Woodworker's Journal fall-2010, страница 8

Drilling Jigs for the Homeowner

Add versatility and accuracy to your

home and shop drilling tasks with these simple shop-made jigs.

BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY

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flnr Ilite

To ensure accurate angles as you drill, simple shop-made blocks can be just the ticket.

You may think the only way to drill precisely positioned or spaced holes on a workpiece is to tediously measure and mark for every hole you drill. Think again. Drilling jigs and templates are easy to make, and they help to tackle dozens of everyday shop tasks — drilling holes for screws, mounting hardware, shelf pins, pocket-hole joints and more — quickly and with great accuracy.

Drill Guide Blocks

Drill blocks are simple to make and help you accurately drill square or angled holes in panels and parts freehand with a portable drill.

Want to drill holes in a wall or panel that are perfectly square to the surface without using a drill press? Drill guide blocks are easy to make and work with a portable electric drill. You can make a simple V-guide block, as shown at left, by sawing a V-shaped slice into the end of a short piece of 2 x 4 lumber. Hold the V-block flat on the work's surface and position your drill so the bit is cradled lightly in the V-groove. The beauty of this jig is that it works with cylindrical bits of practically any diameter.

Another handy drilling jig is made by boring a hole of the desired diameter through a block of scrap hardwood on the drill press. The hole acts as a guide for bits of the same diameter when the block is held against the work. By sawing the opposite edges of the block at different angles, you can accurately drill either square or angled holes. For example, the block shown in the left inset photo aligns a drill bit at either 90° or 22.5°, depending on which edge is held against the workpiece.

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Drilling Jigs For The Homeowner