Accurate hand-held drilling

I'd be grateful for any tips for ensuring that a hole made with a hand-held drill is accurately at 90 degrees to a surface. I've wondered about knocking up a flat metal plate with a short stub of tubing set exactly perpendicular to it and using that as a guide, but it would be necessary to make a whole set of them for different size bits. It would also, in smaller sizes, be very tricky to position the tube exactly where the hole is to be drilled/

I've tried an accurately-cut V shape in a thick block of wood and placing the drill into the corner of the cutout; this has worked up to a point but I wonder if something more spot-on might be possible.

Many thanks.

Reply to
Bert Coules
Loading thread data ...

Summat like this.

formatting link
._SL1500_.jpg

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

what about an upside down F shape, the vertical part being wood the 2 horizintal parts being thinish perspex, with holes pre drilled for various drill sizes.

Personall I just eyeball it and I doubt any are 100% but as I countersink in wood not an issue. You could also buy a cheap drill stand on ebay.

Reply to
ss

Richard,

Thanks for that. Do you have a link to the actual device?

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

If you've got access to a drill press, but can't use it for the surface in question, cut an accurately square block of wood, drill a straight hole in it using the press, then clamp (or temporarily screw or hotglue) the block in place while you drill your hole.

Reply to
Andy Burns

Thanks for the new replies. Unfortunately, my drill press (along with all my other workshop gear) is in storage at present. I have just found this:

formatting link

which is simpler than the device Richard linked to but which might answer my immediate need.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

Bert

Here is the link' it's a bit pricey but there are some cheaper alternatives.

formatting link

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

Thanks, Richard. As you say, pricey, but it looks decently made and I think it would be excellent for drilling downwards onto a horizontal surface. For anything vertical the lighter Axmister device might well have the edge, though it would surely need to be handled with a lot more care than the Wolfcraft to get an equally spot-on result.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

Because you need to drill a large, inconveniently shaped object like a boat?

Otherwise it is a pillar drill, every time. Or, for large fixed metal structures, then a drill on a magnetic stand.

Reply to
newshound

Or a wall or a door: not inconveniently shaped but tricky to get under a pillar drill.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

True. But then how often do you actually need to get an *accurately* perpendicular hole into these? And if you do, you can always drill through, say, a block of wood (provided you have a pillar drill to make the guide hole perpendicular).

Some of the tools shown elsewhere do come in handy if you need to drill accurately through the centre of something like a newel post or a bannister.

Reply to
newshound

"newshound" asked:

Well just at the moment I'm faced with the task of drilling a good few holes in the doors and drawer fronts of a new kitchen in order to attach the handles. Accuracy is pretty important.

After this project I doubt if the need will ever arise again, certainly not in such numbers.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

Stick a large bit in the drill, and clamp it up so the drill bit is vertical and plumb. Now fix a "bulls eye" level to the back of the drill with some hotmelt or epoxy, making sure its sets dead centre. In future all you need to is get the level dead centre to know you are plumb.

Reply to
John Rumm

John,

Nice idea and I'll investigate tomorrow but from memory on neither of my two hand drills are the back plates either dead flat nor - more crucially - parallel to the front of the chuck.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

I did this by drilling from the face side using a hand held drill and a small set square for guidance - it was quick and easy. The handle position is set by the start point of the holes and a small angular error is insignificant over 12-18mm, especially when using holes sized for clearance.

Reply to
nospam

Hence why the epoxy/hotmelt fixing - get the drill clamped in the position it needs to be, then set the bulls eye level on the blob of gloop and make sure it reads level in both axis before said gloop sets/cools. That way the gloop takes out the shape of the back of the drill from the equation.

Reply to
John Rumm

Dead easy. Put the drill bit on the work and start the hole. Hold a small trysquare on the work and sight the bit against it. Do it once again at 90deg around the drill, all the time holding the drill stead. Drill your hole. This is how I drill through 4" fence posts to fasten steel plates on both sides with the same bolts and the accuracy is plenty good enough.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Most cupboard handles are held by 4mm machine screws. Last time I put a kit chen in requiring a significant number of handles to attach, I simply made a MDF jig that hooked over one edge self aligned against the top/bottom edg e of the doors and drilled through preset holes in the jig. It was still se rviceable after 20+ handles and every hole was spot on. I think I used a 4.

5mm drill just to allow for a slight adjustment.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

John,

Thanks. In fact, I realised that was what you meant, just after I posted my reply.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

Thanks for the new replies and tips. Drilling slightly oversize to allow for any mild wander is a good notion.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.