Digital Machinist Magazine

 

 

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Drill Press Foot Pedal
by Al Ray

Here’s a very simple modification to a drill press that has proven quite useful for those times when you wished you had a third hand. It’s a foot pedal wired into the motor circuit of my drill press. I use it to ease a tap into a hole or to drill something that isn’t easily clamped.

Photo Photo

PhotoIt uses a cheap extension cord, a fabricated base, and an old automotive starter/dimmer switch. It is wired into the motor circuit only because the drill press has a built-in work lamp and I wanted to be able to have that light remain on even when the motor is not running. If I didn’t care about the lamp, I would have simply put the switch in-line.

Very handy for those times when I need to “bump” a tap, or hold a piece of work – hold down the quill, and start/stop the motor simultaneously. Of course, the switch can be bypassed or removed for normal operation.

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