I'm making a cutting and assembly bench, using a solid core door with a sheet of 3/4" MDF as disposable surface. Any suggestions on how to drill dog holes? The holes will have to be about 2-1/2" (1-3/4" door
The drill press isn't going to work (the door weighs about 80#, alone). I thought about a forstner bit but perpendicular is a problem. I also thought about a router and template but it sounds like a lot of work.
Drill a guide block on the drill press.
I'd start the process with a plunge router and a jig (carefully space pilot holes). Then, proceed with a (Portalign or similar) drill guide, and do step-and-repeat enlarging of the holes. Use a hole saw, with a pilot pin instead of the usual pilot drill. You'll have to work at clearing the sawdust, of course, and the little donuts of wood will take a while to work out of the saw. That's why the drill won't overheat. :-)
I used a plunge router. you just mount a piece of hardboard to it, put a fence on it. Drill a hole however far you want the spacing. Then drill them with the router. Got an Onsrud HS 3/4 upcut bit.
As far as solid core door and mdf, they are not very good for dog holes. But you'll find out. Solid core means particle board usually.
I just drilled dog holes using an up spiral plunge router bit I cut 2 holes in a template the size of the router base as a guide. Clamped the guide squarely to the edge off the bench. A center line of the guide was lined up with a line on the table. Also, I got the bit from MLCS. Good luck, Kirk
Forstner and a drill press is the obvious choice. Alternatively rig a support for a hand drill with a Forstner. Be sure to clear the chips regularly.
krw wrote in news:c1r1tapusd7cccm30nhon6spqpfgorr7vm@
4ax.com:
The dog holes don't need to be 90.0 degrees to the surface. Anything close will do just fine. I drilled mine with a Forstner bit in a cordless drill.
Puckdropper
Perfectly perpendicular may not be a necessity, the dogs just have to not come out. So use a drill with the appropriate sized bit. You could also drill a hole in a chunk of square cut 2x4 on the DP and let it be your hand drill guide with use of a good bit.
You might also consider a high quality brad point bit vs a Forstner. they work better in hand drills. Colt "5 Star" brad points are the best I have ever used. Not cheap but worth the money.
Alternatively the appropriate bit in a plunge router. Use a clamped straight edge for the x axis and use multiple exact size squares along that straight edge to provide y axis spacing. Plunge/drill a hole, remove a spacer and repeat until all the spacers have been removed.
Not sure I understand why the weight is an issue. Whatever you're drilling doesn't have to be supported by the drill press.
That should work.
That's an idea. I guess I could make a thick template (to get the spacing right).
The step and repeat process sounds like it'll be difficult to get aligned properly. I looked at a drill guide quite similar to that at Woodcraft on Saturday. It looked too fragile, though I was thinking about a single pass with a 3/4" Forstner at the time.
The top weighs well over 100lbs. It's kinda unwieldy to get onto a drill press. OTOH, it's now on wheels. I'll have to see if the height is reasonable to get under the DP.
That's where I was going but couldn't find a 3/4" upcut bit. Certainly not one long enough.
I hadn't planned on putting a vice on the table. The lateral loads should be fairly trivial.
I have to move it under the drill press.
I'm pretty bad at getting even close to vertical with a hand-held drill.
I have a bunch of Colts but I don't think any are that big. They're not available at Woodcraft anymore and I haven't seen them anywhere else, either.
I was thinking about putting the router on a track then using a block against a dog in the previous hole to get the spacing in the other axis. As I mentioned above, I didn't find any bits big enough, though. I'll look some more.
Stand a square up close to where you are drilling, helps a lot when eye balling vertical.
And just to be sure, Colt "5 Star" May not help you now but maybe in the future. FYI I had to have a 1/2" bit a few years ago and found it here.
But anyway I found this place that you might be interested in.. Not sure what size you are looking for but you can get up to 1/2" and 16mm, about 5/8.
Still expensive but not a bad price singly.
you may not like this answer but i have learned to rely on just winging it the more you do it the better the outcome blow a bunch of holes in some waste stock to get the feel of it than keep that memory and do it on the real stock
krw wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
*snip & trim*
Imagine the bit extends through the drill and out the back about 2'. The closer you get this imaginary bit to vertical, the closer the real one will be.
Watch the bit as it starts to cut. A properly sharp twist bit will remove equal shavings from both sides. Forstners are a little easier, as you can watch the hole as it forms and make sure it's a consistent depth the whole way around.
The drill block someone suggested ealier isn't a bad idea. Once you get the bit started straight, it's usually pretty easy to keep it straight.
Puckdropper
Clamp the drill press to the door and use it like a radial drill.
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