Drilling jig advice

[woodpig]

You could use one of these.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/prod ... ing-system

Especially if you've got some magnetic wood... Sorry, I'll get me coat.

 

[xy mosian]

That would be IronWood then?
xy

 

[rafezetter]

Thanks again everyone, I'll have a go with the portable drill guide posted by woodpig. I tried using a block with a main hole to guide but it was a losing battle maintaining accuracy and depth at the same time.

I wondered if there was a no-brainer product on the market that I hadn't heard off, hence the original question. Will report back if I find a better solution.

Thanks again.

Could you not have made a collar for the block that sat around the leg?

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you make an L-shaped bracket out of two pieces, each, say 100mm square, you could start the hole with the drill point on your mark and this bracket pushed up to the bit. It would keep the bit square. By the time your chuck was down to the bracket, you would have the line of the hole already defined and could carry on freehand.

 

[Zeddedhed]

If you're still looking then you might want to consider this...

https://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Acce ... try-GD-460

Given the quality of their tools I'd imagine that this is probably the daddy of all drilling jigs (of this particular type)

 

[shed9]

Thanks for the recent input to this, it is appreciated everyone.

As an update, I actually made a block jig with the correct hole at the right angle and clamped it to the pieces I needed to drill. It worked but not very satisfactory.

I've ordered some simple jogs as suggested earlier but none have turned up yet with the long weekend and all.

I've also trawled the web for any other ideas but there doesn't seem to be anything that stands out really. I've seen the Festool jig but I can't see how that would be too accurate given the length of the guide rods. Granted its a Festool and they are superb tools (I've got a shop full of them) but if I was going to lay down that kind of cash I'd probably go with the Fine Tools version suggested earlier.

I'm considering making something up, more on this if it comes off. If I get it to work, I'll post it up.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[xy mosian]

shed9,
Have you said what diameter drill you are using to 200mm depth?
I ask as I have used a long series 6mm diameter twist drill and had it bend along the length of the hole. That is not easy to get around, although some drill types are much less prone to bending.
An auger, for example, uses the body of the drill to reference the hole just bored, something a speed, or flat bit, cannot do. In the example above, a 6mm flat bit is much stiffer than a 6mm twist drill and would be likely to give straighter results.
xy

 

[Steve Maskery]

xy:
=D> =D>
Very well put.

 

[Droogs]

Why not just use a block of wood 3" thick with a 90Deg V cut into the end as a reference to start the hole using and auger. and then once the hole is started and the auger goes in deeper add on an extension bar and keep going till you get to depth.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, that is exactly the same.

 

[shed9]

Why not just use a block of wood 3" thick with a 90Deg V cut into the end as a reference to start the hole using and auger. and then once the hole is started and the auger goes in deeper add on an extension bar and keep going till you get to depth.

I did that Drrogs....

As an update, I actually made a block jig with the correct hole at the right angle and clamped it to the pieces I needed to drill. It worked but not very satisfactory.

However....

It worked but not very satisfactory.

I kind of hoped there would be a professional solution out of the box, but it appears not. There seems to be an overlap of functions but not one device that will adequately clamp to a work piece in-situ and drill fairly accurate holes. Seems there is some requirement to hobble a solution together.

 

[Droogs]

Did you use an auger or a twist bit shed9? I've found the auger and a hand/chest brace to give very accurate alignment

 

[Droogs]

or you could look at making your own version of the framers beam borer on the hand tools thread

 

[shed9]

Did you use an auger or a twist bit shed9? I've found the auger and a hand/chest brace to give very accurate alignment

I used both, including forstner bits during testing and opted for the auger in the actual material eventually.

I must admit, I'm starting to think a brace and auger would probably have been a more viable option looking back. A lot more control and less likely to mess up so quickly.

 

[xy mosian]

Hi shed9, could you give an example of the sort of inaccuracies you are getting please?

As I see it the possibilities are:-
Hole diameter, or deviation from the correct circular form,
Angle of bored hole to surface,
Exact position of hole,
or Straightness of bored hole.

What accuracy do you need to achieve?

One of the most difficult things about drilling a hole is starting it in the right place. With wood which has a great difference between the hardness of summer and winter growth often a hole centred on a 'hard bit' will fall into the nearest soft bit. In this case any play at all in drillbit support, be it shaft bearings or chuck carriage bearings/slides will make matters worse. Whatever guide system is used. The use of a centre punch will help but even using those is difficult.

A standard twist drill is inherently blunt, try pushing by hand into timber, and will readily move to the nearest soft bit. An auger, with sharp point, should be better, but try starting on the edge of some open grain, in say Ash or Oak to find out how difficult that is.

The firmest reference, in most workshops, is probably the router, if it can be positioned correctly. Drill holes in the precise location, correct diameter of course, using a suitable bit in the router. When you have run out of drilling depth change to an auger. That way at least the hole should start in the right position.
xy

 

[DennisCA]

I just remembered this thread when I saw this video, this guy's using some kind of home made jig, looks interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s84MJ7b1GNo

About 2:30 minutes, but it's a short video.

 

[Bm101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW_RJS_QOFg
At the stage I'm at, building a workbench so I can build an oak porch (chicken and egg I suppose, the old porch roof is leaking when the wind blows a particular way and needs replacing so I thought I'd try and do it well), this is quite pertinent for me so I hope no one minds me posting here. Funny enough I saw the video DennisCA posted a while back. Looking again I was trying to work out how he attaches the drill to the jig. My main worry is drilling the mortices square (at 90 degrees) for both bench and porch. That big timber is expensive to get wrong. I'd rather knock up a jig for these two projects that does it easily. I came across the above video he explains in the last comment that he uses a lathe attachment to fix the drill to the jig. In fact, just before I saw this vid I messaged him on you tube and asked for any advice so maybe if he gets time he will respond with more details but I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions. Ive searched for lathe drill attachments but it seems to bring up variations on turning pillar drills into lathes.
I've got an auger bit that will fit my drill but also a brace. I understand the brace is easier to take it carefully with than electric etc but if I can can get it spot on with the old dewalt, tbh Im not that fussed in this case about going silent. I'd rather get it right first time. Too much money at stake with the wood for me. I also thought his jig was rather ingenious and others might benefit.

Regards

 

[AndyT]

The lathe attachment in that video looks like one of these, or part of it

(Image borrowed from http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/html/build_a_lathe_.html)

As you can see from that site, it's the sort of accessory that used to be available for mains powered drills but they have disappeared since individual powered tools became affordable, removing the need to make it easy to clamp things onto a drill.

It's probably easier to find a drill stand which would give you the attachment, the vertical travel and the perpendicularity all in one go.

 

[Bm101]

Thanks Andy, I feared as much.
I remember some tools my Grandfather had, not really old stuff, but the paint job/finish on that lathe attachment seems a familiar shade of blue. Maybe I'm imagining or misremembering, I still have a couple of little giant razor 'planes' and some assorted bits and pieces that had that typical patina.

Maybe I'm imagining the similarity but in my mind it seems to ring true from that period. I took them as momentos while everyone else took non tool stuff when he died. Anyway, just seemed to fit that period. Thanks for the info anyway. Guess I'll be trying to invent a solution on sketchup then

Edit: Thinking on it. I picked up some 6" odd jubilee clips on a 'builders clean' (I'm an abseiler), out the bins where they seem to throw £100s on £100s of pounds worth of fittings at the end of the build of some massive office build in Blackfriars a few years back. Never knew what i might use them for. Patience and hoarding FTW. some judicious use of wedges and clips might serve purpose if i do all the mortices at once.