Drill w/guide or router?

[Jamie Buxton]

I use magnets on doors quite a bit. The important thing is that the magnets must touch. A gap drastically reduces the force. So for your job, a good depth stop is essential. My best depth stop is on my plunge router.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I use magnets on doors quite a bit. The important thing is that the magnets must touch. A gap drastically reduces the force. So for your job, a good depth stop is essential. My best depth stop is on my plunge router.

Exactly my conundrum.

[Bill Dufour]

A countersink cage is accurate to 1/1000" per click. So far better then most wworking machines. It is designed to sink countersinked fasteners dead flush to an aircrafts skin for aerodynamic reasons. Just run it with a regular electric drill motor no need to run out and buy a pancake drill or anything special.
Bill D
https://www.browntool.com/Listview/t...2/Default.aspx

[Doug Garson]

Methinks you and many of the posters are overthinking this. Typical magnets are about 1/8" thick, no need for a drill guide or jig to keep the hole perpendicular to the edge of the door. Magnets used in this application don't need to be located within a few thousands of an inch. Mark both doors, blue tape is a good idea and center punch matching locations. Drill using a Forstner bit to approximately the required depth, check and adjust the drilling angle if the hole isn't perfectly square. Check the depth and drill further if required, if you drill too far you can use thickened epoxy or washers to make up the required depth. Note that magnets power is increased if they are backed by a steel disc, some magnets come with steel cup which you attach with a screw thru a tapered hole or you can just just a flat washer.

[George Yetka]

I would say you arent going too deep so a forstner bit freehand as long as holes are marked out properly and marked with an awl will work well. the more critical thing would be to make sure magnets are sized right and glued in properly.

[Jamie Buxton]

Rich --
Say you get the magnets perfectly mounted on the doors. That is, you've got the doors sticking together so tightly that "I can't pull them apart without having to pry them". Do you have a plan for opening the doors?

[Cameron Wood]

A countersink cage is accurate to 1/1000" per click. So far better then most wworking machines. It is designed to sink countersinked fasteners dead flush to an aircrafts skin for aerodynamic reasons. Just run it with a regular electric drill motor no need to run out and buy a pancake drill or anything special.
Bill D
https://www.browntool.com/Listview/t...2/Default.aspx

That would be just the thing except it doesn't make a flat- bottom hole, can't do 3/4", and costs $60 plus shipping.

[Bill Dufour]

I would buy used unless you are doing thousands per day. I think a 1/4" cage maxes out at 3/4 " diameter rivet shaver. Or go up to a 3/8 size cage.
I guess I should have mentioned you do not have to use only a countersink bit. That would make a wood router not very useful if you could not change bit types.
I bought a long stroke one for drilling shelf pin holes with 1/4" diameter threaded drills. A rivet shaver is nice for cutting plugs flush with the wood surface. I leave it up about 5/1000 and sand it flush to reduce tearout.
Bill D.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/14486395930...Bk9SR7qhl7bZYw

[Bill Dufour]

That would be just the thing except it doesn't make a flat- bottom hole, can't do 3/4", and costs $60 plus shipping.

Costs less then buying a router and bit.
Bill D

[George Bokros]

What is the reason the doors drift apart? If the tracks are level they should not move on their own. Sounds to me like there is something wrong with the installation of the doors. I have had several pocket doors including one I installed myself and they have never moved from either the closed or open position.

[Bill Dufour]

Shoot some sawdust and sand into the bearings and it will not drift around.
Bill D

[Rich Engelhardt]

George - I think they drift apart simply because there is air movement.
When I say drift, I'm only talking about a very small amount also.
What make is so pronounced is that the dining room side is dark due to there being now windows and the family room is very bright because it has a lot of glass.

What we refer to as our family room - is more like an enclosed porch we had the builder bump out on the backside of the house. It's about the same width and depth as a sliding door and a half.

Bill - interesting devices. I'll have to look into them more. The cost isn't that important - as long as I can find other uses on other projects.

[Bill Dufour]

A pancake or porkchop drill attachment allows me to reach into an electrical box and drill holes sideways into the studs for mounting screws. It uses the same 1/4-28 threaded drills, countersinks and rivet shavers a regular micro sink cage uses. I install using hex drive sheet metal screws driven by a 1/4" air ratchet.
Bill D

[Derek Cohen]

What I would do is sink the magnet first. Just use a correctly sized forstner for the magnet, just deep enough. This is easy to do free hand.

Then use a dowel centre point to find the matching position on the facing jamb. Simply use the magnet to hold the point facing the opposite side.

I connect chair aims this way ...





Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rich Engelhardt]

Derek - Thank you! Great idea.
I don't have the dowel points - but - I can get some easy enough.