How do you drill a hole...

[Joe Unni]

...in the end of a 75" bed rail?

Hey all,

I'm in the process of doing a bed rail replacement for a customer and need to drill three 1/2" holes in each end of the rail. The center hole is the deepest at about 5" for the bed bolt and the other two are for alignment dowels. I suspect some type of hand drilling jig or fixture is in order so I guess I'm looking to you all for some ideas and/or direction.

Thanks in advance,
-joe

[Lee DeRaud]

If you have a short (like 2") scrap of the rail material, drill that on the drill press, then screw some flat pieces to the sides so you can clamp the whole thing to the rail...ready-made drill guide.

[Don Baer]

I'd use my self centering dowel jig

[Basil Rathbone]

Joe, do you have a RAS with an threaded arbor on the back of the motor? It is easy to make a fixture that will move the workpiece into the bit. One that size may take a little figuring out, but I do smaller ones on my dewalt whenever I need to.

Basil

[Dennis Peacock]

If you have a short (like 2") scrap of the rail material, drill that on the drill press, then screw some flat pieces to the sides so you can clamp the whole thing to the rail...ready-made drill guide.

Agree here with Lee. I use this method when I have a piece that I can't drill directly on the DP. Works just fine.

[Alan Turner]

A Stanley NO. 59 dowelling jig will do fine for this.

[Joe Unni]

If you have a short (like 2") scrap of the rail material, drill that on the drill press, then screw some flat pieces to the sides so you can clamp the whole thing to the rail...ready-made drill guide.

This worked like a champ!!

Thanks everyone for your responses. This is quite a place!!

-joe

[Chris Padilla]

We aim to please! :D

[glenn bradley]

Quote : This worked like a champ!!

I love this forum. I am repeatedly grateful for the people who point out the straightforward answers when I overthink myself into a corner. Kudos to Creekers!