My 1-3/4" thick solid laminated maple work bench is exactly that, solid. That means no dog holes. Anyone have experience drilling 3/4" diameter bench dog holes that are actually vertical as they should be and not slightly tilted? I've considered using my router except that it would create quite a bit of dust and that's not at all desirable considering that the bench is located in my living room.
Thanks
It also occurred to me. Is there a recommended spacing for these holes? My bench is 72" long x 30" deep.
------------------------------ Dust is a problem you live with or equip your plunge router with D/C.
That given, I'd use a plunge router with at least a 2" stroke and a spiral milling cutter, not a normal router bit.
Assuming your router base is 5-3/4" dia,, replace it with a piece of
1/2" MDF, 6" W x 60"-72" long with router centered.Clamp a straight edge to the bench, offset 3" from dog holes centerline using another piece of 1/2" MDF.
Slide router into position and clamp extended base, butted against straight edge, to table and drill/cut 3/4" dia. dog hole.
When finished, index to next position and repeat.
Holes to be on 6" centers.
Have fun.
Lew
One traditional method of doing this is to take a nice sized, square cornered block of wood and drill a 3/4" (or whatever dia. you desire) hole through it on a drillpress. Then use the block as a guide for a hand-held drill on the workbench. It's not perfect because repeated usei will enlarge the guide block hole and allow some play, potentially making the target hole somewhat off-plumb, but it work's pretty darn good if reasonable care is used.
In the past, I did jury rig a total enclosure for a trim router when I was trimming some acrylic, which can be quite messy. It wouldn't be too difficult for me to do the same when cutting bench dog holes ~ just a bigger enclosure needed and maybe a connection to my Festool CT22 dust collector . And, I do own a Makita 3612BR plunge router which meets the requirements you've laid out.
Not familar with spiral milling cutters. Are they some type of upcutting bit? What advantage would one be over a standard 3/4" router bit?
Thanks, I'll keep that idea in mind. I may even have a source for a metal guide block with 3/4" hole in it.
------------------------------ In the metal working trades would be known as an "End Mill", typically
4 flute.Definitely NOT a wood working item.
Don't know who would have them in Canada.
Check a local machine shop for their source.
-----------------------------
------------------------------- Chip clearance.
An end mill will have an up spiral, very useful for continuous chip removaL with a D/C system.
Have fun.
Lew
I used a spade bit with drill guide called a Portalign. I don't think it's in production any more, but there are similar devices around, such this one from Sears:
Mine were 7/8" diameter. Some pictures here:
The spacing should be equal to the stroke of your vice. I have mine at 12" and I also have
"Upscale" wrote
A router bit does not cut at the center of the bit, and as mentioned, they do not lift the chips out of the hole.
I would use a forsner style drill bit, shortened, if need be, and turned down by a machine shop to fit your _variable-speed_ router. It could be a good idea (depending on the design of the bit) to modify the cutting angle of the face to only be a few degrees so it will not try to feed too fast and over-load your router.
I think this setup would make a more precisely dimensioned and smooth set of holes than an end mill cutter, and be less likely to clog up with chips.
r. org- Hide quoted text -
If he's got a set of Forstners then a variation on that is to drill the hole the size of the shank of the Forstner and cut a relief in the bottom of the block for the body of the Forstner. Same works with spade bits. You get some wear but for making a dozen or so dog holes it shouldn't be an issue. With Forstners make sure to clear the bit regularly--down under a block of wood you can't tell what it's doing and they're easy to wreck.
If you want to fancy it up, glue the block to a piece of Masonite or thin MDF or plywood or whatever you've got an appropriately-sized scrap of and put an edge guide and a reference hole in it.
If it's already got the hole, go for it, but no real need for metal unless you're making benches on a production line.
I used Rockler's long shank 3/4" carbide forstner drill bit plus their drill guide:
On Nov 13, 7:19=A0pm, "Upscale" wrote: .... I've considered using my router except that it would create quite a
This has turned into an interesting and informative string. But I have to ask the question:
Why is it in you living room? Just nosy. :^}
RonB
Essentially, it's because I live in a one bedroom apartment and use a wheelchair. In well over 10 years of looking, I haven't been able to find a wheelchair accessible space to rent or perhaps share with someone that is within the realm of affordable. I'd be willing to pay $300-$400 a month for a space that's accessible and less than 30 minutes or so Toronto transit travel time time. So far, I've not been able to find anything other than commercial spaces that are $1000 a month and up. To compound the problem, Toronto's subway system is slightly less than 50% wheelchair accessible which cuts down greatly on my potential search area.
Like these?
Mea Culpa RE: Carbide End Mill
Looks like a 3/4" end mill with a 1/2" shank selling for something less than the national debt will be only slightly harder to find than a set of hen's teeth.
Looks like a 3/4" x 2", 1/2" shank, dual flute, carbide router bit is your choice.
Will just require some patience to keep chips cleared out.
BTW, install a backer board against bottom of top to prevent blow out when bit pierces thru bottom of top.
Have fun.
Lew
Everyone to his own preferences, but why do you object to the slight tilt? My experience has been that a tilt of a few degrees (I believe mine is 4 or 5 degrees) towards the vise keeps the dogs from tilting backwards or riding up when pressure is applied.
On your followup question about hole spacing, it should be at most a little less than your vise stroke. I set mine about half that to ensure most of a board is always flat on the table. I use a variation of a French leg vise and have one at the front and back edges of the bench. I put one row of holes in line with each of those vises and another right down the middle.
A handy add on is a "double dog" that spans the bench (or the two vises) and another that spans from either edge to the center row of holes.
I agree with those comments only that I maybe mistakenly assumed that the slight downward tilt needed was already incorporated in the flat face of most bench dogs. As demonstrated with these two bench dogs which have 2 and
3 degree downward faces built in.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.