An Add Hoc depth guide for augers

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xy mosian

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Hi all,
For some time I have been considering some sort of depth guide for use with augers. I am thinking of augers of the older type used with swing braces. Sticky tape around the auger works well..ish. The area for sticking is very small and the results can be less than truly useful. The problem is worse when drilling at an angle as anything with any bulk tends to foul the work before the required depth is reached.
Today a solution light bulbed its way into my head. A short length of 19mm plastic overflow tubeing, with a lengthways slit. The image will explain it better. The tape is used just to give the tube more grip. As waste creaps up the auger flutes it can dislodge the tube but with care I found it worked well.


I hope you may find this useful,
xy
edit. It will not work on augers less than 19mm of course.
xy
 

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I like that, but I thought I really ought to mention that you can also count the revolutions to know how deep you have drilled, just to save anyone else the trouble of saying so, :wink:
 
Hi Andy,
I have come a cropper counting turns before now, when the threaded nose has lost grip in the hole. I know that shouldn't really happen, but it had me worried all the same. Thanks for the reminder anyway.
xy
 
This one might be of interest
25504731f320ff86ab590e42ccf93b97.jpg

6afd28851bd88dd52ef0144b3a847163.jpg

I use to use insulation tape but never really liked it. This jigs alright, so longs you don't keep bumping it against the wood.
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
That looks like part of a tube clamp.

I have a couple of those, used mainly for bike and car maintenance, but increasingly infrequently nowadays. I've also got some Aly angle - might give that a try.

I can see, however, that XY's idea would be a lot better for angled holes, for example in chair making. And it wouldn't damage the surface either. There is a risk the metal one might (as Coley says) although you'd obviously take it very slowly at the end of the hole.
 
Eric The Viking":zjuwvz4e said:
That looks like part of a tube clamp.

I have a couple of those, used mainly for bike and car maintenance, but increasingly infrequently nowadays. I've also got some Aly angle - might give that a try.

I can see, however, that XY's idea would be a lot better for angled holes, for example in chair making. And it wouldn't damage the surface either. There is a risk the metal one might (as Coley says) although you'd obviously take it very slowly at the end of the hole.
Yeah it could be. I must have picked it up from the tip or the bootsale when I noticed the eclipse badge
59af52c23fb98c2b9182884ceb820eb3.jpg

9b2427751d268cd8e8d08d372f7afe4e.jpg

I guess a jubilee clip could be another alternative.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
That Eclipse depth stop looks simpler to make than the Stanley equivalent, which needed two castings and a pair of screws with wing-nuts.

depth_stop1.jpg


depth_stop2.jpg


Slow to assemble and bulky compared to a scrap of plastic pipe!
 
When on site I just bore out a piece of scrap timber then cut it to length, when it is pushed up to the chuck its the depth you want.

Merlin
 
merlin":1b128ooh said:
When on site I just bore out a piece of scrap timber then cut it to length, when it is pushed up to the chuck its the depth you want.

Merlin
And a quick wood screw fixes it in place.

If only there were some easy way to make a hole the right size for the auger.. :)

BugBear
 
Hello Xy,

I've not found the need for an angled hole like that but you could just cut the end of the holed " jig " to the angle required.

Merlin
 
Merlin, Sorry I nearly overlooked this.
I can see that working very well with a power drive, even at an angle. I was however thinking of use with a swing brace. Sadly all I can think of is a lump of wood flapping about all over the place. Good tip though, perhaps it could be offerred up in the beginners tips post.

xy
 
Hello xy,

Sorry I've been away for a while, I see what you mean but you could cut the flapping part off or bore the hole in a square section piece of timber to start with, I use any scrap piece laying about.

Merlin
 

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