Wooden drill press wrench

[EIEIO]

Sometime in the past I lost the sheet metal wrench that came with my drill press. The wrench is used to loosen a 23mm nut that holds the table in a tilt position. Loosen the nut and you can tilt the table to some angle. It is a help when making bowls or inserts to get an angled pilot hole for the scroll saw.

I removed the table tilt nut then outlined it on a piece of 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 6" rock maple. The screw is to help support the top end of the wrench so it doesn't split. Then tapered it to make a nice handle. The wrench works just fine as is, but if I made another I would rotate the hole 15 degrees (1/4 flat of the nut) so it can be reversed to get a different angle on the nut.

[DWSudekum]

McGuyver would be proud of you!  That looks good.  Thanks for sharing this with us.   Perhaps a smaller version for the thumb screw on the saw?

DW

[EIEIO]

Thanks DW. Since you mentioned it...


This is for the thumbscrews on the EX-21. Sometimes the bottom screw gets stuck so it helps to get it moving.

[pddesertrat]

The one for the Ex is the one I need to make.  Several times now I've had to use a persuader so loosen that bottom one.  Why does it do that? 

[EIEIO]

The one for the Ex is the one I need to make.  Several times now I've had to use a persuader so loosen that bottom one.  Why does it do that?

same on mine. maybe it's just in a harder place to reach so harder to get loose than the top clamp. the safety around the lower clamp probably doesn't make it any easier. if you make one, give it an offset angle like in the photo - you can flip it to get a different angle on the thumbscrew handle.

[wombatie]

Oh Yes I need one for my EX21.  Have had trouble with my wrist since I broke it a couple of years ago.  Have real trouble with the top and bottom thumb screws.  Great ideas Ray.

Marg

[frankorona]

A great contribution of wit and great idea, thanks for sharing.

[EIEIO]

Oh Yes I need one for my EX21.  Have had trouble with my wrist since I broke it a couple of years ago.  Have real trouble with the top and bottom thumb screws.  Great ideas Ray.

Marg

The thumbscrew wrench is made the same way as the drill press wrench - remove the thumbscrew (don't lose the swivel part on the tip of the thread). While it's out, you might remove the swivel part and give it a touch of grease, then replace the swivel and clean it off. Trace the thumbscrew handle on the blank with the offset angle as in the photo, then drill and cut with the scroll saw. Mine is kind of long at 6" - 3" would be plenty. And don't use the wrench to tighten the thumbscrew. If finger-tight is not enough then there's something else that needs to be fixed.

This one is 3/4" thick birch hardwood - a scrap that was cut off a board from another project. About any wood or BB Ply will work for this thumbscrew wrench - it doesn't take much to break a stuck screw loose. But keep it small enough and long enough to reach into the lower clamp.

[wombatie]

The thumbscrew wrench is made the same way as the drill press wrench - remove the thumbscrew (don't lose the swivel part on the tip of the thread). While it's out, you might remove the swivel part and give it a touch of grease, then replace the swivel and clean it off. Trace the thumbscrew handle on the blank with the offset angle as in the photo, then drill and cut with the scroll saw. Mine is kind of long at 6" - 3" would be plenty. And don't use the wrench to tighten the thumbscrew. If finger-tight is not enough then there's something else that needs to be fixed.

This one is 3/4" thick birch hardwood - a scrap that was cut off a board from another project. About any wood or BB Ply will work for this thumbscrew wrench - it doesn't take much to break a stuck screw loose. But keep it small enough and long enough to reach into the lower clamp.

Thanks Ray I will cut me one of those.

Marg

[PigsFly]

Steve also has a pattern for such a knob which works for both Dewalt and Excalibur.

http://www.stevedgood.com/dewaltupgrade.pdf

Look at the lower right in the picture and you will see how I keep mine handy using a magnet with a hole in the center and a small bolt through the hole.