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Thread: Drilling 1/4" hole, 4" deep, into end grain of 3/4" hardwood

  1. #1
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    Sep 2017
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    Drilling 1/4" hole, 4" deep, into end grain of 3/4" hardwood

    Hello,

    I have a project coming up for 250 cheese boards. To install the integrated wire slicer/handle, I have to drill 1/4" holes, 4" deep, right smack into the center of the end grain in a specific location. 250 times on 250 different boards! Board dimensions are approx 5.75" w X 12" long X 3/4" thick. Obviously a relatively high degree of precision matters.

    And I don't have a drill press! (A 4'x8' CNC is the foundation of my shop, so I've been able to get away without having a drill press. I considered some sort of jig that would allow me to drill into end grain on the CNC, but the 4" depth is a problem....)

    Before I plunk down the significant $ for a drill press with more than 4" of spindle travel, I am wondering if there's any other clever way to do this reliably and repeatably?? I don't trust myself to drill straight for 4" without some serious guide/jig.

    Thanks!
    Brian

  2. #2
    Why not just cut a slot In the bottom of your board 4 inches long and then cover with the slot wider to encapsulate a 1/4 “ hole 4 inches long with the Percision of your CNC . Nosing bit would be ideal
    jack
    English machines

  3. #3
    You can get drill bushings (and aircraft drill bits) from McMaster Carr to make a simple jig for a hand-held drill.

  4. #4
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    Ah, cheese boards. I have (2) sets of 6-inch brad point bits that I found at a tool outlet store years ago. First I put a drill stop at the 4 inch mark, chuck it up in my cordless drill, then use it with a self-centering dowel jig. When it bottoms out on the dowel jig I remove the jig, clamp the board vertical in a cabinet maker's front vise, and finish drilling to the proper depth. The hole is deep enough after removing the jig to keep the bit aligned as you finish it. Go slow, and clean out the chips every 3/4 inch or so.

    Hope this helps.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Depends on how precise you need them.

    Woodturners drill fairly deep holes in end grain all the time. If not careful, it is easy for the bit to follow the grain and go off at an angle. It's easy to see this on the lathe but harder when the work is stationary. (For woodturning the bit is usually still and advanced into the rotating wood.)

    A couple of things I find work best.

    Always start the hole with a spotting bit or a center drill (made for metalworking). These are both short and stout and immediately get off. If the work will allow, I use one a little larger than the intended hole (easy with woodturning since the end can usually be trimmed away afterwards).

    center drills.jpg

    Second, I drill the first part of the hole with a screw machine bit, for example https://www.amazon.com/Cleveland-C70.../dp/B0026GM3CY. These are much shorter and therefor less flexible than the standard "jobbers" length drill bits. I generally use a higher speed until the hole is deep enough that the chips need clearing. Once a precise hole is started a couple of inches the longer bit will be unlikely to follow the grain. I've drilled 3/8" holes about 8" deep this way.

    Sharp sharp sharp helps a lot. You might also experiment with brad point vs other types of bit grinds. I usually use standard grinds but some have reported better success with others. Note that some cheap bits are not even ground with the points in exactly centered! A good drill press would help a lot. Christmas is getting close... I have also used my (manual) milling machine to drill.

    All this sounds like a lot of work for 200 pieces. Maybe you don't need the type of precision this can give you.

    JKJ

  6. #6
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    For affordable precision on a job like this a Shopsmith is great. I use mine for horizontal drilling all the time when making banjos. You could easily clamp two boards to the table to make an L shaped fence and the table can be adjusted up and down and for tilt. I am not sure if the older 10ER shopsmiths will drill that deep, but I am quite confident that the Mark V on up will do it. On Craigslist the 10ER can often be had around here in the $100-200 range and the Mark V in the $300-500 range depending what accessories you want. I paid $400 for mine with a lot of attachments and sold off the ones I didn't need for $450 or so on eBay over a month or so, but I was watching for a good deal for several months.
    Zach

  7. #7
    Is there some reason a doweling jig won't work?

  8. #8
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    Appreciate the ideas in this thread. I am hoping to make this process as quick and repeatable as possible. My hesitation with a doweling jig is that I have to attach, detach, and reattach the jig every time. I guess I could build a jig around the dowel jig to automatically align the jig to my piece so I am not fiddling with lining up the bushing every time, but I'd much rather move the workpiece in and out of a jig than have to move the jig. By contrast, using a large floor standing drill press with a vice/jig all set up just once, I could simply insert the piece, drill, remove, etc. with no fiddling....But that's a large, expensive machine that I am trying to avoid.

    I guess I could get a less expensive and smaller benchtop drill press with enough clearance to drill into the end grain of my cheeseboards, and then I'd at least have quick 3"ish holes that I could finish off by hand with a drill stop. With 3" of guide hole depth, I probably can't screw up a 4" hole too much

    Now the Shopsmith...that's interesting and tempting. I rarely use my Sawstop cabinet saw. I could sell it and replace it with a Shopsmith! Seems like mixed reviews though...

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianD King View Post
    I guess I could get a less expensive and smaller benchtop drill press with enough clearance to drill into the end grain of my cheeseboards, and then I'd at least have quick 3"ish holes that I could finish off by hand with a drill stop. With 3" of guide hole depth, I probably can't screw up a 4" hole too much
    I was just going to ask how deep of a hole you could precisely drill with your CNC and suggest that you drill a starter hole and then finish it by hand while the CNC drills the next hole. 3" should be more than enough for you to hand drill the remaining inch of hole without wandering off center. I would use a brad point bit.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  10. #10
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    Never ever let the opportunity to tell SWMBO, honey I need this in order to make this for you.

  11. #11
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    My Shopsmith makes a good horizontal drill and disk sander and an okay lathe, but it would be a dreadful table saw. Any cheap worksite saw would be better, in my opinion. I sold my table saw accessories without ever using them. I have a Delta contractor saw that I use, after burning out 3 old Craftsman direct drive table saws in about as many years.
    Zach

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    I was just going to ask how deep of a hole you could precisely drill with your CNC and suggest that you drill a starter hole and then finish it by hand while the CNC drills the next hole. 3" should be more than enough for you to hand drill the remaining inch of hole without wandering off center. I would use a brad point bit.
    I doubt I could get more than 1.25" of depth with a carbide router bit, and the spindle spins too fast for a regular drill bit.

  13. #13
    Just finishing up 15 cheese slicer boards for Christmas presents. I used a Jessem doweling jig. Worked great but if I had 250 to do I'd definitely get a drill press. Just put my first coat of mineral oil on this morning.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by William A Johnston View Post
    Just finishing up 15 cheese slicer boards for Christmas presents. I used a Jessem doweling jig. Worked great but if I had 250 to do I'd definitely get a drill press. Just put my first coat of mineral oil on this morning.
    Those look great! Where did you get the wire cutters? I found cheeseslicing.com as a source.

    Yeah, 250 of them will try my patience. Fortunately I can spread out production over 5 months. Otherwise I would lose my mind as a one man shop!

  15. #15

    Smile

    I also got them at cheese slicer.com. I do boards as a hobby. I don't have a drill press. Looks like another tool.

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