Drilling a hole in the end of a dowel

[Michael Ray Smith]

I think this is a newbie question with an easy answer -- at least I hope it is. I need to drill a coaxial hole into the end of a 1 1/4 inch dowel. I can get it centered, but I'm having trouble getting it straight. What I've tried a few times is clamping the dowel in a vice and using a small level to make sure it's vertical. Then I use the bubble in my cordless drill to drill the hole straight down -- or at least that's what I try to do. I'm getting close to straight, but not close enough. Is there a better way to do this (without a drill press, which I don't have)? Are there any (inexpesive) jigs made for this sort of thing?

P.S. I thought I posted a similar message earlier today, but I don't see it anywhere. So I must have done something wrong.

[Jim Koepke]

How deep of a hole do you need to bore?

Sometimes the reason for drilling the hole may inspire others to think of options that you have not considered.

You likely do not have the set up to spin the dowel and to hold the bit stationary like would be done with a lathe.

Also one thing to consider, as a drill bit gets loaded up with the wood being drilled it may tend to wander off track.

There is also the possibility that a different type of bit would be less likely to wander. I have used thick walled stainless steel tubing to cut holes. In your case you would need a cone shaped stone to put a bevel on the inside of the tubing. Then file a few teeth on the edge. This is slow for any depth as you need to stop and clean the bit quite often.

jtk

[Zach Dillinger]

I'd use a long bit that allows you to really get a feel for when you drift off square. Also, consider that dowels are easy to split. Also consider that screw lead augers aren't really intended to bore into end grain. I think I'd get a nice long nose auger, since they won't split the dowel. Harder to start in the center (you'll have to chisel a little pocket to start the auger) but should work well once you get it going.

[Bruce Haugen]

You could try drilling a hole in a block of wood that is perfectly perpendicular, e.g., with a drill press, and use that as a guide similar to a doweling jig. Or, you could use a doweling jig.

[David Posey]

If you have access to a lathe, it might be easier to drill straight through an oversize piece, then mount the piece in the lathe and work it down to size. I believe that is the way it is sometimes done on tool handles.

[Sean Hughto]

This is an easy job on a lathe. Do you have any friends who have one?

[Prashun Patel]

You can buy a $14 dowel drilling guide from Rockler, or drill bushings from Lee Valley, or make your own drilling guide on the drill press:

Say yr dowel is 3/4" and you want to drill a 1/4" hole. Bore a 1/8" hole thru a block on the drill press. From one side, drill a 1/4" hole 1/2 way thru the block with the press. Flip the block and drill a 3/4" hole with the press. Fit the dowel into the big hole and drill from the other side with a handdrill.

[Greg Fletcher]

You may be able to incorporate this tip into drilling the hole horizontally - using a ring on the drill bit. I thought it was neat such a simple idea that should work:

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2010/05/quick-tip-6/

[Bob Strawn]

Truth is, drilling a straight line into endgrain requires a different sort of drill bit, even on a lathe. What you want is a good shell auger or gundrill bit. Without it, your hole will wander despite everything you try. I asked myself the same question years ago when making a wooden penny whistle. (http://toolmakingart.com/2009/01/05/the-project-that-got-me-started/) That is project that got me started on hand tool use.

Recently I had to revisit this method when trying to come up with a simple way to make octagonal tool handles (http://toolmakingart.com/2011/02/27/how-to-make-an-octagonal-handle-shell-auger-and-straight-drilling-guide/). A Drilling the hole in the end so your tool comes out straight, ended up having the same problems. A jig helps, having the right drill bit is required. Half way through the post, just before the first black and white photo, I start detailing the methods you need, and why you need them. The comments have some details that might help as well.

Jig Photo:
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Shell Auger/22 Alignment Box for Drilling Handle.jpg

Drill Bit (Gundrill or Shell Auger) Photo:

http://toolmakingart.com/images/Shell Auger/03 Shell auger point.JPG

A gundrill bit can be made pretty easily, so have no fear.

Bob

[David White II]

Certainly not inexpensive, but Bridge City Toolworks has something that can do this, that suggests that a dowelling jig might be just the thing. I recall that the demo of the BCT thing said that regular bits worked better that brad points for endgrain.

[Peter Pedisich]

I take a scrap pc of wood 2-3" sq and 1-1.25"thk, then drill a hole the size of the dowel about 0.25"deep and drill a small hole for the drill bit centered in the hole (a forstner will leave a dimple to guide the small hole) and then place this over the end of the dowel and there is your drill guide.

[Mike Henderson]

The way I've always done it is to drill the hole, then mount the wood in a lathe and turn it down to size using the hole as the centers.

Mike

[Michael Ray Smith]

Thanks to everyone for great ideas!! I've tried a couple of basic doweling jigs and -- just as several of you predicted -- the bit still wanders. So the next thing is to get the right sort of bit.

By the way, I don't have a lathe. . . yet. And maybe I'm just too stubborn or too naive, but it seems as if I ought to be able to do this with much simpler equipment.

[Roy Griggs]

Michael,
Make two v-shaped blocks; one long and deep enough to support your dowel and another that will lay in the first block with a v that will support the drill bit and center it in your dowel....

[Michael Ray Smith]

I like. Thanks.


I take a scrap pc of wood 2-3" sq and 1-1.25"thk, then drill a hole the size of the dowel about 0.25"deep and drill a small hole for the drill bit centered in the hole (a forstner will leave a dimple to guide the small hole) and then place this over the end of the dowel and there is your drill guide.

[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-36-37-Precis/dp/B0000E6TM6