Help please - Best widgets to limit drill penetration when hand drilling

[peterlonz]

Today for the thousandth time I accidentally drilled right through a panel - something I was trying to avoid.
The need to limit the depth of penetration is something I strike a good deal - if it's a volume application I can generally rig something up that "does the job" but it's always time consuming & very impermanent.
I know there are lots of cheap "collars" on the market, & I have two sets, both of which are totally useless.
They neither fit nor grip sufficiently to do the job.
I often resort to multiple turns of masking tape around the drill bit which is a guide rather than a limit stop.
Bigger corded drills generally have the usual settable limit stop which you don't find on smaller drill.
Can anyone recommend suitable widgets or procedures to make my life easier?

[dabbler]

Not sure this is the best place to ask - Woodturning that is, no the WWF.
But this may help:
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/drill-depth-stop-idea-179952/

[tdrumnut]

If I've only got to make a couple of holes I use a small rubber band and wrap it round the bit several times at the required depth as a stop.

[LuckyDuck]

Probably not what you want, but I use plumbers tape to mark the drill depth. The tape sticks really well to bits and does not move in use. I look forward to what others come up with, as I'm sure many, including me, have drilled too deep!

david

[chuck1]

measure the depth you need then with a scrap peice of wood drill a hole ( the size your using for the job) through it then cut the scrap peice so it leaves the drill exposed, the length you are selling to.
hope this makes sense!?
so if you have drill bit in drill and there is 80mm of useable drill and you need 20 mm depth cut your predrilled scrap to 60 mm, and use some blue tac on drill to stop it sliding off

[Vaper]

what about one of those counter sink collars u can get for drill bits with a grub screw that you tighten them on the drill ...measure the depth on the drill bit ... put the counter sink on the drill bit upside down (flat face down) then tighten.

should stop the drill from going any further

hex shank taper drill countersink with stop collar - woodking (http://www.woodking.com/countersink%20drill%20bits-02.htm)

[FenceFurniture]

Thw following idea will only work for short drill bits.

Yesterday I had to countersink about 20 holes in t-track, and the depth required was critical to within about ¼mm, so that the screwheads are flush (or a poofteenth below) but not too deep. I put a thick nylon washer over the c/s bit, and it was a little bit loose so that it would spin when I reached ground zero. It worked really well, and didn't marr the surface from the spinning. on a few of them I didn't use enough pressure right at the end to get that last tiny bit, but that's ok because I can go over those few again.

For longer bits I suppose you could use two nylon washers on either end of a block of wood to get the right length - either blue tac or PSA glue the assembly together temporarily. However, this would be largely dependent on the washers being reasonably close to the drill bit diameter.

What I think might be very useful to have is a bunch of nylon discs with no hole - drill out the hole a couple of sizes up from the bit to be used.

I agree that grub screwed collars are near to useless because they'll slip and/or damage the twists - that means they are not much more use than tape/rubber band (good idea Rummy) around the bit. Even worse, they affect the balance of the drill so that it gives the wobbles (and the irits).

[NCArcher]

I have a set of these
Plastic Drill Stops - Lee Valley Tools (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32245&cat=1,180,42311,42335)
They grip the bit well and don't move and don't mark the surface either.

[Vaper]

Thw following idea will only work for short drill bits.

Yesterday I had to countersink about 20 holes in t-track, and the depth required was critical to within about ¼mm, so that the screwheads are flush (or a poofteenth below) but not too deep. I put a thick nylon washer over the c/s bit, and it was a little bit loose so that it would spin when I reached ground zero. It worked really well, and didn't marr the surface from the spinning. on a few of them I didn't use enough pressure right at the end to get that last tiny bit, but that's ok because I can go over those few again.

For longer bits I suppose you could use two nylon washers on either end of a block of wood to get the right length - either blue tac or PSA glue the assembly together temporarily. However, this would be largely dependent on the washers being reasonably close to the drill bit diameter.

What I think might be very useful to have is a bunch of nylon discs with no hole - drill out the hole a couple of sizes up from the bit to be used.

I agree that grub screwed collars are near to useless because they'll slip and/or damage the twists - that means they are not much more use than tape/rubber band (good idea Rummy) around the bit. Even worse, they affect the balance of the drill so that it gives the wobbles (and the irits).

Ahh good point ...didnt think about that ... shows My noobness lol

[FenceFurniture]

I have a set of these
Plastic Drill Stops - Lee Valley Tools (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32245&cat=1,180,42311,42335)
They grip the bit well and don't move and don't mark the surface either.They look damn good!

[Mike B]

If I need a stop rather than a guide (sticky tape) then I just use old corks. Can cut them to length, stack them if you need longer and don't mark the work.

[FenceFurniture]

If I need a stop rather than a guide (sticky tape) then I just use old corks. Can cut them to length, stack them if you need longer and don't mark the work.Heh, heh, the new screw caps will have you buggered when your supply runs out Mike.:; They WILL mark the work.

Damn good idea though!:2tsup:

[DavidG]

Dad had a number of lengths of dowel he kept for this purpose.
Place an appropriate sized dowel over the drill and adjust for length (Depth)