Who sells a drill collar stop that's worth a darn?

[Todd Burch]

I'm pretty fed up with the steel collars with their cheapo micro set screws that don't hold. I'm drill shelf pin holes, and I haven't ruined any material yet (drill through because the collar slips) - but I've gotten close.

I just resorted to drilling a small block of wood and putting it in between the chuck and steel collar and super gluing the (worthless) collar to the block of wood.

I'm using a hand held drill, a 1/4" drill and a Veritas Shelf Drilling Jig (works "OK" with a new brad point, but I still get tear out in Chinese birch ply) and have hundreds of more holes to drill.

Any suggestions?

[Jerome Stanek]

I make my own I take a scrape piece of square stock and drill it through the center and cut it to length. It never slips and is cheap and I don't have to look for it. I like it because you can put it against the material and hold it to get 90% holes

[Jack Wilson50]

This works for me

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2002023/16580/14-snappy-selfcentering-shelf-pin-bit.aspx

[Raymond Fries]

Maybe look at Fuller stop collars.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?freeText=drill%20stop&resultPref=all&page=GRID&history=a47yt1ts|other|page~GRID^engine~adwords%25 216456^keyword~fuller+drill+bits^freeText~fuller+d rill+bits^prodPage~15^user_att_name0~UserType^user _att_value0~NewUser

I have a set of fuller taper bits that have these and they seem to work fine. SO far, the two set screws hold for me.

Hope you find something that works for you.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Look for a split collar. When the set screw is tightened, the collar closes around the bit.

[pat warner]

"Who sells a drill collar stop that's worth a darn?"
Nobody.
But there are many lengths of drills for a given diameter.
I suspect there is one length that will not over drill your stock.
And/or, with grinding skills, you can grind through the diameter of the drill, dress the end and make a drill length to your spec.

[Chris Parks]

This is what you want

http://www.festool.com/EN/Products/Accessories/Pages/Detail.aspx?pid=492522&name=CENTROTEC-drill-bit-with-depth-stop-5mm-BTA-HW-D5-CE

[Jamie Buxton]

Todd, for shelf pin holes I use a plunge router. One of the big reasons is that the depth stop is way more reliable than any drill collar I've encountered.

[Rick Potter]

No comment on the depth stop, but I would recommend using a corded drill with the fastest speed you can find. The cordless ones run slower and don't cut as clean.

Same thing on the Kreg Jig....ejects the chips better.

Rick Potter

[Chris Parks]

The Festool stop is absolutely reliable in that it does not move and the fixing screws are top quality. Maxi cut do a countersink version which appears to be very good and I guess the countersink part could be backed off so it does not come into play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgIcDl5I-ek

[Alan Schaffter]

I like the ones from Lee Valley.

[glenn bradley]

As Tony Z stated; I have never had a split collar stop slip. Any design that places a grub screw against the bit is just silly IMHO.

[Larry Edgerton]

I keep a few shorts of copper tubing around in different sizes and lengths that I slip over the drill. I drill a hole in the side of the tubing and use a touch of hot melt glue to hold it in place. When done its easy to pull off. I have an assortment now that works for most everything but making a custom is easy as cutting a new piece of tubing. Most times though it can be adjusted by moving the drill up and down in the chuck. I have never found reliable ones, but I have never tried the Festool ones.

I would bet mine are cheaper than the Festool ones though........;)

Larry

[Curt Harms]

Todd, for shelf pin holes I use a plunge router. One of the big reasons is that the depth stop is way more reliable than any drill collar I've encountered.

As long as the side is laying flat and you can get a plunge router where it needs to go. An upcut spiral bit and 'Norm jig' that fits a bushing do work pretty well though.

[Bill Huber]

I am with Jamie on this, a router is the best way to go, it is really fast and the stop is accurate. I made a small jig for drilling shelf holes, with a bushing on the plunge router you can knock them out on no time and with no tear out to speak of.

The last time I had to drill a bunch I used the little Dewalt 611 and it was just great for it. you never even release the plunge lever, just hold it in the plunge position and go.

From looking at the Veritas Shelf Drilling Jig I bit you could put a bushing in a router and fit the hole in the jig and then the correct bit and knock the holes out in a flash.

