Dog holes

[brianhr]

I have drilled some dog holes in my bench (actually more of a table!). The top consists of two layers of 18mm MDF over 22mm pine. The problem is that some of the dog holes meet with the edge of some bearers and I cannot drill far enough to enable me to insert bench dogs fully as the bit is deflected by the bearer.

Is there a forstner bit that has a 'head' longer than the usual 10mm or so? Does anyone think an auger bit would do the job?

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

An auger bit would do fine I imagine, but re deflecting, can you just securely clamp a piece of timber flush to the base of the hole that you have already drilled and then it should pull the bit through properly, instead of going to the path of least resistance?

HTOSH, Cheers _Dan

 

[condeesteso]

sadly you have placed dog-holes over stretchers... always a problem to be avoided. Don't drill any deeper - for most uses your 36mm top will give way enough clamping. The Veritas short dogs will fit easily, or make some shortish ones from dowel, hardwood etc. Next trick is drill the dogs away from the supports... sorry.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Assuming the bearers are wooden, just glue+screw blocks to their sides, snug to the underside of the bench top and long enough to bridge the hole and get screws in either end.

Unless you're planning a line of holes through all the bearers across the bench, it'll make next-to-no-difference to rigidity, and your drill (use an auger, not a Forstner) will run fine. If you temporarily screw a plate of, say, MDF or ply to the bottom of bearer+block, you'll even get a clean exit hole.

It's a job I'd do by hand with a brace: you can use threaded spur augers with a powered hand drill, but you'd better know what you're doing, and its definitely not advisable (DAMHIK)!

Heresy alert: If you haven't got a proper brace, you can get cheap augers with hex shanks from the usual suspects and drive them with a socket set!

As you're going vertically down, it's worth clearing the hole occasionally - don't forget to reverse the auger a few turns before trying to pull it out!

HTH, E.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Its maybe too late a suggestion, or maybe you require the dog holes for holdfasts or clamps?, if you need them as stops then a simple and effective method is to route short slots, these are perpendicular to your bench front (apron), use a 1/2" or 3/4" straight bit, they only need to be 2" long or there abouts, and 18mm deep or there abouts, the same shape as a festool domino would make, then make 'domino stops' of various lengths (heights) out of something tough like beech.

HTH

 

[Scouse]

Would the shorter Bench Pups from Veritas help you out at all?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-veri ... rod788411/

 

[brianhr]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. Clamping a piece of scrap to the bearers and giving the bit something to bite on has solved the problem.

Brian