Shop-made Flip Stop

Over the years, I have often clamped stops on my drill-press fence to register hole locations in workpieces. Unfortunately, I always seemed to lose the stops. Flip stops always seemed like a good idea because they stay attached to the fence all the time so you won’t lose them. Plus, they flip up out of the way when you’re done with a particular operation, but will flip back down to their original location if necessary.

I decided to make my own flip stops from easily obtainable hardware (from Woodworkers’ Supply), off-the-shelf aluminum flat stock from my local home-supply store and a few bits of hardwood. The stops mount on 3⁄4” aluminum T-track that I screwed to the top of my drill press fence.

To build a flip stop, begin by making the slider blocks and spacers. Saw or rout two opposing 1⁄16“-deep rabbets on the underside of the slider to create a tongue that fits snugly in the T-track slot without binding. On the drill press, bore a through-hole to accept the T-bolt, then drill a blind hole in the end of each block to accept the press-in inserts. Drill a screw pilot hole in each end of the spacer. Next, lay out the shape and hole locations of the L-shaped brackets on 1⁄8” x 1″ aluminum flat stock. It’s easier to drill the holes before cutting the brackets to shape, so do the drill-press work first. Then cut the brackets to shape with a hacksaw or jigsaw and clean up the edges with a mill file. Assemble the parts and mount the stop onto T-track that’s screwed to the top of a 3⁄4“-thick wooden fence. My fence is 13⁄16” high, which allows space for a 3⁄4” backer panel to slide under the stop in use. One final thing: You’ll need to cut the end of the T-bolt level with the top of the thumb nut to allow clearance for the flipped up spacer.  — Jim Judge