[Todd Burch]

Todd, for shelf pin holes I use a plunge router. One of the big reasons is that the depth stop is way more reliable than any drill collar I've encountered.

Hi Jamie. Can I see your set up? What router do you use? A smaller one? What's the jig? What bushing is used?

It seems like the router winding up and winding down would slow you down. I have about about 720 holes I must drill for this job. If this were an easier task, I would have more to drill.

From a lug-able standpoint, I would think a trim router with a plunge base would work well for this, but then a plunge base on a trim router isn't something you see every day.

Also, (to anyone), what is so special about the line boring machine drill bits? What is done with that machine to minimize tear out around the holes? Maybe I'm just dealing with a POS brad point?

[Will Blick]

+1 on the mini plunge router..... most stops spin, or you must hold the stop, like the clever wood stop mentioned above.... in addition to perfect and fast stopping, the plunge router drills all holes straight.... a few shelf pins that were cocked, convinced me to go the plunge router solution.
BTW, nice Festool link...never saw that stop before...

[Bill Huber]

Hi Jamie. Can I see your set up? What router do you use? A smaller one? What's the jig? What bushing is used?

It seems like router winding up and winding down would slow you down. I have about about 720 holes I must drill for this job. If this were an easier task, I would have more to drill.

From a lug-able standpoint, I would think a trim router with a plunge base would work well for this, but then a plunge base on a trim router isn't something you see every day.

Also, (to anyone), what is so special about the line boring machine drill bits? What is done with that machine to minimized tear out around the holes? Maybe I'm just dealing with a POS brad point?

I am not Jamie but I will answer your question that I can with the way I do it.

You turn the router on and leave it on until you are though with a set of holes on the jig. Then you shut the router off and reset the jig and start it up again. You just slide form one hole to the next and plunge. When I don't want to drill every hole I just put a mark at the ones I want and just drill them.

I use the Dewalt 611pk, it has a plunge base, very good little router, a little larger then a "Trim Router" but still small enough to handle.

I use a 9/32" x 3/8" bushing with a 1/4" straight bit, again I made my own jig.

This is the jig I made, MDF and the 9/32" holes are they are count sunk so the bushing drops in much easier.

232641

[Todd Burch]

Thanks Bill.

How big is your router when scaled with your jig? Are your jig holes are 3/8" dia? The look to be countersunk. Is the countersink 3/8" while the holes are still 1/4"?

How do you clamp this jig to your flat stock? Do you get any in-hole burnishing with the straight bit, causing looseness of a shelf pin? What are your thoughts on a jig that would span both vertical rows of holes for a shelf side and clamping the jig once and then plunging all holes at once?

[David Hostetler]

I'd be more concerned with technique if you are somehow managing to get stop collars to move when you are using them. I use a set of cheap General stop collars for my drill stops and they never slip on me... If you are having to bear down hard enough to get the stop collar to slip something is seriously wrong. Maybe dull drill bits?

[Bill Huber]

Thanks Bill.

How big is your router when scaled with your jig? Are your jig holes are 3/8" dia? The look to be countersunk. Is the countersink 3/8" while the holes are still 1/4"?

How do you clamp this jig to your flat stock? Do you get any in-hole burnishing with the straight bit, causing looseness of a shelf pin? What are your thoughts on a jig that would span both vertical rows of holes for a shelf side and clamping the jig once and then plunging all holes at once?

I went out in the shop and got some scrap 3/4" plywood and took some shots of it.

The hole in the jig is 9/32" this is the outside dia. of the bushing, the inside dia. is 3/8" and I am using a 1/4" bit. I just use a counter sink to make it a little easier to set the bushing in the hole.

My jig is not the best looking jig and there are a lot of different ones out there that people make. I just use Quick clamps to hold the jig on the board.

I just did a little test and drilled 13 holes in 35 seconds, that was starting the stop watch, starting the router, drilling the holes, turning off the router and then stopping the stop watch, it is that easy.

As you can see in the last shot there is no tear out at all.

232647 232648 232649 232650

[Todd Burch]

Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to get extra pictures. Those holes do look nice.

