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Drilling into Long Dowels

End Drilling Dowels

I am working on a project that requires drilling centered holes into the ends of dowels of varying lengths. What's the best way to do this?

Loitvl! Zettenmi Lincoln, Nebraska

Drilling a hole is usually a simple task. But drilling a centered hole into the end of a dowel presents a different set of problems. It's easy to drill off center or angle the hole.

There are a couple of tricks I use when I need to center a hole in the end of a dowel. If I'm drilling a short section of dowel, I start by clamping a piece oi scrap to the table of my drill press. Then I use a Forstner bit to drill a hole in the scrap piece that

matches the diameter of the dowel, as shown in photo A above.

After installing tine right diameter brad point drill bit, slipping tine dowel into the counterbore automatically centers it under the tip of the drill bit. To make sure the dowel doesn't spin while drilling, clamp a handscrew around it, like you see in photo B above. This ho\ds it firmly in place. Then it's just a matter of drilling the hole in the dowel.

Long Dowels. Occasionally, I need to drill a hole in tine end of a long dowel. Tine problem is moving the drill press table out of the way, yet still having a way of holding a long dowel securely.

To solve this problem, I built the jig shown below. What makes this work is the beveled block attached to the fence on the jig. W forms a "pocket" that "traps" the dowel against the fence while you drill. &

50 ShopNotes No. 80

Ifs always a challenge to drill a hole in the end of a long dowel. When I need to do this, I turn to the handy little jig you see at left. The jig is made from scrap plvwood and 2x6 Stock.

To use the jig, adjust the drill press table so the bit is aligned like you see in the detail. Then clamp the jig in place so the dowel is centered under the bit.

SECONP:

CLAMP JIG TO

SSI TABLE

FIRST:

ADJUST TABLE SO DRILL BIT ALIGNS VERTICALLY IN POCKET

clamp dowel in beveled pocket

NOTE:

SWING TADLE CLEAR OF CHUCK

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