Despite my love of the drill press for building benches, you don’t need one to bore dead-straight holes for your dogs and holdfasts.
When I need to add a hole to a benchtop that is already assembled (or is a large slab), I use the jig shown above with a brace and auger. I call it the “Cletus Bore-drunk” jig because you can bore a hole dead straight even if you have been drinking (thanks to several people for the in-shop testing).
The jig is three pieces of wood: A flat platform that you can clamp to the benchtop, a thick block of wood (about 3” thick) with a dead-straight hole bored through it and a wooden fence that registers against an edge of the benchtop.
It is much like an oversized doweling jig.
The photo above is about 14 years old from when I was building the “$175 Workbench.” I usually make these jigs when I need them and then recycle their parts when I’m done, so I don’t have any of these jigs on hand.
— Christopher Schwarz
So you DO need a drill press, just at two or three removes. How do you drill the hole without a drill press at all? Perhaps you use a small square or two? Or do you learn to get by without perfectly perpendicular holes? I ask honestly, no snark intended.
I don’t think you have to have a drill press to make that jig. You just have to keep boring holes in the thick stock until you get a straight one. Then use that.
If you are hopeless bore(er), make the guide block from two parts instead. Saw out a dado in each block that is as wide as the diameter of the bit and the depth is one-half the bit’s diameter. Then glue the two blocks together. The resulting square hole will guide the auger just fine.
Wow, thanks, this is unbelievably timely. I’m planning to put 3/4″ dog holes in a new benchtop in the next few days, and had been wondering whether I’d need to sacrifice a few home center 4x6s to Wood Owl Auger bit practice before doing the real thing. Now that I think about it, maybe that should be a scout badge: Auger Bit Ace.
Is Lost Art press going to Winston Salem in September??
We are not attending WIA this year. I am going to be in San Diego that weekend. John has other obligations.
It’s a fantastic program this year.
Can’t believe you justify such wasteful consumerism and the use of throw away tools…#joke
If you don’t have a drill press, or can’t bore dead straight holes by hand, here’s another method that is VERY similar and can be done with hand tools…
There is also a similar way to do this on a blogpost on “A woodworkers musings”. http://dblaney.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/a-very-simple-jig-for-boring-leg-holes-in-windsor-chair-seats/
The jig is angeled but could be made the same way for straight holes.
no jigs – use a small mirror
That picture must’ve been taken before you converted all of your braces to Yankees. 😉
I have no Yankees anymore. They were all given to students in need. I now have a single Fray.
Wow, you really did pare your kit down to the essentials. Very cool.