17/32" brad point drill bit with 3/8" shank?

[Michael Dunn]

Does such a bit exist? Everything I'm finding is 1/2" shank. I'm drilling several compound angled holes in African Mahogany. 45 degrees to the face and 45 degrees to the edge. The drilling guide I'm using has a 3/8" max shank capacity.

Either way I need to buy a 17/32" bit. I may just end up having to make my own guid akin to the kreg pocket hole jig with a steel sleeve. This drilling guide is pretty flimsy especially at this 45 degree angle. Not to mention setup has too many steps and takes too much time and doesn't seem be very accurate (in tests). Nor does it drill a clean hole. I have to drill 8 of these holes in 1-3/4"x6" African Mahogany for a canopy bed frame I'm building.

[Bruce Page]

Found one at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Brad-Point-Drill-speed-steel-Shank/dp/B003S88AFS

[George Bokros]

That is a pretty hefty price for one bit but if you need it you need it.

[Michael Dunn]

Found one at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brad-Point-Drill-speed-steel-Shank/dp/B003S88AFS

Cool. Thanx! I must've missed that one. Amazon was the second place I searched.

[Michael Dunn]

That is a pretty hefty price for one bit but if you need it you need it.

I agree! Thankfully I'm not at this point in the project yet so I have some time to shop around.

[Jeff Duncan]

I'd go for the shop made jig and plain old bit. IME a simple shop made jig will often be superior to many of the fancy plastic jigs they sell at the WW store.

good luck,
JeffD

[Michael Dunn]

Here's the best price I could find.

www.carbideprocessors.com/brad-point-drill-17-32-dia-3-8-shank-4-cut-length-southeast-tool-se20313hs/

[Bruce Page]

Same brand as the Amazon bit but at a much better price.

[Michael Dunn]

I'd go for the shop made jig and plain old bit. IME a simple shop made jig will often be superior to many of the fancy plastic jigs they sell at the WW store. good luck, JeffD

The longest drill bushing I can find is at McMaster it's only 1-1/2" in length. Do you think that will be long enough? I don't. Especially since I'll have to cut it at a 45 degree angle to work in my jig.

Anyone have a supplier for longer drill bushings?

[Mark Bolton]

You would have a "regular old bit" and you only need 8 holes.. A piece of tubing with an undersized id, and your regular old bit and you've got a bushing whatever length you want.. ?

[Michael Dunn]

Allow me to correct myself... I only need 8 holes drilled at the compound 45 degree angle. 24 holes @ 17/32" diameter in total (16 straight). I currently do not own any drill bits larger than 1/2".

[Michael Dunn]

You would have a "regular old bit" and you only need 8 holes.. A piece of tubing with an undersized id, and your regular old bit and you've got a bushing whatever length you want.. ?

Don't you think if need something much harder than tubing? When you say tubing I can't help but think plastic or rubber. What did you mean?

[Mark Bolton]

All sorts of tubing. You could buy a short piece of 1/2" id or smaller dom tubing (steel) and bore it out with the same bit (regular hss twist bit available locally). For 8 (or several more) in a jig you could also use a brass nipple and drill it out with the same bit. And so on. Any local hydraulics shop would likely have tubing and sell you a foot.

Perhaps if you were going to be doing this a thousand times a hardened steel bushing would be nice but for a few...

That's if you even need the bushing in the first place. Now given the straight holes I would likely ditch the steel busing deal all together and buy the brad point and simply make a 45 degree guide on the DP out of hardwood and go on.

[Jeff Duncan]

For so few holes you really don't need a bushing at all. Make a jig out of maple, drill the hole to the size bit you need and have at it. Unless this is a product where being off by 1/2 a degree is going to throw everything off you'll be fine. If you want to be extra cautious you can make the jig a bit longer, and buy yourself a longer jobber bit, I have a handful of those in different sizes for those special occasions;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Michael Dunn]

For so few holes you really don't need a bushing at all. Make a jig out of maple, drill the hole to the size bit you need and have at it. Unless this is a product where being off by 1/2 a degree is going to throw everything off you'll be fine. If you want to be extra cautious you can make the jig a bit longer, and buy yourself a longer jobber bit, I have a handful of those in different sizes for those special occasions;) good luck, JeffD

.5 degree error could definitely make things bad for me. This angle will hold a threaded insert (or tapped threads directly in the wood, about to test these two methods on scrap) the will fasten an 80" long rail that will be fastened the same way at the other end. So, alignment, I would say is absolutely crucial.