Is it possible (or advisable) to make dog holes in a bench top using a router and a straight plunge bit? This seems like a simple way to make straight, plumb dog holes.
[OP]
Member
Is it possible (or advisable) to make dog holes in a bench top using a router and a straight plunge bit? This seems like a simple way to make straight, plumb dog holes.
Member
spiral up cut bits seem to be the one to use. I've seen a few examples and posts and they seem to work fine. Here is a link to a video that uses a jug as well as the router and bit.
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/ar...nch_Dog_Holes/
Hope that helps out
Member
You probably need 3/4" holes. What i did was make a templet to locate the router fitted with a 1" bushing, then went through and cut the holes the first time with a 1/2" spiral bit. Then I changed over to a 3/4" fluted bit that didn't have a plunge cutter and cut them again. I think I was still about 1/4" shy of going all the way through the benchtop, so i finshed off with a drill bit (auger bit, as I recall).
I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be. (Merle Haggard)
Contributor
Yes, it will work. Of course, you only easily get a hole depth equal to the plunge stroke of your router. Large-diameter plunge bits sometimes don't plunge as easily as a drill bit; the middle of the tip doesn't seem to enter the wood as easily. You can get around this by drilling a pilot hole with a conventional drill bit. It won't be straight, but that's okay. You'll get the dog hole straight with the plunge router.
My dog holes are round. My dogs have a round cross-section to go into the holes, and have a square cross-section above that to present a flat face to the workpiece. You can turn this from one piece of wood. Or you can glue a dowel into a rectangular piece of wood.
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I actually saved this thread from a while back on this exact topic...
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=75991
Member
I would be a little afraid of chip out using an up cut spiral bit. I like the suggestion of doing 1/2" first and using a straight bit for the 3/4".Originally Posted by Kevin Lucas
I did it and it worked great with a 3/4" HSS spiral like these: http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2001...l-Cutters.aspx
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
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Interesting video. No eye or ear protection while running a router and he's the editor of a woodworking mag.
Contributor
and it worked out very nicely. I got my 3/4 inch bit from LV. A bit pricey, though, especially for something that might not get used again. IIRC, LV also had a 3/4 inch brad point for a fair bit less. That'd have been my second choice, with some sort of jig to hold the drill straight.
My plunge router couldn't make the hole all the way through my 2 1/4" thick bench top. I finished the holes off with a 3/4 inch spade bit.
Ken
Member
when I drilled the 40 or so dog holes in my 4" thick ash bench-top I just used an irwin self feed auger bit in my cordless drill. I also used 2 squares to site the bit and get it started nice and strait. I laid out the holes using a divider to step out the 3" centers on a parallel line I drew to the side of the bench.
Finally I also put some masking tape on the bit as an indicator to stop just when the lead screw cuts through. After I drilled all the holes from the top, I went and finished them off from the bottom.
Another tip, I had to sharpen the brand new bit to get it to cut nicely. I also lubricated it with some bit/blade lubricant. I couldn't find my auger bit file so I just used a mill bastard file. The second sharpening I did through the project I followed up with a corse/fine diamond hone after the file.
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Forstner Bit
Member
I thought about using a plunge router, but decided against it- WAAAY TOOO noisy, TOOOO messy, and slower than just using a drill. You need to carefully register a plunge router- use a guide or guide bushing and a big spiral bit. You can get almost as good a hole with a Forstner or brad point bit and a simple to make drill guide. Both will yield a clean entry hole. You don't need to be anal about dog holes, who cares about a little tearout on the underside- slow your feed rate as you near punch-through. You will never see the tearout and it has no effect on anything. If the thought of tearout bothers you, use a backer board.
I am using 3/4" round Lee Valley Bench Dogs and Pups. When I laid out the locations for my dog holes I was very careful to avoid the locations of vise hardware and bench structure. To help me keep the drill vertical I made a drill guide from a long strip of 1.5" x 1.5" hardwood on my drill press. I drilled starter holes with a Forstner bit, but due to bit length switched to a brad point bit to finish the holes. Once I completed one row, I used my Gramercy holdfasts to help clamp the guide. I used the guide to drill the holes in the bench top and aprons. I drilled holes in the vise jaws on the drill press.
I got no topside tearout, but I used a router to put a slight chamfer on the top edge of the holes for appearance.
Member
I actually bought the Woodcraft spiral 3/4" bit yesterday and put dogs in my outfeed table/workbench (2 layers of 3/4" MDF for the top) worked very nicely and got no tear out on the bottom. I simply drilled down about 1/8" with a forstner bit, then lined up that whole with the router and went to town. Nothing special, but then again this isn't a fancy workbench...
Contributor
If you know how to drill a hole, a spade bit works just fine. I have a 4" benchtop and plenty of 3/4" holes, all of which work exactly as intended.
Member
Alan,
If I had that bench I'd have to make another one. I'd be terrified to put a scratch in it. That's not a workbench, that's a work of art!
David
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