When making your jig, did you use some other jig or template to get the hole precise?

[Bill Huber]

Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to get extra pictures. Those holes do look nice.

When making your jig, did you use some other jig or template to get the hole precise?

No, I just use a straight line and a compass to layout the holes. I have seen people use some pegboard to lay out the holes. Woodpeckers has a jig that is a lot like the one you have only it has a floating bar in the center to help support the router, I think that is the jig you have. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32251&cat=1,180,42311

Here is the Woodpeckers jig.
http://www.woodpeck.com/shelfpinjig.html

[Alan Lightstone]

It would be hard to imagine screwing up a hole with the Woodpeckers jig. Like all their stuff, well made, but pricey.

[johnny means]

I use this with a corded drill and a jig.
http://m.woodcraft.com/product/2005537/20924/5mm-snappy-selfcentering-shelf-pin-bit.aspx

Works great.

[Jamie Buxton]

Hi Jamie. Can I see your set up? What router do you use? A smaller one? What's the jig? What bushing is used?

It seems like the router winding up and winding down would slow you down. I have about about 720 holes I must drill for this job. If this were an easier task, I would have more to drill.

From a lug-able standpoint, I would think a trim router with a plunge base would work well for this, but then a plunge base on a trim router isn't something you see every day.

Also, (to anyone), what is so special about the line boring machine drill bits? What is done with that machine to minimize tear out around the holes? Maybe I'm just dealing with a POS brad point?

Bill's pretty much got this covered. I use a commercial template from Woodhaven. http://www.woodhaven.com/Woodhaven-784-Metric-Shelf-Pin/dp/B001NZ2NSI?ie=UTF8&id=Woodhaven%20784%20Metric%20Shelf%20Pin&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=3026358011&searchSize=12&searchNodeID=3026358011&searchPage=1&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank . Other outfits offer similar things. Woodhaven offers a short template and a longer one. The longer one means you have fewer step-and-repeat operations if you're making a long row of holes. The Woodhaven has stops so you may put the column of holes 37 mm back from the edge of the panel, which is what Euro hinges want (for overlay doors). I've used a DW621 plunge router with it, and lately a 1400 Festool. A smaller plunger would work just fine too. DeWalt has one, Bosch has said they'll have one soon, and Makita has one. Like Bill says, you turn the router on once, plunge, bounce to the next hole, plunge, bounce, etc. It is very fast. Router bits spin much faster than drill bits, so there's never any splintering at the edge of the hole, even in hardwood-veneer plywood. I've never looked closely at line-boring machines, but I suspect they too run the bits very fast, so there's little splintering.

[Todd Burch]

Well, I've drilled a heck of a lot more holes over the last few days, and I have had very good success using my existing setup.

What changed?

I used a small triangular file to touch up the brads on my brad point bit. Maybe 8-10 strokes per brad. Very clean holes. Duh.

[John Baum]

To return to Tod Burch's original post, we toss our wine corks into a plastic shopping bag that hangs just inside the garage/shop from the kitchen. I find the 'modern' plastic ones make good drill depth stops. I just drill a hole through the cork with the bit I want to use, mounted in the chuck I am using, mark the depth I want, pull the cork off the bit, cut it to length with a single edge razor blade and reinstall it. I make a new one every time I want one.

FWIW these same plastic corks make great sandpaper and file cleaners.

It is interesting to note that Todd reports cleaner holes once he sharpened his 'new' brad point bit. Is this yet another case of "Made in China" requiring quality control at the user end of the supply chain? It reminds me of short lengths of unformed nail stock or headless or unpointed brads in brad containers, etc.

John


I'm pretty fed up with the steel collars with their cheapo micro set screws that don't hold. I'm drill shelf pin holes, and I haven't ruined any material yet (drill through because the collar slips) - but I've gotten close.

I just resorted to drilling a small block of wood and putting it in between the chuck and steel collar and super gluing the (worthless) collar to the block of wood.

I'm using a hand held drill, a 1/4" drill and a Veritas Shelf Drilling Jig (works "OK" with a new brad point, but I still get tear out in Chinese birch ply) and have hundreds of more holes to drill.

Any suggestions?