A Different Dog Hole Drilling question

[Doug Shepard]

Not Where, but When?
I've got a few hours of odds and ends left to do, but would be throwing the first coat of finish on my bench project this weekend. Normally I think I'd want to drill the dog holes after finishing. But this is my vertically laminated BB ply bench (ala Sam Blasco's). The BB ply is probably hard enough on drill bits. The finish on top of that will be a couple coats of thickened epoxy. So a few days ago I start thinking that maybe I should either drill the holes before the finish or stock up now on a whole bunch of extra 3/4" brad point bits. So how about keeping the epoxy out of the already drilled holes? The only thing I can think of is to swab the holes good with paste wax, then inserting short 3/4 dowel stubs into the holes before the finish is applied. Then pulling them out after the epoxy has started to set up but before the dowels get glued into place. Anybody got a better idea?

[Bruce Page]

Doug, I don’t understand why you don’t want to drill them after you apply the finish. Are you concerned that the poly will dull the bit? I don’t think it would have much effect. If the finish is not dry you’ll probably have some gumming up on the brad point, but that’s about it.
I think you’re going to regret drilling them first.

[Casey Gooding]

First, I wouldn't use epoxy as a finish for a hand tool type bench. It's much too slippery. You wouldn't want your stock sliding all around when you are trying to plane it. I like a wiping varnish. Buy it or make it yourself.

On the last bench I built, I drilled the dog holes after final assembly. That put everything at a convenient height. Also, and this may be a bit taboo for here, I used a plunge router with a 3/4" spiral bit. Doing it this way assures straight holes. Certainly a drill would work fine, just use squares and constantly check yourself.

Good luck!!

[Alex Yeilding]

Doug, I second both of Casey's recommendations.

On my first bench (now my assembly table / finishing table / place-to-pile-things-that-I-am-not-disciplined-enough-to put-away-properly-table), I used shellac and wax. That finish is great for avoiding glue sticking, etc. But it is so slick that you have to walk slowly past that table lest the breeze you stir up blows your workpieece off if it. My handtool bench has one coat of Waterlox sealer/finish, which provides some protection for the wood, but no visible surface film. Friction is similar to the raw wood after final planing.

I also used a spiral upcut bit in a plunge router to cut holes for hold-downs. Besides straight and extremely clean holes, it was easy to jig for even spacing and uniform distance from the front edge. And if I'm at risk of being excommunicated for that, I might as well also admit that I used a piloted roundover bit to ease the top of each hole about 1/16".

The router bit did not plunge deeply enough for my top--I finished it with a bit & brace, using the plunged hole as a guide.

If you didn't want to use the router, I would definitely use a bit and brace (probably with a 2"-3" thick drilling guide to "jig" the holes' angle and position) before I would use a portable power drill.

[harry strasil]

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=42322&cat=1,180,42311,42321&ap=1

[Thom Sturgill]

Why drill? If you are using 3/4" sheet goods, cut one course into small sections and laminate them with a spacer between sections to make square dog holes.

[Greg Cole]

Doug,
Not sure about how to keep the epoxy out if you bore the dog holes before applying the finish. Ya might wanna prep a sample piece and see how much chipping etc ya get with a sprial upcut bit n router.. then decide before or after.
Thom,
The bench top is made from strips of BB ply turned on edge then laminated together (search for Sam Blasco if you want to see).... not sheets laminated together.

Cheers.
Greg

[Doug Shepard]

OK - more info. The bench is already built and constructed along the lines of this one http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=22081
I still think I'm going to stick with the epoxy like Sam's. This will have to do double duty as my assembly bench, and probably triple duty as a finishing bench (not spray though). So I want something that wont be bothered by glue/finish before I can get it wiped off. Just dont have the room to have separate work surfaces for those tasks.

I'll be using Jeff Wright's dog hole drilling method
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57406
And a 3/4" bit from LV that will get all the way thru my 3-3/4"-ish thick top. I already have it.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=42247&cat=1,180,42240

I guess I'll go ahead and finish, then cross my fingers and hope I can get all the holes in before the epoxy makes the bit scream uncle. I think I had my spacing figured out at around 8+ inches and off the top of my head it might be around 20 holes. Plus another 4-5 on the front face spaced wider. Here goes nuthin.

[Michael Hammers]

Just an idea,
I would stop them with corks or dowells or rolled up paper, whatever and make the holes before you apply finish. I think you stand greater risk of damaging the style of finish you plan to use by compromising the dried epoxy with drilling. I would think by applying the finish and then breaking it would be worse than plugging and sanding the holes.
I do agree with others that I would think perhaps of a different finish medium. IMHO.

[Thom Sturgill]

Doug,
Thom,
The bench top is made from strips of BB ply turned on edge then laminated together (search for Sam Blasco if you want to see).... not sheets laminated together.

Cheers.
Greg
I understood that -
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
----- -------- ------- --------- ---
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Imagine each line as one strip of ply on edge, the center strip is several sections with 3/4" space between.

[Doug Shepard]

Well there's no going back now. It's dog holes after finish. I got the first coat of epoxy put on about an hour ago. Should have the 2nd coat w/ sanding in between done in a few days, then dog holes and vise mounting by next weekend. The onlything after that is gluing the leather vise jaw liners on. I'll post pics when I get it all wrapped up.