Drilling a hole in the end of a dowel

[Michael Ray Smith]

Thanks, Bob!

[Bob Strawn]

Thanks, Bob!

Glad to help!

Bob

[Michael Ray Smith]

Again, thanks again to all you Creekers for the great information, observations, and suggestions. Here's the fix I'm going to try (haven't had time to do it yet) that combines several suggestions. First, I'm going to use another type of bit that works better going into end grain. (I suspect that's the root cause of my problems, and I hadn't even thought of that.) Second, I'm going to make a jig out of a wooden block by using a Forstner bit to drill a hole part way through to hold the dowel, then a smaller hole, centering it with the dimple left by the Forstner, to serve as a drill guide. (That solves the annoying problem I had with the doweling guides I was trying to use -- keeping the guide square to the end of a cylinder. They work well to drill holes in straight-sided stock, but not so much with curvature.) Third, since I'd probably wallow out the smaller hole within just a few uses, I'm going to try the Lee Valley bushings. Eventually, I'll have an even better solution if and when I decide to get a lathe.

As Satchel Paige said, "None of us is as smart as all of us." Thanks again!!

[ken seale]

Drill from both ends

[Roderick Gentry]

If you saw better than you drill, lay out lines, and saw straight down and across a little and repeat, so you have an x of kerfs. Then follow the intersection down.

A drill press is about 30 bucks on Craigs. You clamp a kerfed board to the table, and drill the board with a bit the size of your dowel. Then using the kerf and hole, you chuck the dowel in there and drill dead center. You can also do minor turning on a drill press. I used that approach for about 10 years when I was a youngin, before I got a lathe.

[Jim Tobias]

I recently used one of these to drill out a center hole for a broken bedpost The top 16" of the bedpost had been broken off and lost by the owner. I used a 3/4" forstner bit. Made a flat platform to hold the jig perpendicular to the bedpost. It worked better than i expected.
Jim
http://www.amazon.com/General-Tool-3.../dp/B0000E6TM6