Can you post a photograph please. I have the base and column off my old pillar drill but it's only 2 1/2 inch diameter. Both are fairly heavy but you're welcome to them if you want to try and make an internal adaptor for your column. Nathan.

I owned a Buffalo drill years ago. It was a nice tool even though a previous owner had abused it. It is certainly worth keeping. The 2 3/4" column was very common on US made drill presses. If it was part of a gang drill it probably has a flange on the bottom of the column. If so, even a piece of steel plate could be used as a base.

One should turn up eventually. Posting it here is probably the best place to post it.

Several on e-bay from the US that would fit, depends whether you want to pay the postage for a heavy item like that

As you say the woodworkers drill table is 'too small' is the buffalo drill post hollow; if so could you not make up an adaptor to fit in the smaller base & the drill post you have, fastened in with a couple of grub screws, & then bolt it to a worktop or fabricated stand ?

George.

Maybe a small surface plate would do for a nice cast iron base. One that no longer cuts the mustard as a surface plate will be more than good enough. Guess any dealer would be more than happy to take a few pounds off you for such as being otherwise unsaleable.

I agree that a lump of decent kitchen worktop will do fine as a get you going move. Use large washers on the underside in suitable recesses cut with a Forstener bit. With a similar issue I went a bit OTT by making "large washer on a tube" style inserts taking countersunk headed screws. Customer was a known machine abuser and I wanted to control how tight he could get things and as much support as possible. Must have worked 'cos he didn't break it!

Might be easier to handle things if you made tapped inserts of similar style which can be inserted from the bottom before flipping the base, aligning drill column and putting bolts in from top. Nail or screw through a hole or notch in the washer end will do to stop it turning as you tighten the bolt.

Rows, or even a full grid, of tapped holes make a more or less adequate substitute for slots. Push or screw in from the back thread inserts can be got quite cheaply from Screwfix (under furniture fixings) et al. Pop a bit of glue on to improve retention. Generally only 6 mm and 8 mm easily obtainable over the counter but such are more than strong enough for sensible use.

If you want a metal surface a piece of 10 gauge / 3 mm steel sheet glued and screwed on top of the worktop material will make a decent job.

Whilst you are at it obtain some thick MDF from redundant kitchen cabinets et al. Suitably sized chunks are ideal sub bases for working on thin sheet or hard to hold items. Just add wood screws as and where required. Bin when too ragged for further use. Worth keeping a longer piece fitted with worktop off-cut feet so it will sit level on the bench to use as an extended table for long or cumbersome objects. Hafta clear the bench first of course but stability is a good thing.

A friend with two bench drills arranged one so he could quickly shift it onto a workmate thingy either in the middle of the floor or outside when doing big stuff. He found it very worthwhile. Can't do that its my big Pollard pillar drill so I got cunning with placement and doors. Largest part so far was 14 ft long!

In my experience temporary set-ups often last longer than the proper job so worth making a bit more effort.

Clive.

Adrian – I have a heavy cast alloy radial arm saw rectangular base (approx. 6" x 7&quot bored to take a 3" column. It has a central extension 'spigot' used for the table mounting which would need to be cut off.

PM me if of interest

rgds

Bill