Homemade DIY Stand for Benchtop Drill Press

If you have a Benchtop drill-press, you are more than likely going to need a drill press stand! I don’t know if it has to do with me being vertically challenged or what? But, I have never found, and over the counter, drill press stands for a benchtop model the suited me right! They are either too tall, and I’ll be tippy-toeing to center a hole, or they are too low, and you have to hunch down. Either way is not only not comfortable, but also questionable from a safety perspective. For me, the ideal drill press stand allows for a range of drilling positions from your belly button to just above your heart! That range is usually about 20 inches, and that is also the safest position when using a benchtop drill press.

I was not planning to build a homemade DIY stand for a benchtop drill press when I purchase my CENTRAL MACHINERY 8 In. 5 Speed Bench Drill Press at Harbor Freight, but I feel like I had little choice give how I intend to use this drill press. Besides, after doing the math is was quite evident that a homemade DIY stand for benchtop drill press was going to be a fraction of the cost of the Craftsman drill press stand at Lowe’s, the POWERTEC or DEWALT Mobile Stand at Home Depot, and even some of the cheapest Chinese units at Walmart and Harbor Freight.

Aside from vertical precision drilling, as many people do, I will be using my benchtop drill press for other duties. I like to make my own fishing lures and since I don’t have a woodturning lathe, I will be using my drill press for this purpose. What does this mean? That means I have to be at a physical stance where I control whatever is turning on the drill press. For this reason, the stand can’t be too tall or too short.

Building a homemade DIY stand for a drill press is no big deal, and it does not have to be complicated! As a matter of fact, most examples in the marketplace are nothing more than four legs and a base. Because I am operating out of a small garage workspace, I decided to step it up a notch and add additional storage to it, but that is 100% optional. The drill press stand consists of four legs, which I cut out of 2X3 pine. I use this odd lumber size because it is relatively inexpensive, and compare to the inventory of 2X4 when I when to buy the lumber, it was the best-looking bunch. The same goes for the top and bottom aprons. For this, I used a combination of 1X2 and 1X3 white pine. That is what I had on hand, and I don’t think it makes a difference. Although, we can all probably agree that the 1X3 makes for a more rigid frame.

One thing that I can see a lot of people criticizing is that I place the two bottom apron pieces on the outside. I have plans for that, and that is why they are like that! If you are looking for a straight john doe homemade DIY drill press stand, I suggest you put them inside. To the left of my drill press stand, I will be adding a provision for a grinder, and on the right, I will be adding a bench extension for my bandsaw! Alone with some additional storage underneath that!

Another modification to my design you may want to consider are casters instead of Hillman 3/8-in x 3-in Plain Coarse Thread Elevator Bolt I use as legs. I have to deal with floors that have over a ¼ inch of variation, and I figured the adjustable elevator bolts would be a better solution.

So, when it was all said and done, I spend something like $11 on the project, and I am quite happy with it! Although I didn’t quite spec $15, I value it at that because I used some scrap wood I had lying around for the top deck, but if you were to replicate my project, more than likely, you might have to buy that also. One thing I did not go over on the video was coating! I did spray my homemade DIY drill press stand with some Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin Water-Based Polyurethane. I ended up putting two coats on the top. That will prevent any oils and or cooling or cutting lubes from penetrating the wood. Once again, I already had it on hand, and although Polyurethane can be a little expensive, know that a coat of $3 clear will do! If you like this post and would like to see more content like this please follow the Cuban Redneck DIY Channel, Thank you…