Thread: Drilling straight dog holes... how??

Me, I'm a tight-####. I do it the ol' fashioned way, which is cheap and - with surprisingly little practice - accurate.

Use a forstner bit. Don't bother with pilot holes. Once started they're more likely to drill in a straight line than twist-drills, which can tend to wander off course...

Sit a couple of small carpenters squares* upright on the benchtop, to eyeball the drill against to ensure you're drilling vertically. As always, do a few practice runs in an offcut first. You may be surprised at just how easy it is.

* or small offcuts, provided they have a 90° corner

thanks. i was wondering which type of bit to use.

I have done a bit of straight drilling just using squares and eyeballing...

wasn't sure how much room for error i have.

I used a 19mm spade bit for mine. Seems to work ok.

Get your self a 200 mm long piece of 75 x 50. Using spade bit (same bit you are going to drill the dog hole with) used a DP to drill a hole the full length of the cutter into the the 50 mm wide section near one end of that piece. Then drill the rest of the way through with a drill the same size as the bit shank.

At the other end of the piece of wood, drill the all the way through the 75 mm wide side with a drill the same size as the bit shank.

Now cut right across both ends of the piece of wood in turn so that you expose half of each of those holes. Now you have a useful guide that you can lean the spade bit into to get started and another to keep it straight once the cutter is fully in the wood.

Thats an excellent jig.... but unfortunately I have no drill press. I'm in the process of looking to buy one actually.

What about using a router instead of a drill? Use a spiral upcut bit and the router base should give a straight plunge.

Originally Posted by Paulphot

What about using a router instead of a drill? Use a spiral upcut bit and the router base should give a straight plunge.

Yep - That's good but usually not deep enough for my dogs.

Router would do. Depth shouldn't matter because yu will hae a truly square pilot hole.

As for that jig (contraption) shown by Tom- They shouldn't cost more than about $30.00.

I own no electric router either.. i'm rather basic when it comes to power tools. Just a circ saw and thicknesser for major dimensioning work, and an electric hand drill and grinder. The rest is hand tools.

Yeah I often read people referring to the drill guide i posted the pic of, as being quite cheap but it appears that is no longer the case. McJings have it for $75... while Timbecon have it for $111!!

I think I'll either free hand or find some tubing that i can use as a 3/4 or 19mm guide somehow....

I really do need to get a drill press i think.

tom

Tom,

I have one of these http://cgi.ebay.com.au/OLD-ANTIQUE-V...3%3A1|294%3A50

I am happy to let you borrow it for a week or so if you can pick it up from Mansfield and drop it back again. You load a hand drill into it and it turns it into a basic drill press. The top section can swing around, so you can drill down towards the base, or you can drill away from the base. I will be making a bench in the not too distant future, and this is how I intend to do the dog holes.

Peter

I did mine by sight like Skew, and with spade bit like Wongdai. I know they're not exactly square to the table, but as long as it's reasonably close they will work just fine. I don't think the dogs care if they are 88 or 92 degrees.

BTW, when I saw the title of the thread, I thought you wanted to drill square dog holes, not drill holes that are perpendicular. I was interested to see the responses to that one.

Tex

Originally Posted by tomnewby

..........Yeah I often read people referring to the drill guide i posted the pic of, as being quite cheap but it appears that is no longer the case. McJings have it for $75... while Timbecon have it for $111!!
..................

I think the stand you're referring to is the one the $2 shops used to carry. It can't be angled like the McJing unit and clamps directly on to the collar of the drill - used to go for around $25. I've got one I modified for use as a dowelling rig and other things as well - very handy and absolutely perfect for drilling your dog-holes. Can't find a pic but could take one if you wanted it??!!

I bought one of these from Carbatec a year or so ago. It cost about $30 from memory and its pretty basic, doesn't tilt, but does drill holes square to the surface. It will also drill holes square in the edge of a board which is handy too. If you can't find one, you're welcome to borrow mine - it'll just be a little dusty... One warning, I remember it would only fit particular drills - they have to have a collar behind the chuck to fit to.

In answer to the original question, I drill them by hand with a 19mm spade bit and the cordless drill.

At least one of my drills has a bubble level on its hind end, and it facilitates drilling square to a level board. Attaching such an accessory to a drill without it shouldn't be much harder than brain surgery or rocket science. Cogitate upon it.

Cheers,
Joe