are struggling to fit a square peg into a round hole, then this great little project might be just the ticket.

If the video player is not working, you can click on this alternative video link.

If you are struggling to fit a square peg into a round hole, then this great little project might be just the ticket. Using some old scrap, and a little ingenuity, you too can make your own square hole bench drill.

Follow this simple guide to find out how.

As you can imagine, you'll need some tools and materials before you get started.

The first step is to take your L-bar steel and scrap sheet metal and weld the pieces together to make the main base for the device. Next, take some more strips of metal sheet and cut at an angle using your angle grinder.

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Weld the angled steel to another strip of the metal sheet as shown in the video. Once done, weld the angled steel shape to the main base.

With that complete, take some small pieces of sheet metal and make some brackets. Fit your lengths of steel rod into the brackets as shown to make a pair of rails.

Place them onto the base and weld them into place as needed.

With that done, take another piece of sheet metal and cut out a trapezoid shape from one side. Then drill a series of holes through it and weld some bolts into the holes as shown in the video.

Weld another length of steel sheet to the bolted plate and insert two equally-lengthed steel rods into the larger holes as shown.

With that done, turn the plate over and affix your bearings to the exposed, welded nuts. Next, transfer the assembly to the main base, dismantle the rails, and thread them through the bearings as shown below.

Next, install the manual adjustment winch assembly to move the platform backward and forwards on the rails.

With that done, drill a series of holes on the vertical upstand of the base, and affix a pair of guide rails as shown in the video. Next, install two pairs of rail brackets and lay a sheet of steel above them.

Mark out where the plate will need to be mounted to the brackets and drill holes accordingly. With that done, take your motor and mount it to the metal plate as shown.

Mount a drill chuck into the axle of the drill and then insert your square hole drill bit into the main drill chuck.

Next, weld pieces of metal to make a bracket to hold the drill bit in place as shown in the video. Once complete, bolt to the motor mounting plate to the underling rails as needed.

With that done, mount the motor to the moveable plate. Next, affix a pair of pieces of metal to act as bumpers on the rails to prevent the plate/drill carriage from coming off the rails.

With that done, install a set of springs between the main upstand of the frame and the moving drill carriage.

Next, take a length of steel and cut it into a handle shape. Attach this to the mainframe and connect it to the drill carriage using another short length of steel.

This will form the main handle to pull the drill carriage down against the resistance of the springs you previously installed. Test the action, and adjust as needed.

With that done, install a pair of clamps on either side of the main platform to hold the things you want to drill in place.

With that done, your DIY bench drill is now complete. Now all you need to do is wire up the motor and find somewhere to put your new tool.

If you enjoyed this project, you might enjoy making some more DIY tools for your workshop? How about, for example, making your own power hammer?