Leveling with a wire

Squaring up a tilting table on a drill press so it's perpendicular to a drill bit can prove tedious. Instead of using a square, a small length of coat hanger will do the job quickly and accurately. Cut a length of wire approximately 6" long, and bend right angles in it as shown. Don't worry if the angles aren't exactly 90°. Chuck one end into the drill and tighten. Raise the table so it touches the wire. Slowly rotate the drill chuck 180° by hand so you can detect any high or low spots in the table.
—John Clark, Cuddebackville, N.Y.