Re: Drill press
I also use this setup.I mounted a thin project box to the table with a laser
pointer, a mirror at 45 deg and a pinhole inside to illuminate the bottom of the
PCB. The pin hole is made by mounting a brass shim and drilling the hole with
the smallest bit that you have. A degree of fiddling is necessary to get the
laser beam directly centered on the pinhole. But once it is adjusted, the beam
is strong enough to illuminate the hole to be drilled from below. There is also
a bit of diffusion through the FR4, but the center of the spot of light is
exactly aligned with the bit. the top of the project box serves as the table
which is OK for small PCBs.
The drawback is that once it is calibrated you can't remove the rotary tool or
rotate the arm. This arrangement largely eliminates the depth perception
problem; where the spot of light is, is where the drill bit will penetrate the
PCB.
Baxter