holes

[marcros]

Hi

I want/need to produce a hole in wood to take a dowel for draw boring joints. I am more interested in getting the hole where I desire it and of the correct size than in speed. My cordless drill is a bit brutal when I tried it ion softwood, particularly on narrow tenons. Would something like these do the job? Typically the timber would be a maximum of a couple of inches thick.

http://www.fine-tools.com/bohr2.htm#ziel308200 (Eye Gimlets or Flute-maker’s Gimlets from old stock)

If not, I will have a look for a hand brace, and no doubt have some questions to ask about those.
Mark

 

[Cheshirechappie]

There are a couple of tricks I've used over the years to get holes where I want them. The first is to use lip-and-spur drills where I can; they seem to start and stay in place much better than a standard jobber twist drill, and drill cleaner holes. That said, softwood is always a bit 'raggy' however it's drilled.

The other trick I use a lot, especially to position starting holes for screws when hinge-fitting and so on, is to make a small indentation with a sharp birdcage-type bradawl (the sort with a point rather than a cutting edge) exactly at the hole centre. That gives a dint for the drill to start in, and gives it far less scope for wandering off. Waggling the bradawl around a bit after the first spot-and-push can give quite a sizeable depression in which to start even quite large (1/4" and up) drills. It's a modification of the metalworkers' technique of centre-punching before drilling holes.

Brace bits of the Jennings and Irwin twist type have a screwed spike of their own, which with careful positioning before starting makes them quite accurate. Still not as good as the bradawl spot-start though.

 

[marcros]

Thanks. The softwood was actually chosen because it marked easily (showing error in my technique), and so i could try out some new drawbore pins. It isnt a material that I often use. I will have a look for a birdcage awl though.

 

[Muswell]

I too use lip-and-spur bits for accuracy, but often prefer to use the brace because you have more control. If you want a really neat hole a Forstner bit is the answer but that has to be in a drill press.

It's a bit of a fiddle but when I wanted some perfect holes on a guitar I tightly clamped scrap wood on both the entry and exit sides of the workpiece so that any tearout was in the scrap wood. I also used a template to be sure the holes were in precisely the right place.

It's actually not a lot of bother and you get a perfect hole.

John

 

[marcros]

silly question, but does a brace have a "normal" chuck on it (or can it), or do I need to source square shank bits? I like the all wooden afairs, but they seem to need the original bits with them from what I have seen.

 

[GazPal]

Rather than invest in potentially seldom used kit I tend to use auger bits when drilling larger diameter holes to depth, and an electric or hand drill with wood twist bits for holes of smaller diameter. You can always drill a smaller than desired diameter and ream if you wish to create a tapered hole.

Any type of awl can be used to define centre, but there's nothing preventing you from using a wire nail, or punch.

Draw boring needn't be a complex affair and tooling needn't be complex either. The degree of offset between the main hole and the one borne by the tenon simply needs to be enough for one to draw and hold a joint tightly. Although tempting, their use shouldn't be considered a replacement for accurately cut jointing. Draw pins are fine for occasional use, but I'd hesitate in forcing any joint together with one during dry fit, as it runs the risk of elongating the tenon hole and negating the presence of trenail/dowel.

Bit braces typically take square shanked bits, but quite a few can accept both square and round shanked bits. Soild timber braces - often with brass reinforcing plates - normally only accept square shank bits and often only ones with locating notch too.

 

[gasman]

Another good trick is to use your lip & spur bit but first drill a hole in a piece of hardwood - old bit of oak etc and then position this (with DS tape if necessary) exactly over where you want the hole to go - then there is far less chance of wander

 

[Muswell]

The Stanleys I have take both types of bit.

John

 

[GazPal]

The Stanleys I have take both types of bit.

John

#73's by any chance?

 

[GazPal]

Another good trick is to use your lip & spur bit but first drill a hole in a piece of hardwood - old bit of oak etc and then position this (with DS tape if necessary) exactly over where you want the hole to go - then there is far less chance of wander

Another option is to use a right angled section of block and rest the drill bit against the inner angle. This holds the bit plumb in two directions.

 

[Muswell]

The Stanleys I have take both types of bit.

John

#73's by any chance?

Yes, 2 of those and a 923 wth nice wooden bits. I didn't mean to end up with 3. Do you want to buy some?

 

[GazPal]

The Stanleys I have take both types of bit.

John

#73's by any chance?

Yes, 2 of those and a 923 wth nice wooden bits. I didn't mean to end up with 3. Do you want to buy some?

:lol: No. Truth be known, I also have a brace of 73's (One with a 10" sweep and the other with a 12" sweep) as they were the bit brace of choice when I began as an apprentice.

Among my favourite braces is one by Goodell Bros. (Goodell's Improved Ratchet Brace) and dated to around 1892. It was owned and used by my great grandfather and is still mechanically sound and going strong.